More than 1.9 million Georgia students have attended college on a HOPE Scholarship.
These are their inspiring stories.
Rachel ramsey
Community Outreach Coordinator, Zell Miller Foundation
University of Georgia '18
Covington, GA
Bryan Miller first met Rachel, 24, when she interviewed for a job at the Zell Miller Foundation… (click below to continue reading)
Kristin Bernhard
Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Policy, Ounce of Prevention Fund
University of Georgia BA ’09, Georgia State University College of Law JD ‘14
Chicago, IL
Kristin has been aware of the importance of public policy since she was very young. “I remember I was eight years old when Bob Dole ran for president in 1996 and I remember going phone banking with my mom to help on that election…
Kendra Hansey
Press Officer, United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee
University of Georgia ‘17
Colorado Springs, CO
Kendra grew up in Athens, Georgia. “My sister and I, we’re first generation college students and we’re first generation Americans as well. My mom is from Jamaica and my dad is from Bermuda.”
Jessica Morgan
Registered Nurse, Emory University Hospital Neurological Intensive Care Unit
Georgia State University ‘19
Atlanta, GA
Jessica was born and raised in Covington, GA. She knew from a young age that she wanted to pursue a career in healthcare. “I decided I wanted to be a nurse at 16 years old…
Janene Browder
Senior Staff Attorney, Georgia Gov’t Transparency & Campaign Finance Commission
Savannah State University ’03, Mercer University ’09 M.B.A., Mercer University School of Law ’12 J.D.
Smyrna, GA
The daughter of two members of the Air Force, Janene grew up with a recognition of the importance of service. “I think it was just ingrained in me at a young age, having parents who were service members.”
She grew up in Atlanta, after relocating there after her father left the Air Force to work for Southern Bell Company…
Clint Ledford
Ingles, Pharmacy Manager
Mercer University, PharmD ‘06
Hayesville, NC
Clint Ledford grew up in Young Harris, Georgia, a small town in Towns County. He graduated from high school on the same campus where he attended elementary and middle school. When it was time to decide on a next-steps after high school, Clint’s family was supportive of his decision to study business…
Nicole stewart
Tax Commissioner, Dawson County Government
University of North Georgia ‘06
Dawsonville, GA
Growing up, Nicole’s parents were always adamant that she would attend college. “My parents didn’t go to college; I was the first one. They always told me I was going to college.
They were so supportive and proud…”
Christopher Sanders
Executive Director, East Metro Community Improvement District
University of West Georgia BBA ’03, University of Georgia MBA ‘07
Dunwoody, GA
Chris remembers how much his Redan High School administrators emphasized the importance his and his fellow classmates’ test scores and grades. “Our administrators were very focused on us qualifying for HOPE…”
Riley Muse
Assistant Account Executive, Edelman
University of Georgia ’18
Los Angeles, CA
Riley was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. When it was time to make a decision on where to attend college, the HOPE Scholarship played a major role. “The HOPE scholarship was a huge factor in my decision on where to go to school.”
“I had a longing to go somewhere else. But after I found out I was a HOPE Scholarship recipient, that changed everything…”
Quin Murphy
Product Marketing Manager, Varian Medical Systems
Georgia Institute of Technology ‘19
Atlanta, Georgia
Growing up in Covington and starting to look at college, Quin knew that going a school in Georgia would be the best option for his future. “The HOPE Scholarship was awesome; it just takes so much stress off of school and paying for education…I felt very lucky to be on the HOPE Scholarship at Georgia Tech...It was a no brainer for me.”
Dominique holloman
Government Affairs Manager, MARTA
University of Georgia BS, AB ’01, M.Ed, JD ‘04
Atlanta, GA
Dominique was born and raised in South Fulton County. Her parents, a banker and a fireman, were always incredibly dedicated to her education. When Dominique was ready to head off to college, she had Tulane College in her sights. However, the opportunity of the HOPE Scholarship lead her to rethink her goals…
Stacey evans
Partner, Wargo French LLP
University of Georgia, A.B. ’00, J.D. ’03
Atlanta, GA
Stacey Evans grew up in Ringgold in the northeast corner of Georgia. She was raised by a single mother who never finished high school. “I knew we were poor, but I did not fully understand what that meant.”
