Local Gets 1 of 13 Reinhardt Scholarships

Lauren Suilmann, a freshman at Reinhardt University from Powder Springs, was awarded one of the college's 13 Reinhardt Family Campaign Scholarships last week.

The scholarships provided more than $18,000 in all for the students for the spring semester, according to a news release.

"The Reinhardt Family Scholarship is completely funded with financial contributions from faculty and staff, so it provides donors a better sense of how their money is used and how much it is needed," Kelley Johnson, a development officer at the school, says in the release. "It also gives students an opportunity to be awarded a scholarship that will assist them in paying their spring semester tuition, especially when they're facing unforeseen circumstances.

The scholarship was created to give faculty and staff "a greater sense of involvement with their donations and to be able to see the actual results of their generosity—students benefiting from the scholarship," the release says.

"I'm happy that even in the economic climate we're in that more than 60 percent of Reinhardt's faculty and staff made generous contributions to the Reinhardt Family Campaign, resulting in 13 scholarships being awarded," Johnson says. "The Reinhardt Family Scholarship is supporting several deserving students who find themselves in somewhat challenging financial situations.

"Through this scholarship, we are able to have an impact on students' lives. We are also setting an example for donors, students, and other members of the community. Our contributions illustrate that we believe in Reinhardt's mission of shaping lives and building futures."