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Special to the Daily Journal/Messenger

Scholarship winners from the School District of Pickens County Teacher Forum are, front row, from left, Emily Cothran, Daniel High School; Rita Custer, Daniel High School; Jessica Hannah, Pickens High School; and Ellis Evans, Liberty High School. Second row, from left, Kathy Duncan-Grant, SDPC Teacher Forum Chairperson, Stewart Campbell, Easley High School; Matthew Miller, Easley High School; Jenny Freitag, Easley High School; and Christina Connell, SDPC 2008-09 Teacher of the Year. Jeremy Allen, Daniel High School, and Rachel Edwards, Liberty High School, are not pictured.

EASLEY — EASLEY — Nine Pickens County seniors, representing four high schools, moved a little closer to realizing their dreams of a career in education through $1,000 scholarships each received through the School District of Pickens County’s Teacher Forum Scholarship Fund.

Scholarship recipients are Jeremy Allen, Emily Cothran and Rita Custer, Daniel High School; Stewart Campbell, Jenny Freitag and Matthew Miller, Easley High School; Rachel Edwards and Ellis Evans, Liberty High School; and Jessica Hannah, Pickens High School. The SDPC Teacher Forum, comprised of each school’s Teacher of the Year, established the scholarship fund for Pickens County teacher cadets several years ago.

District officials say scholarship criteria and applications are disseminated through each high school’s teacher cadet program for aspiring teachers and then scored by a team of forum members.

Scholarship funds are raised through a district-wide fundraiser called “It’s in the Genes.” Employees of the school district each donated $5 to the scholarship fund and, in turn, wore jeans to show their support for the future educators.

Kathy Duncan Grant, chairperson of the Pickens County Teacher Forum, said the forum is excited about the opportunity to build success beyond the classroom through assisting future educators.

“Each one is outstanding and will be a true asset to the education profession in the future,” Grant said.