“The first memory I have of dreaming really big was in second grade. I knew I wanted to be a lawyer. And the school everyone talked about was the University of Georgia.”
Jacinta Smith
Public Health Service Officer, Center for Disease Control
University of Georgia BS ’00, MPH ‘04
Atlanta, GA
Jacinta, a native of Stone Mountain, knew from an early age that she had a certain passion. In fifth grade, she realized she “had a joy for science” and her eighth-grade science teacher “really saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself.” Instead of regular summer camps, Jacinta spent her childhood summers at science camps like the Fernbank Scientific Tools and Techniques program and the Analytical Science Techniques program at Clark Atlanta.
Marli collier
Press Secretary, Office of Senator Shelley Moore Capito
University of Georgia ‘18
Washington, D.C.
A native of Dawson, Georgia, Marli realized she wanted to enter the world of journalism in high school. “My AP Composition teacher really encouraged me. She said, ‘you have a gift, you’re a really strong writer.’ It made me start thinking I could give journalism a shot. I think in high school, I just had really great teachers that supported me and clued me in. I don’t know if I would’ve thought about it naturally without their encouragement.”
Christopher Bruce
Political Director, ACLU of Georgia
Georgia State University BA ’07, University of Georgia JD ‘12
Atlanta, Georgia
In high school, Chris would not have considered himself an attentive student. “I used to be a class clown, not really worried about my grades or anything else.”
It was a high school sweetheart who encouraged Chris to get serious about studying and his academic goals. “I saw a love for education like I had never had before. So, I took a 2.1 GPA and turned into a 3.1 in a year and a half…The skills that she helped me to develop, as far as studying and learning, actually carried over in school. As a freshman, I made a 4.0.”
Jana hussion
Assistant Principal, Union County Elementary School
Piedmont College EdS ’13
Blairsville, GA
Jana is the Assistant Principal at Union County Elementary School in Blairsville, Georgia. “I got to where I am today by having a supportive family that valued education, taught me morals, and most importantly instilled in me a faith in God. They set high expectations in both academics and behavior but offered grace and mercy when I fell short.”
Lacey Wheeler
Assistant District Attorney, Alcovy Judicial Circuit, Walton County
University of Georgia ’14, Georgia State University College of Law ‘17
Social Circle, GA
Lacey grew up in Covington, GA and was heavily involved in performance art and theater. “I started acting when I was in middle school.”
Upon high school graduation, she considered attending the University of Alabama, but instead decided to go to the University of Georgia. Because of the financial support the HOPE Scholarship gave her, she was able to live on campus and participate in several different organizations.
Daniela Perry
Vice President of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Foundation
University of Georgia (BS or BA) ’12, MPA ‘19
Smyrna, GA
Daniela attributes her introduction into the world of public policy and government to her parents. “We just had a lot of conversations at our dinner table about serving your community and helping those around you and about government’s role in that. I think growing up in a military family helped us understand all that our nation’s government does to help. It was just something that we did.
Herb Cranford
District Attorney, Coweta County Circuit
University of Georgia ’08, Mercer Law ‘12
Newnan, GA
Growing up attending football games with his father, Herb knew he wanted to go to attend the University of Georgia. “It was the school I grew up a fan of, but also knowing that I could get the HOPE Scholarship if I went there, that kind of sealed the deal.”
He attended Mercer Law after undergrad and would take on the internships that would shape his professional philosophies. He “learned a lot in terms of how to conduct oneself as a lawyer professionally, and how to treat people.”
