The primary purpose of the Oconee Lions Youth Citizenship Award is to recognize the achievements of two OCHS graduating seniors who provide evidence of the following criteria: (1) good citizenship, (2) an active interest in the civic, cultural, social and moral welfare of the community, and (3) a record of service to the community without personal financial award.  This award is not intended to necessarily benefit students with "high" grade point averages. In the evaluation, consideration will be given to need, recommendations, personal achievements, and a statement of the applicant's personal goals and aspirations. Special weight will be given to community service accomplishments.  The amount of the award is $1,000. Applications can be picked up in the Counseling office and are due back by 3:00 PM on April 24, 2015. Please turn the applications in to Mr. Guthas.

The Hill Chapel Baptist Church will be offering five $500.00 scholarships to qualified students based on their academic achievement, civic involvement and religious involvement. Applications for the scholarship can be picked up in the counseling office and are due to the church office by February, 6, 2015.

UGA to host “Colleges in Your Backyard” on Jan. 18

High school representatives, students and their parents can learn about the college admissions process and how to apply for scholarships and financial aid at the sixth annual “Colleges in Your Backyard” event hosted by the University of Georgia Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Jan. 18 from 3-5 p.m. in the fifth floor Grand Hall of the UGA Tate Center.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature a panel discussion with representatives from the UGA Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Office of Student Financial Aid as well as representatives from Athens Technical College, Piedmont College and the University of North Georgia.

A mini college fair in will immediately follow the panel discussion in the Tate Grand Hall and will include an opportunity for students and parents to receive additional information on each of the represented colleges and ask questions.

Free parking will be available in the Tate Center Parking Deck, located 705 South Lumpkin Street adjacent to the Tate Center.

Directions:  http://www.uga.edu/a-z/location/tate-center-parking-deck/

For more information about the program, contact Rosa Arroyo Driggers, associate director of admissions at rarroyo@uga.edu.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN FOR IGNITING THE DREAM OF MEDICINE/PREHEALTH CONFERENCE!

Please see registration information for our 4^th Annual Igniting the Dream of Medicine Conference,February 28, 2015.  We are excited to host the conference in our new medical education building at Georgia Regents University (GRU), Medical College of Georgia (MCG)!   This is truly an amazing building with “state of the art”  features, which provides opportunity for us to enhance our conference in several ways. We have made additions to the conference that are sure to help students in their premedical and other prehealth profession preparation.  We encourage interested students, club members, advisors and others to take advantage of this opportunity to learn first-hand about preparing for a career in medicine and other health professions.  In addition, conference participants have opportunity to become familiar with educational opportunities offered at our health sciences institution.

REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR CONFERENCE ATTENDEES:

To register for the conference, please submit the registration fee here. After submitting your payment, please click here to download the Registration Form. All Registration Forms should be emailed tocrobinson3@gru.edu. If you are paying the registration fee for multiple attendees, please email a list of names for all individuals that your payment will cover to crobinson3@gru.edu. Even if a group payment is submitted, it is important for each individual to complete a Registration Form. For additional information in regards to the conference, please click here. Registration ends on Friday, February 14, 2015

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The Washington Youth Tour is geared towards making students better leaders and instilling confidence. For the past fifty years, Walton EMC has invested in our area's young people by sending them, all expenses paid, to get an up close and personal look at their government in action. You must be a current sophomore or junior to apply to the program and live in Walton EMC's service area.  Entry forms/brochures can be picked up in the Counseling Office and must be returned to Walton EMC by Friday, February 6, at 5:00 PM.

The Georgia Pilot Foundation will award up to three, $1,500 scholarships for outstanding community volunteer service to a graduating senior within the Georgia District. Students must be sponsored by a Georgia District Pilot Club.

The applicant must:

1. Be a graduating senior from an accredited high school and have a minimum 3.0 or B academic average.

2. Plan to attend an accredited college.

3. Live in or attend an accredited high school in the county of a Georgia District Pilot Club sponsoring the applicant.

4. Submit a completed application by February 2, 2015.

Applications may be picked up in the Counseling Office. The application must be completed in full and postmarked byFebruary 2.

Thanks to the University of Georgia’s VetCAMP program, high school students have the opportunity to explore the field of veterinary medicine before they start college classes.

