McCormick’s college courtesy of Colonel

Kentucky Fried Chicken gives away 100 four-year college scholarships nationally each year. Out of those, only one will be awarded to a Tennessee student and this year’s recipient happens to be a Warren County High School student. Out of the thousands of graduating seniors who applied, Aleesha Dawn McCormick of McMinnville has been named to the third annual class of KFC Colonel’s Scholars. She is the daughter of Eddie and Violet McCormick. Starting in January 2008, high school seniors who demonstrated success in the classroom and a significant financial need were invited to submit online applications and essays for consideration in the program. McCormick’s 3.95 grade point average was one item that played a big part in her win. Thanks to the scholarship provided by the Kentucky Fried Chicken Foundation and JRN, Inc. of Columbia, Tenn., she is eligible to receive up to $20,000 over four years to pursue a bachelor’s degree at any accredited public university within Tennessee. According to McCormick, she will continue to pursue her passion for music at MTSU. In the future, she hopes to become a band director, thanks to the influential people in her life. Among those is her mother and the school’s current band director, Duane Farnham. ‘Mr. Farnham has also been an influence on me musically,’ she said. ‘He has stood behind me even when I messed up and have been really horrible. He tells me to keep on going .’ JRN, Inc. has been a KFC franchise for 38 years with 200-plus restaurants located throughout the Southeast, including the McMinnville KFC-Long John Silvers. ‘We congratulate Aleesha and her mom and wish the best for Aleesha as she approaches higher education studies,’ said John R. Neal, president of JRN, Inc. KFC Colonel’s Scholars is an annual program of the Kentucky Fried Chicken Foundation, an independent charity supported by KFC, its employees and franchises. Its mission is to empower students to improve their lives with scholarship resources. In honor of McCormick’s accomplishment, a party was thrown at KFC at noon on May 24.