This is a reminder that Oglethorpe University admissions will be here during warrior period on Wednesday, March 6. Please sign up in the counseling office if interested in attending. 

The American Legion is once again searching for motivated rising seniors to sponsor the Girls and Boys State summer sessions. These are week-long courses in state and local government. It is a "leadership action program" where students develop a working knowledge of the structure of government. Activities include legislative sessions, court proceedings, assemblies, and recreational programs. Boys State will be held from May 26-June1 at Riverside Military Academy. Girls State will be held from June 9-14 at Georgia Southern University. 

Please visit www.georgiagirlsstate.org or www.dogboysstate.org for more information on each program. Please complete all applications by April 20, 2019. The Post#20 Athens chapter will be able to pay for the cost to attend. Applications can be downloaded or picked up in the counseling office. 

For thirty one years, the Georgia Fire Sprinkler Association essay contest has exposed thousands of high school seniors and their families to the life safety and property protection attributes of fire sprinklers.  The Georgia Fire Sprinkler Association awards scholarships annually in the amount of $1500, $1000, and $750 to high school seniors through an essay writing contest. The link for complete information and details is:    http://www.georgiafiresprinkler.org/events/essay-contest/  
The deadline for entries is March 18, 2019.

The Oconee Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that it will award a $500 scholarship to one graduate from each high school in Oconee County. Applications must be received by 9:00 AM on April 15. This application is open to all graduating seniors who are pursuing a post-secondary education. You may visit https://www.oconeechamber.org/education--mini-grants.html to download an application (Education Scholarship Application), or pick one up in the counseling office as well. 

The Oconee Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that a $500 scholarship will be offered to one female OCHS senior who has exhibited the ability to succeed given less than ideal circumstances. The application deadline is April 15. Students will be selected based on personal circumstances related to need, participation in the community/school, and work experience also. Applications can be downloaded from this link https://www.oconeechamber.org/education--mini-grants.html , or picked up in the counseling office as well. 

High school senior females who are pursuing a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) undergraduate degree may be interested in applying for the Novelis STEM Scholarship.   Four, $2,500 Novelis STEM Scholarships will be awarded in May. Applications may be picked up in the counseling office and must be submitted by March 29. 

An admissions counselor from Gordon State College will be at OCHS on March 26 at 11:00 in the career center. During this time, he will be waiving all application fees, and will admit interested students on the spot upon your transcript/test scores review. All you need to bring is your transcript and a copy of your SAT or ACT scores. Please sign up in the counseling office if you are interested.

Alpha Iota Delta of Chi Psi Fraternity is proud to announce the Bryan Scholarship to the Georgia Institute of Technology. This year, one scholarship of $1,000 will be awarded to a qualified young man entering Georgia Tech in the fall of 2019. The scholarship is offered in memory of Oscar Virgil Bryan, Jr.. Any senior male student who will be attending Georgia Tech is eligible to apply. Applications can be picked up in the counseling office, and must be turned in by April 30, 2019. 

An admissions representative from Oglethorpe University will be at OCHS on Wednesday, March 6 during Warrior Period. Please sign up in the counseling office if interested.

The Presbyterian College Fellows Award recognizes a top member of the junior class who is interested in attending Presbyterian College. Juniors ranked in the top 10 percent of the class and have a SAT score of 1100 or higher (ACT of 22 or higher) may be nominated. This award is worth $1,000 annually for four years of study at Presbyterian. Selection as a PC Fellow also grants students consideration for other scholarships as well. Please see Mr. Guthas in the counseling office by March 27 if you are interested in being nominated and meet the criteria. 

The Volunteer Services Department at Piedmont Athens Regional is currently accepting applications for the 2019 Teen Volunteer Program. Some of the areas that teens serve in are Cardio-Pulmonary, Diagnostics, Endoscopy, Nursing units, and the information desk.

Applicants must:

- Be 15 years old before June 1

- Have a GPA of a B average or higher

-Attend and interview and orientation session

This is a good initial experience for students interested in the healthcare field. To request an application, call (706) 475-3405 and leave your name, mailing address, and phone number. The deadline to apply is March 4, 2019. 

The Hill Chapel Baptist Church will be offering scholarships in the amount of $500 to qualified students based on their academic achievement, civic and religious involvement. Students must have at least a 2.5 GPA. You can download the application by visiting www.hillchapelathens.org. Completed applications are due to the church by February 22. 

