GAINESVILLE – The cost of a college education can be staggering. Every high school graduate faces the math question: How much will it cost if I go, and how much could it cost if I don’t go?
In 2012 employees with the city of Gainesville determined that they would try to help their own face that financial mountain in whatever manner they could, even if the dollar amount was small, even if they could only bless a small handful of college-bound students.
That goal began as the brainchild of Gainesville Communications and Tourism Director Catiel Felts.
Felts said that employees with the city of Gainesville had for over a decade, since the year 2000, contributed to an annual fund raising campaign known as “You’re the Reason”.
Felts said the initial program had a twofold purpose: “To tell our employees ‘You’re the Reason’ Gainesville is the great city that it is, and to tell city residents ‘You’re the Reason’ we work hard to provide the services we do, like back yard, twice a week garbage pick-up, etcetera.”
Felts added that every fall at an employee event the city would name “You’re the Reason” employees, nominated by their peers for going above and beyond. “They (would) receive a gift and a paid day off,” Felts said.
Then, after her own daughter graduated high school and went on to college, Felts felt personally the challenge of financing a college education. She knew firsthand how her co-workers with college-aged children were feeling.
She asked why can’t the “You’re the Reason” campaign be expanded and used as an opportunity to help families-in-need with college costs.
Her idea was well received and has grown; Felts said that this year they are providing $2300 to six students, and that they have awarded more than $10,000 since the program began.
“City of Gainesville employees every year have the opportunity to give to a number of non-profits and organizations in the city of Gainesville, and one of those is the ‘You’re the Reason Scholarship Fund’,” Felts said.
At Tuesday evening’s city council meeting Felts called the six contestants to the front of the room to announce the $1000 grand prize winner.
Those applicants are:
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Andria Jimenez – daughter of Police employee, Hector Jimenez
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Alyssa Gee – daughter of Water Resources employee Jason Gee
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Jayce Johnson – son of Cemetery employee Tammy Johnson
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Austin Montecalvo – son of Water Resources employee Paul Montecalvo
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Grayson Patterson – daughter of Fire employee Jason Patterson
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Alyssa Yarck – daughter of Fire employee Dale Yarck
“Without further ado, I want to say congratulations to Andria Jimenez for being our $1000 scholarship winner this year,” Felts announced.
Jimenez is graduating from Johnson High School. As to next fall: “I’m going to West Georgia and I’m still undecided (as to her major).”
Felts said that the judges determining the grand prize recipient are not city employees. “Our judges are outside the city of Gainesville, not connected to the city of Gainesville. Our judges this year were Katie Crumley and Kris Nordholz.”