Lori McClure
Director of Operations, Zell Miller Foundation
North Georgia College and State University (University of North Georgia), B.B.A ‘98
Hayesville, NC
“Growing up with a parent as an educator, I knew after high school that I would continue my education in some way. My mom would always tell me that it didn’t matter if it was a technical college or university, but I would get a degree somewhere. Truett-McConnell is a private college, and I knew it was a long shot that we could afford for me to attend. Much to my surprise, I received several scholarships, one of those being HOPE. “
Jamie Jordan
Director of Programs and Business Services, Technical College System of Georgia
University of Georgia BS ’13, MBA ‘17
Atlanta, GA
“It was the HOPE scholarship that inevitably convinced me to stay in the state…HOPE funds allowed me to be a first-generation college completer. Both my parents attended college, but did not complete, same with my older brother. The HOPE Scholarship and the funds provided through that, allowed me to not only complete college, but do so successfully without having to be burdened with the cost of living as a college student.”
Chase Duvall
Mergers and Acquisitions Experienced Tax Associate, PwC
Kennesaw State University BS ’13, Mercer University School of Law JD ‘16, Boston University School of Law LLM ‘17
Marietta, GA
“I considered transferring or going to some schools in Alabama or Virginia, but really the HOPE Scholarship helped me stay here. If I would have not stayed here, I probably would not be where I am today, and I would probably not have the friends and the colleagues that I have. My life would be totally different without the HOPE scholarship. I had the original HOPE Scholarship because I started back in 2009-10. So really, having it cover my tuition and fees was a huge indicator of me staying in the state of Georgia. Taking that burden of the tuition and fees off of you and being able to focus on your studies and get involved with your school and extra curriculars, that was a really big deal for me.”
Christie Moore
President and CEO, Dawson County Chamber of Commerce
University of Georgia BA ’10, American University MA ‘15
Dawsonville, GA
“If the HOPE Scholarship didn’t exist, I wouldn’t have gotten to Georgia. It opened so many opportunities up that I honestly never thought I would have. Having HOPE also meant that I got to pick jobs that aligned with what I wanted to do, instead of having to pick jobs where I just had to make as much money as possible. I was able to have a lot of internships that actually aligned with what I wanted to do in the future. None of this would have happened if I didn’t go to Georgia.”
Grant thomas
Director of State Relations, University of Georgia
University of Georgia BA ’15
Atlanta, GA
“It is just such an incentive to keep people in state and I definitely wanted to take advantage of that opportunity. I knew that it would be huge for alleviating some of that worry of paying for college that I had and that my family had. It got me to University of Georgia in the first place by helping me decide to go to there. Once I got to college and had the HOPE Scholarship paying for most of my tuition, it really took a lot of those financial worries away and allowed me to really focus on diving into my studies my first semester, which helped me get into the honors program at UGA.”
Juliana Duvall
Client Manager, Beecher Carlson; Founder, Upbeat Boutique
University of Georgia BBA ‘16
Marietta, GA
“It was a huge impact. It just took off a financial burden so that I was really able to fully focus on my studies while I was at UGA and really strive to be the best well-rounded student I could be. Anything from academic, to volunteering, to getting involved in groups, and social aspects, it just really allowed me to become my best self.”
Brandon Hembree
Partner, Impact Public Affairs; Council Member, Sugar Hill City Council
Georgia State University BA ‘98
Sugar Hill, GA
“Once I started exploring college and exploring the HOPE scholarship it just became apparent to me that it was a real opportunity. And it was great. I had really no costs at all. I went all four years on the HOPE Scholarship. I was able to work a full-time job and save money. Not having to pay for college was just a game changer for me. I was really the first person on either side of my family who went to college for four years.”
Savannah Hughes
Executive Director, Terrell County Chamber of Commerce
Georgia Southwestern State University MBA ‘18
Dawson, GA
As the first to graduate from college in her family, Savannah and her parents knew it was important for her to go to college. Upon receiving HOPE, Savannah’s father agreed to pay for the remaining cost if she kept HOPE. “After realizing college was exactly where I needed to be, I made sure I kept my grades up to stay. This was a domino effect. Since I had to keep my grades up, I was trained in time management while juggling attending classes, homework and studying alongside a social life. I truly believe this is what has made me so successful. Not entirely the subject matter learned that I may have forgotten, but the skills of being a reliable, efficient employee.”