Over 300 automotive technology scholarships will be awarded to interested students. Please visit 

https://www.automotivescholarships.com/apply_online.cfm to learn more about these opportunities. The deadline to submit applications is March 31, 2019. 

UNG is offering multiple scholarships for incoming freshman, including some specifically for Oconee County residents.  The deadline to apply is February 14th. The student will need to have their UNG login information in order to apply.  https://ung.academicworks.com/users/sign_in

On Friday, February 22, Auburn University is hosting an Engineering Day for students interested in this career field. Students can view exhibits, meet with faculty, and meet with current Auburn engineering students. The event will be held from 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM. You may pre-register and view the detailed schedule for the day at www.eng.auburn.edu/eday

The National DAR awards a variety of scholarships through the DAR Scholarship Committee. All applicants must be citizens of the United States and must attend, or plan to attend, an accredited college or university in the United States. To obtain an application, visit www.dar.org. Click on Scholarships and follow the prompts.

Please note that high school seniors are eligible for the following scholarships: The Aura Lee A. Pittenger and James Hobbs Pittenger American History Scholarship, the Nursing Scholarships, the Margaret Howard Hamilton Scholarship, the Lillian and Arthur Dunn Scholarship, Lucinda Beneventi Findley History Scholarship, the Nellie Love Butcher Music Scholarship, the Richard and Elizabeth Dean Scholarship, the Utz Scholarships, and the Swadley Horticulture Scholarship.

Awards are based on academic excellence, commitment to field of study, and/or financial need, or other restrictions on specific scholarships. No affiliation with DAR is necessary unless specified. All scholarship applications for the 2019-2020 school year should be submitted between August 1, 2018 through February 15, 2019 Midnight EST, by emailing the application to the email address listed for each specific scholarship. For a detailed list of the scholarships, please visit the Scholarships page on the public DAR site.

This year, the Constitutional Officers Association of Georgia is giving away four, $1,000 scholarships to the top applicants based on their essays. The application is posted on their website at: https://coagonline.org/coag-scholarship  The deadline for entries to be received is March 31, 2019.  

The theme this year:  

Every county in the State of Georgia has elected government officials known as "constitutional officers." County constitutional officers include the clerk of the superior court, judge of probate court, sheriff, and tax commissioner.   County constitutional officers are elected for four-year terms and have such powers and duties as provided by general law. In your essay you need to respond based on performing the following:  Interview a constitutional officer in your county. Spend some time with them and describe things that they do on a daily basis.    

Graduating seniors planning on majoring in an agricultural or horticultural related field of study may be interested in applying for the Heritage Club of Athens - Sylvia Gibson Scholarship. Applications may be picked up in the counseling office and are due back to your counselor by March 1, 2019. The award is $1,500. 

The purpose of the Lions Club scholarship awards is to recognize the achievements of two graduating OCHS students. The selected student (s) must display good citizenship, have an active interest in the community/school, and a record of service to the community/school without personal reward. The amount of the award is $1,000.   Applications can be picked up in the counseling office, and are due by 3:00 PM on April 19, 2019. 

As many of you are aware, vaping or Juuling has greatly increased among teens.  Research shows that these can be just as addictive as cigarettes but we know less about long term side effects. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/12/20/teen-vaping-rise-here-why/2239155002/

Walton EMC will select four high school delegates to represent their co-op and experience the nation's capital. The Electric Cooperative Youth Tour is an all expense paid educational program. High school sophomores and juniors should visit waltonemc.com for requirements and an entry form. 

The State Botanical Garden, and we are looking for some high school age students to volunteer with our upcoming summer camp programs.  Our summer camps begin on June 10 and run through July 26.  For our regular sessions, the Junior Counselors must be 14 by the time camp begins, but we have one week (June 5-7) where we can use a couple of 13 year olds to help.  This is a fantastic opportunity for students to get volunteer hours for school or college applications, and if the students do a satisfactory job during the camps they are glad to write references or letters of recommendation speaking to their work experience.  The application can be found at https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7znTAXjGdovb1pNVFBSOVNhZ3VUcjRPZ2ZHaU1QVzgySVNZ/view?usp=sharing