NEWTON COUNTY— For 31 Newton High School students, Tuesday, March 10 was a big day for continuing education.
A team from Alabama A&M University visited the school to deliver an array of academic scholarships to 31 Rams seniors. In total, Alabama A&M presented the students with over $1 million in combined academic aid.
“I've been in a few schools, in a few different places, and I've not been a part of anything like that,” said Dr. Stephen Hammock, principal of Newton High.
The stop was part of Alabama A&M’s Annual Scholarship Promotional Bus Tour that delivers scholarships to students across the country. Alabama A&M University is a public, historically Black university in Huntsville, Ala.
Alabama A&M’s president, Dr. Daniel K. Wims, personally visits each school the school stops at on the tour. But this was the first time during the 14-year tradition that the university had visited Newton High.
Hammock said the scholarships were awarded to students whom the university selected after reviewing their ACT/SAT scores, an official transcript and a completed application to attend Alabama A&M. Though not all of the 31 students who received awards have committed to attend Alabama A&M, Hammock said that several have.
These students would join several former Rams who have gone on to pursue higher education at Alabama A&M. Hammock said that some of those Newton alumni who went on to Alabama A&M returned on Tuesday, speaking highly of their university.
“It's really a special touch for them to come out and come through like they did, and to bring alumni from the school and to celebrate our kids,” Hammock said.
The special day was recognized later that evening at the Newton County Board of Education’s work session, where the superintendent and board members took time to recognize the enormity of the day.
“I also told the president that for all the schools and school districts that he will visit over the next couple of weeks, he won’t find any better than Newton County Schools and Newton High School,” said Superintendent Dr. Duke Bradley III. “So we’re glad for the 31 students that received over a million dollars in scholarship offers today.”
