SYLACAUGA, Ala. – The Sylacauga City Schools (SCS) Foundation has announced the development of two new scholarships starting in the 2022-23 school year.
The Fay B. Simpkins Honors Scholarship and the Suzanne P. Smith Honors Scholarship are both four-year scholarships worth $5,000 that will be made available to Sylacauga High School (SHS) seniors starting next year.
An English teacher at SHS from 1967 until 1994, Mrs. Fay Simpkins’s “love for literature could only be surpassed by her love for students.” The scholarship in her namesake will be awarded to a senior primarily focused on English education or a secondary emphasis on any aspect of education.
The Suzanne P. Smith Honors Scholarship will go to a senior studying in a health management major or in a health-related field secondarily. Mrs. Suzanne Smith taught French from 1966 to 1988 at Sylacauga High School.
The three primary benefactors of the scholarship fund are all graduates of SHS. Mr. John Crysel (1972) is helping with both while Mr. Taylor Pursell (1972) is giving towards the Fay B. Simpkins Scholarship and Mr. Robert Rea (1973) is contributing towards the Suzanne P. Smith Scholarship.
“We are all products of our experiences and are shaped by the many people with whom we come into contact,” Crysel said. “Years from now you will all remember ideas, concepts, and working knowledge gifts from special teachers right here at Sylacauga High School. Suzanne Smith and Fay Simpkins were two such people for me. Our gifts being announced today are my way of saying thanks to them and to all the teachers throughout our educational process that made a difference. I owe each of these fine women a true debt of gratitude.”
For more information on the SCS Foundation, visit their website.
