First winner of Jones’ scholarship named

By SCOTT POWELLLedger Staff Writer

Gaffney High School senior Brittany Smith hopes to work as a veterinarian in her hometown after she finishes college.

Smith will attend the University of South Carolina and pursue a doctorate degree in veterinary medicine. She hopes to attend veterinary school in North Carolina, Georgia, or Florida.

Smith received some help with her goals May 23 when she was selected as the first winner of a $5,000 biology & general science scholarship established last summer by the family of the late L.D. Pettit Jones. The family established an endowment to award scholarships annually for graduating seniors to pursue careers in science.

The scholarship was established in memory of Pettit Jones’ daughter, Nancy Gale Jones. The scholarship requirements include a minimum 3.0 grade point average, participation in community service projects, strong SAT and ACT scores, and evidence of a financial need.

Smith and other applicants were required to write short essays about how the scholarship would help them achieve their education and career goals, what extracurricular activity had the most impact on their life, and write a 500 word essay about the individual whom, in their opinion, made the most significant contribution to the science field.

Smith selected George Washington Carver as the most influential scientist.

Carver developed hundreds of uses for the peanut, including using it as glue. He also invented different ways to use sweet potatoes, soybeans and a type of cotton called Carver’s hybrid.

Smith has been a Beta Club member for four years, involved in Columbia College Leadership, and received several awards this year for her academics and leadership on the Gaffney High cheerleading squad.

Cheerleading had the biggest impact on Smith, particularly when a broken wrist prevented her from being actively involved in stunts.

“I was always encouraging stunt groups to try again although I could not help. It also taught me to be a team player because I was just trying to do anything to help the squad win,” Smith wrote in one of her scholarship essays. “This experience taught me to think of others and not just myself. All of my experiences as a cheerleader have made me stronger as an athlete and as a person.”