Run by the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, VetCAMP 2015 will be held June 14-20. Registration is open through Jan. 30.

The seven-day Veterinary Career Aptitude and Mentoring Program gives current high school sophomores, juniors and seniors the opportunity to experience veterinary medicine as a potential career path through the clinical and research services offered by the UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital, the Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center and the college’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories.

Attendees will learn about requirements for admission to the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, pre-veterinary study options at UGA, research opportunities, study abroad opportunities, the college’s veterinary curriculum and underserved specialties in the field of veterinary medicine.

Registration is $900. The fee includes lodging on the UGA campus, meals, instruction and social activities. Financial assistance is available to students with demonstrated need.

Students who wish to be considered for the program must complete a registration packet that includes a registration form, a teacher/counselor recommendation form and an essay. They also must submit an official high school transcript.

To download a registration packet, see www.vet.uga.edu/GO/camp. For more information about the program, contact Lakecia Pettway at lpettway@uga.edu or 706-542-8411.

The Legacy Student Scholarship sponsored by Peach State Credit Union will be offered again this year. This scholarship is to honor the legacy of past and present board members and employees who have served Peach State Federal Credit Union for 20 years or more. It is awarded to graduating high school seniors who will be attending college to pursue a degree in education and plan to return to Georgia to teach.  Applications for the scholarship can be picked up in the counseling office. The application deadline to the credit union office is March 20, 2015.

Peach State Federal Credit Union is again sponsoring the Dr. John Jackson Student Scholarship. This scholarship is in honor of Dr. John Jackson, retired Superintendent of Oconee County Schools, for his contributions to the Oconee County School System. It will be awarded to an Oconee County Public School graduating senior pursuing a degree in education.  Applications can be picked up in the Counseling Office and are due back to the credit union office by March 20, 2015. The scholarship amount is $2,500.

With the holidays just around the corner, Kaplan would like to show students at your thanks with a special offer. Now through December 16, Kaplan is offering $150 off all our SAT® and ACT® test prep courses and tutoring options. This represents our biggest savings of the year on SAT and ACT Classroom courses. For more information, families can visit our website kaptest.com/thanks or contact us directly at 1-800-527-8378.

The Oconee Little League will recognize and award outstanding seniors who have the love of the game of softball/baseball by providing a scholarship towards educational costs at an accredited college, university or technical school. There will be five scholarships awarded in the county between the high schools. All high school seniors that have played baseball/softball at least two years of their high school career and reside in Oconee County will be eligible to submit an application. Any student having received a full, four-year college scholarship is not eligible to apply. Applications can be picked up in the Counseling Office and are due to the Oconee Little League by January 31, 2015. No exceptions will be made for late applications.

A partnership between Ronald McDonald House Charities and its local Chapters opens the door to higher education for graduating seniors. The RMHC Scholarship Program seeks to invest in students who are exemplary role models in their communities and have the initiative to fulfill their educational goals. For more information and to apply, please visithttps://aim.applyists.net/RMHC. The deadline to apply is January 20, 2015

Each year, 60-70 of the brightest and most motivated students are sought out to participate in the Georgia College and State University Honors Program. A minimum high school GPA of a 3.5 along with a minimum SAT score of 1200 or 26 ACT score is required. Applications located at www.gcsu.edu/honors/application.htm must be received by February 1 for priority consideration and March 1 for regular consideration.

For four decades, the Boston University Trustee Scholars Program has attracted students from around the world with outstanding academic ability and the potential to inspire fellow students to excel. Next fall, BU will welcome 15 new Trustee Scholars. Trustee Scholars rank at the top of their classes and demonstrate exceptional leadership in their schools and communities. The Trustee Scholarship covers full undergraduate tuition. All application and nomination materials are available online at bu.edu/admissions/trustee.

Emmanuel College is hosting a Fall Preview Day on October 24, from 1-6 pm.  Students will be able to observe classes, take a campus tour, attend an information fair and participate in many other activities. Participating students will also have a chance to win $1,000 put towards tuition for Fall Semester. Please visit http://www.ec.edu/preview-registration to sign up for this event.

