Might is a month crammed with custom for graduating seniors throughout the county. One custom for the Alcovy Massive Sound Band is “getting that cash.”
For the fourth consecutive 12 months, seniors with Massive Sound band members earned hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in scholarship cash. These seniors’ achievements have been celebrated on the fourth annual Alcovy Band Signing Day ceremony on Might 7.
Collectively, the signees amassed a grand complete of $3,234,824 in scholarship provides.
“Our college students are among the many most extremely recruited within the nation, and also you’ll see that at this time,” mentioned Brian Coates, director of bands at Alcovy Excessive College.
Coates, who was The Covington Information’ 2025 Group Spirit award winner, turned impressed to begin this custom after one in all his college students was unable to attend the faculty they’d hoped for as a result of rising tuition prices. That drive to see his college students succeed after highschool has become dozens of scholarships and success tales.
Ten extra Massive Sound seniors obtained the highlight throughout final Thursday’s ceremony. The cash chief this 12 months was Thomas Ellison, III. Regardless of giving up band in center college, Ellison accomplished a outstanding comeback journey to earn $715,708 in scholarship provides.
“In ninth grade, I wished to play basketball at first,” Ellison mentioned. “After which, my mother, she actually compelled me to go to band camp. I went to band camp, and I actually preferred it, and it was actually wonderful.”
Ellison in the end selected Alabama State College as his subsequent vacation spot.
A complete of 10 seniors made their selections on the occasion. Twenty-two colleges from 11 totally different states provided substantial scholarship cash to Massive Sound seniors. The remaining signees included:
- Darius Gowans – $491,876 – Tennessee State College
- Regina Rogers – $428,200 – Albany State College
- Megan McElhaney – $427,200 – Savannah State College
- Justin Damon – $293,200 – Alabama State College
- Jaylon Gilliam – $282,000 – Allen College
- Laila Richter – $239,200 – Tennessee State College
- Kamyah Gardner – $120,000 – Fort Valley State College
- Miangel Rosiles-Flores – $63,440 – Valdosta State College
- Ariell Laury – Dance Auditions this summer time – Tennessee State College
Following every determination, Coates revealed that Alcovy band college students have now earned $16,543,380 in scholarship provides over the course of the final 4 years.
Because the night reached its conclusion, Coates issued a reminder of the significance that the humanities play in native college techniques.
“The humanities present alternatives for our college students to turn into profitable after highschool,” Coates mentioned. “So make sure you inform that to your congressman, congresswoman or members and the oldsters that make the choice with the cash.”
