Two Rockdale teachers were among the 42 recipients named to receive Georgia Power's annual New Teacher Assistance Grants. Tishida Smith of Salem High School and Betsy Mitchell Hightower Trail Elementary will each receive $1,000 to help start their classroom careers.

Since launching the program in 2004, the company has awarded a total of $327,000 in individual grants to more than 300 new teachers from communities across the state. The company awards the grants each year to provide the state's newest teachers with much-needed funds to purchase classroom supplies and start their classroom careers. Recipients include pre-K, elementary, middle and high school teachers.

"There have been a lot of changes in education in Georgia over the past 10 years, but one constant is new teachers' need support as they enter the classroom," said Pedro Cherry, vice president of community and economic development for Georgia Power. "These grants, which continue to grow each year, are part of our wide-ranging commitment to quality education in Georgia as an essential element for the state's economic success."

Teacher nominations were submitted to Georgia Power by Georgia public colleges and universities that have schools of education. To be eligible for a grant, candidates must be in the top 25 percent of their class, be a first-year teacher employed by a public school in Georgia and demonstrate a high aptitude for teaching. Grant recipients are encouraged to use the funds to purchase items such as books, educational CDs or DVDs, computers, projectors, or other supplies to enhance their classrooms.

2014 New Teacher Assistance Grants Recipients:

Zachary Buning, Cumming (South Forsyth Middle School)
Dustin Canon, Cumming (Forsyth Central High School)
Charles Duncan Cantrell, LaGrange (LaGrange High)
Jessica Correa, Gainesville (Fair Street Elementary School)
Jennifer Cox, Richmond Hill (Richmond Hill Elementary School)
Ashley Davis, Evans (Blue Ridge Elementary School)
Alan Dills, Snellville (Brookwood High School)
Philip Floor, Sandy Springs (Woodland Elementary School)
Jensen Floyd, Rossville (Stone Creek Elementary School)
Thomas Fuller, Rochelle (Wilcox County Middle School)
Graham Blayne Gilmer, Jefferson (Jackson County High School)
Colton Glover, Leesburg (Lee County High)
Holly Hammontree, Atlanta (KIPP Vision Primary)
Jonathan Harper, Hoschton (Mill Creek High School)
Greg Heilman, Norcross (Norcross High School)
Andrena Hicks, Norcross (Rockbridge Elementary School)
Hartley Janney, Dunwoody (Dunwoody Elementary School)
Grace Jeffords, Blackshear (Pierce County High)
Eddie Jones, Morrow (Morrow Middle School)
Timothy Jones, Hamilton (Harris County High)
Jeffrey Kaplan, Mableton (Lindley Middle School)
Kezhan Khazaw, Griffin (Griffin High)
Cord King, Dalton (Valley Point Middle School)
Caroline Lane, Warner Robins (Feagin Mill Middle School)
Margaret Libowsky, McDonough (Timber Ridge Elementary School)
Jahaan McClendon, Jesup (Martha Smith Elementary)
Tyler Mimbs, East Dublin (East Laurens Elementary School)
Betsy Mitchell, Conyers (Hightower Trail Elementary)
Samantha Muniz, Cave Spring (Georgia School for the Deaf)
Thinh Nguyen, Hampton (Edwin Kemp Primary School)
Reginald Pate, Savannah (Myers Middle School)
Benjamin Reese, Warner Robins (Warner Robins Middle School)
Amanda Robinson, Ludowici (Long County High School)
Ja'Meria Simmons, Edison (Calhoun County Middle School)
Tishida Smith, Conyers (Salem High School)
Bailey Soucie, Oakwood (West Hall Middle School)
Tamarkis Taylor, Forsyth (T.G. Scott Elementary School)
Jarvis Turner, Hampton (Hampton High School)
Emily Vansant, Edison (Pataula Charter Academy)
Rebekah Watson, Jesup (Arthur Williams Middle School)
Timothy Wiggs, Forsyth (Monroe County Middle School)
Bradley Williams, Harlem (Harlem High School)

For more information, go to www.georgiapower.com/community.