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Updated: June 20, 2024 @ 12:17 pm
Amey & Scott Montgomery presented Elk Scholarship awards to Gatewood School L-R  Carly Cannon, Saige Nobis & Taylor Moreno
Frank Rowan, Lake Oconee Lodge Scholarship Chair presenting awards to L-R Ridhadhi Sukha, Gabriella Blythe & Sydney Pattison

Amey & Scott Montgomery presented Elk Scholarship awards to Gatewood School L-R  Carly Cannon, Saige Nobis & Taylor Moreno
Frank Rowan, Lake Oconee Lodge Scholarship Chair presenting awards to L-R Ridhadhi Sukha, Gabriella Blythe & Sydney Pattison
This time of year means two things when it comes to local high school seniors. The first is that it is time for their graduation ceremonies and family celebrations. The second is that it is the time of year for Lake Oconee Elks Lodge No. 2849 to formally recognize the winners of various Elks scholarships and awards.
Each year Lake Oconee Elks Lodge No. 2849 awards six $1,000 Most Valuable Student (MVS) Scholarships to high school seniors from local communities.
There is a $1,000 scholarship for the Lodge’s High School Student of the Year, the Jerry & June Smith Scholarship for $1,000, and lastly a $1,000 scholarship to the winner of the Chase Montgomery Memorial Scholarship.
Over the past several weeks members of the Lodge’s Scholarship Committee and the Montgomery family have attended local high school honors events to formally recognize these outstanding students.
The winners of these scholarships have demonstrated high academic abilities, as well as significant community involvement. These students were judged not only on their four years of high school academic achievements, but also on additional criteria such as leadership qualities, involvement in extracurricular activities, honors, awards and finally employment activities.
The winners of the Elks Most Valuable Student (MVS) Scholarships include Sydney Pattison, Gabriella Blythe and Ridhdhi Sukha, who each attend Lake Oconee Academy. Additional MVS Scholarship winners are Heath Brake from John Hancock Academy, Saige Nobis from The Gatewood School and Emily Abarca Sanchez from Nathanael Greene Academy.
The winner of the Lake Oconee Elks Lodge Student of the Year Scholarship is Taylor Moreno from The Gatewood School.
The winner of the Jerry & June Smith Scholarship is Marisa Williams from Nathanael Greene Academy.
The winner of the Chase Montgomery Memorial Scholarship is Carly Cannon from The Gatewood School.
Special congratulations to Carly Cannon, who is the valedictorian, and to Saige Nobis, who is the salutatorian, of the Gatewood Class of 2024.
Special congratulations to Sydney Pattison, who is the valedictorian, and to Ridhdhi Sukha, who is the salutatorian, of the Lake Oconee Academy Class of 2024.
Special congratulations to Marisa Williams, who is the valedictorian, and to Emily Abarca Sanchez, who is the salutatorian, of the Nathanael Greene Academy Class of 2024.
Last but certainly not least, congratulations to Heath Brake, who is the valedictorian of the John Hancock Academy Class of 2024.
Seven of the nine Lake Oconee Elk scholars recognized were either the valedictorian or the salutatorian of their graduating class. 
Frank Rowan, Lake Oconee Elks Scholarship Committee chairman noted that, “Our Lodge is honored to have the opportunity to recognize a select group of local high school seniors that represent the best of our community.”
The Lodge received a record number of scholarship applications and is already looking ahead to next year, when it can continue the tradition of recognizing the best and brightest local high school seniors.

Check out this week’s edition of The Lake Oconee Breeze.
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