The recipients of the 2014-15 Lettie Pate Scholarship following the reception given in their honor.
photo by Hannah Morgan
Lee University has awarded scholarships to 32 women for the 2014-2015 school year. The scholarships were funded by a grant from the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation, a Georgia non-profit organization that is dedicated to the education of female students with financial need from nine southeastern states.
Each woman was awarded a scholarship of $2,500. In accordance with the guidelines prescribed by the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation, scholarships were awarded to women who reside in one of nine specified southeastern states. Recipients were chosen based on a combination of factors, including financial need, academic merit and character.
Mrs. Lettie Pate Whitehead, for whom the foundation is named, was born in Virginia in 1872. In the year 1895 she married Joseph Brown Whitehead and the two settled in Chattanooga. In 1899 Mr. Whitehead and an associate approached the Coca-Cola Company with the idea of bottling the popular beverage. The two businessmen secured a contract and soon began bottling and selling Coca-Cola throughout the United States.
Upon Mr. Whitehead’s death in 1906, Mrs. Whitehead assumed responsibility for the family’s many business affairs. She became one of the first women to serve on the board of directors of a major American corporation.
Along with her legacy as a successful business woman, Mrs. Whitehead also left a legacy of generosity. Throughout her life she supported dozens of charities and educational programs and was seen as a leader in her community. The Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation aims to inspire women to stand out as leaders in their communities and to support them in their quest for education.
This year’s recipients are: Tiffany Alley, Parrott, Va.; Claudia Ayoub, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Rebecca Batten, Lagrange, Ga.; Brandi Bethune, Cleveland, Tenn.; Scarlett Bray, Palmer, Tenn.; Catherine Cooper, Thompsons Station, Tenn.; Logan Craig, Knoxville, Tenn.; Alisha Dover, Georgetown, Tenn.; Elizabeth Eaton, Canton, Ga.; Stephanie Edwards, Chatsworth, Ga.; Oksana Ferenchuk, Cleveland, Tenn.; Danyale Ford, Griffin, Ga.; Kelsey French, Cleveland, Tenn.; Sydney Gibbons, Cleveland, Tenn.; Caroline Hamby, Tampa, Fla.; Lauren Hart, Lewisville, N.C.; Britteny Heath, New Tazewell, Tenn.; Karina Hernandez, Dalton, Ga.; Kaitlyn Hickman, Cleveland, Tenn.; Kayla Hughett, Huntsville, Tenn.; Christina Jarman, Smithfield, N.C.; Sara Lee, Hixson, Tenn.; Hannah McManus, Winston, Ga.; Kendra Norwood, Kennesaw, Ga.; Kansas Owen, Fort Payne, Ala.; Danae Pick, Port Saint Lucie, Fla.; Marlana Smith, Nashville, Tenn.; Karis Swatzell, Asheville, N.C.; Linda Vincent, Huntsville, Ala.; Larisa Westmoreland, Collegedale, Tenn.; Camellia Wilson, Shelbyville, Tenn.; and Briana Padgett, Griffin, Ga.
A reception to celebrate the 32 women chosen for the award this year was held in the John D. Nichols Room of the Lee University Chapel.
For more information about the Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholarship, please contact Lee’s Office of Admissions at 614-8500.