The Horatio Alger Association has provided financial assistance to students throughout the nation who have financial need and have exhibited integrity and perseverance in overcoming personal adversity. Students may learn more about this program and apply by going to www.horatioalger.org/scholarships. Students may apply online until October 24, 2014

The Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership program is designed to empower high school sophomores to recognize their potential leadership talents and apply them to become effective, ethical leaders in their home, school, and community. Selected students will attend a three day seminar to participate in hands-on leadership activities, meet state leaders and learn how to lead others and make a positive impact in the community. Please visit http://www.hoby.org/ for complete details. OCHS can nominate one sophomore student to attend the seminar this summer. If you are interested in being nominated, please see Mr. Guthas in the Counseling Office by Friday, October 10

The deadline to apply for the Watson Brown Junior Board of Trustees is September 19. Applications can be picked up in the Counseling Office.

Please join the University of North Georgia for an evening of food, drink and celebration of Oconee County students at their first annual "OconeeFest" scholarship fundraising event. This drop-in event will be held on the front lawn of the UNG Oconee Campus on Thursday, October 30 from 5:30-7:30. Donations are welcome but not required to attend.  "OconeeFest will focus on raising scholarship funds for Oconee County students attending any of UNG's four campuses. Scholarships may be used for tuition, study abroad opportunities and research. This semester, nearly 500 students from Oconee County are enrolled at one of UNG's campuses.

Students who are interested in attending Christian colleges are invited to visit the website http://www.bestcolleges.com/features/top-christian-colleges/ for details on top Christian schools throughout the country.

Students who are interested in attending Wesleyan University:  There will be a representative here on September 17th during Warrior Period. Please sign up in the Counseling Office if you are interested in meeting with the representative.

Armstrong State University (formerly Armstrong Atlantic), will host two Pirate Preview Open Houses this semester. The first will be on October 1 and the second one on November 1. Please contact Cynthia Warden at Cynthia.Warden@armstrong.edu for complete registration details.  Also, Armstrong will have a Fall 2015 Priority Deadline commitment this year. All students who complete their admission applications by December 15 will be eligible for institutional scholarships. Please visit armstrong.edu for more information regarding their college in historic Savannah, Georgia.

Please join the University of North Georgia for an evening of food, drink and celebration of Oconee County students at their first annual "OconeeFest" scholarship fundraising event. This drop-in event will be held on the front lawn of the UNG Oconee Campus on Thursday, October 30 from 5:30-7:30. Donations are welcome but not required to attend.  "OconeeFest will focus on raising scholarship funds for Oconee County students attending any of UNG's four campuses. Scholarships may be used for tuition, study abroad opportunities and research. This semester, nearly 500 students from Oconee County are enrolled at one of UNG's campuses."

Students may once again be nominated for National Youth Leadership Forum in Medicine and the National Youth Leadership Forum in National Security - Diplomacy, Intelligence & Defense. Both Forums provide and opportunity for students to experience first hand experience in those career fields. The Forum in Medicine will be held in the summer of 2015. The forum in National Security will be in the spring of 2015 in Washington, DC. Please visithttp://www.envisionexperience.com/explore-our-programs/careers-in-medicine for complete details on the Forum in Medicine and http://www.envisionexperience.com/explore-our-programs/nylf-national-security? for the Forum in National Security. If you would like to be nominated to attend, please see Mr. Guthas in the Counseling office by September 19.

Fall is coming and so is the annual Mercer University School of Engineering Scholarship Challenge. Interested students should see Mr. Guthas in the Counseling Office.  This year they will hold their event on the Macon, Georgia campus on Saturday, November 15, 2014.  The Saturdayevent on November 15^th will include an open house, lunch, campus tours, a parents’ program and a challenge test in mathematics and word fluency.  Feel free to contact the event coordinator, Dr. Scott Schultz at (478) 301-2840 or via email to Schultz_sr@mercer.edu with any questions you might have. You may also visit http://forms.mercer.edu/engineering/forms/scholarship-challenge/index.htm

If you are interested in attending Oglethorpe University, an admissions representative will be here on Tuesday, September 9

 during Warrior Period in the cafeteria. Please sign up in the Counseling Office if you are interested in attending.

There will be a representative from the Coast Guard Academy at OCHS on Monday, September 8 at 12:00 PM. If you are interested in meeting with him, please sign up in the Counseling Office. You must have approval from your third block teacher if you do not have lunch at that time.