Eickman receives leadership scholarship
Each year Gordon County Farm Bureau awards scholarships to students who plan on furthering their education in pursuit of a career in agriculture, and the company recently announced this year’s awards.
Amelia Hunt has been awarded a scholarship from the Gordon County Farm Bureau office, and Brent McDaniel has been awarded the Sam Payne scholarship — a scholarship sponsored by the Payne family in memory of longtime Farm Bureau Board Member Sam Payne.
“These students are well deserving of the awards, and Farm Bureau looks forward to supporting them and othamer students in the future,” said B.J. Robinson, agency manager at Gordon County Farm Bureau.
Hunt is a 2020 graduate of Calhoun High School who will attend the University of Georgia this fall. There she will continue to pursue her goal of becoming a veterinarian by earning a degree in animal science.
McDaniel is a 2020 graduate of Sonoraville High School who plans to transfer to Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College after attending two years at Georgia Highlands College. He too will be pursuing a degree in animal science, with the hopes of eventually running his own SimAngus cattle operation.
The Gordon County Chamber of Commerce recently concluded its 27th Youth Leadership Program, under the direction of alumni from Leadership Calhoun/ Gordon County.
Thirty-nine students representing all four local high schools participated in the program, which typically begins with a September orientation and concludes with an April graduation that includes a scholarship presentation.
This year, group celebrations such as the chamber’s customary graduation dinner were impossible, so each student received a monogrammed laptop sleeve commemorating their participation and the scholarship recipient was notified by letter. The chamber announced that Calhoun High School’s Andrew “Drew” Eickman was chosen from 11 applicants by a third party to receive the 2019-2020 Youth Leadership Scholarship, which is funded every year by an anonymous sponsor.
“COVID-19 cut a broad path as it stormed across the nation and there were very few public places where large numbers of people might gather that didn’t have to adjust their operations as ‘social distancing’ became a new standard. This novel virus has had a tremendous impact on the American business model. I am a career professional with a strong background in economic development and as the president & CEO of the Gordon County Chamber of Commerce and Development Authority of Gordon County, it troubles me greatly to see businesses struggling to recover as the pandemic appears to wane. I also am a mother and it saddens me even more to know that so many students missed pinnacle experiences, such as student honors events and graduations,” said Kathy Johnson. “The chamber congratulates Drew Eickman on his considerable accomplishments and wishes we could have celebrated him and his peers at graduation. Certainly, these young people have their whole lives ahead of them, and there’s no way to predict the great things they will accomplish, but I know they will always regret missing so many events that define the senior year experience.”
With a perfect grade point average, Eickman will graduate as valedictorian of Calhoun High School on July 31 in a commencement originally scheduled in May. He plans to attend Georgia Institute of Technology with a major in mechanical engineering after completing an admirable list of accomplishments at Calhoun High School. He is the son of Tim and Michele Eickman.
Eickman was named an
AP Scholar with Distinction in 2019; was a semifinalist in the Governor’s Honors Program for Mathematics in both 2018 and 2019; received a Georgia Certificate of Merit in 2019; and won first place at AAA Regional Literary for International Extemporaneous Speaking, with the Calhoun High School Literary Team winning first place overall in 2020.
Eickman founded Student Support Team Tutors in 2018 after observing what he describes as a “clear disconnect between fellow students and mathematics.” The program provides free, individual and student-led tutoring during the school day and assists students with graduation credit recovery and standardized test preparation. He served as president of the National Honors Society and vice president of the Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica (Spanish Honor Society).
He also is a volunteer at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Drew works at American Eagle Outfitters and operates his own lawn care business.
“Drew was a great addition to our Youth Leadership Program this year,” said Nichol Linn, director of Finance & Administration with the Gordon County Chamber of Commerce and staff coordinator of the Youth Leadership Committee. “He is a tremendously talented student with a great future ahead of him and I am pleased that we will be able to join the long line of organizations investing in his education.”
The Youth Leadership committee is co-chaired by Brandi Hayes, director of College and Career Programs for Calhoun City Schools, and Larry Deaton, director of Strategic Management for the Georgia Department of Defense. Its members represent both industry and education sectors with Billie Jean Erwin participating as a retired real estate professional, Kim Gray and Gay Little representing Shaw Industries Group, and Kim Reynolds representing Hamilton Health Care Systems.
Christina Long and Matt Rice represent Calhoun City Schools while KC Larsen represents Georgia Cumberland Academy. Alan Hughes, Renee Hughes, and Madison Kirby represent Gordon Central High School while Ashley Brookshire, Chance Hicks, and Dia Johnson represent Sonoraville High School.
The mission of the Gordon County Youth Leadership program is to provide students with a broader understanding of civic responsibilities and community resources, so they become more informed and engaged citizens as adults. The program includes eight sessions: an Outdoor Adventure, a Calhoun City Council Meeting, a Gordon County Board of Commissioners Meeting, a Government Experience in Atlanta, a County Tour of Healthcare Providers, a County Tour of Business and Industry, an Arts and Culture Experience, and a Community Resource Expo at the Sonoraville Recreation Complex.