Buckhead retirement community awards scholarships to 3 employees
May 18, 2016
Lenbrook, a not-for-profit retirement community in Buckhead, has named the first three recipients of its Associate Scholarship Program for the 2016-2017 school year. These three employees have different journeys, but are all working toward the same goal: an education.
Steve Njuguna, 31, works at Lenbrook from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and then attends class at Georgia Perimeter College from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. every week. Just two more classes this summer and he will have his associate degree in computer science. Then it’s on to Georgia State University in the fall to complete his bachelor’s degree.
“I remember one resident who used to always ask me, ‘Are you in school yet, are you in school yet?’ And another used to always tell us, ‘If you want to make a difference in the world, you have to invest in yourself first,’ ” Njuguna said.
Cheryl Dotson, 49, is another Lenbrook Associate Scholarship recipient who delayed her pursuit of an associate degree until last year. Family responsibilities, such as caring for her aging parents while they were both ill, had precluded having time for any more schooling.
Today, she’s taking courses online with Excelsior College to pursue her associate degree in nursing and expects to graduate by 2019: “My mama and daddy told me you are never too old to learn,” she said.
Brittny Luckett, who works in the concierge department of Lenbrook, is the third scholarship recipient. At 27, she’s pursuing her visual merchandising degree at Georgia Perimeter College and also expects to graduate in 2019.
The program is funded by residents, associates, board members and friends of Lenbrook. The community’s human resources department administers the program with the help of the resident committee.
“It’s amazing and inspiring to see how many of our associates are going to school full-time and working full-time,” said Jane Kummel, Lenbrook resident and chairman of the Associate Scholarship Committee.
“We hope this fund helps lighten the load for our associates who want to expand their skills and grow in their chosen fields,” she said.
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