Planters EMC awards $8,000 to Jenkins County students

Jenkins County High School counselor Ruth Hearn draws recipients of Planters EMC scholarships. Planters EMC awarded 32 scholarships worth $1,000 each to area seniors. (Photo contributed)

Planters Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) is donating thousands of dollars to help several Jenkins County students pay for college. The cooperative recently awarded scholarships to eight seniors at Jenkins County High School. Each award is worth $1,000.

Those receiving scholarships were Brookes Brinson, Berniesha Doyle, Jamie Herrmann, Beth McKenzie, Lindsay Purvis, Morgan Johnson, Hillary Sharpe and Katerine Johnson.

Since beginning its scholarship program two years ago, Planters EMC has doled out $94,000 to students in Burke, Jenkins and Screven counties. Some 30 scholarships are awarded to children of Planters EMC members annually, the largest investment in local youth by any organization in the area.

"These scholarships demonstrate the commitment that Planters EMC has for the communities we serve," said Matt Brinson, Planters EMC general manager.

Dozens of college-bound students from the three counties apply each year, and the winners are drawn at random from the total applicant pool. The number of scholarships that go to each school varies from year to year.

Counselors and administrators from the schools, including JCHS counselor Ruth Hearn, conducted the drawing and were thrilled to see some of their own collect additional money for college.

"It's a time they all look forward to each spring," Planters EMC's Randy Hill said of the counselors. "They know they'll walk away with thousands of dollars for kids in their schools."

The funding for the scholarships is made possible through unclaimed capital credits accumulated by Planters EMC according to Brinson. Each year, Planters EMC returns patronage capital to members when the cooperative takes in more money than needed to operate. But when they are not able to locate a member, Planters EMC is left with the unclaimed funds.

Until just three years ago, EMCs were required to turn those funds over to the state. However, a law passed in 2005 enabled EMCs to instead use the funds for economic development, education and charitable contributions.

Brinson said the Planters EMC board of directors chose to use the funds to help local students attend college.