United Way to host Golden Eagle Awards this Thursday

United Way of Central Georgia (UWCG) will present the 44th Annual  Golden Eagle Awards ceremony Thursday, May 20th at 7 pm. The virtual event can be seen on the UWCG website. Since 1978, the Golden Eagle Awards have celebrated outstanding high school seniors in 13 categories: Art, Athletics, Citizenship, Drama, English Literature, Career/Technical/Agricultural (CTAE), Journalism/Marketing/Communication, Math, Music, Science, Social Science, Technology, and World Languages. One hundred and eighty-three students were nominated by their teachers, coordinators, and administrators for the 2021 Golden Eagle Awards. The winner in each category receives recognition at an annual award show, a Golden Eagle trophy, and a $1,000 scholarship. Thirteen runners-up are also selected, who each receive a plaque and $300 prize. For a second year, UWCG has added a 14th category recognizing an outstanding JROTC student with the Superintendent’s Scholarship. The winner receives a $10,000 scholarship over 4 years, through a private donor.

This year the Teacher Excellence Award was expanded to include both teachers and student support service staff (counselors, social workers, and psychologists). This award is now named the Sylvia W. McGee Excellence in Education Award. The award is named in honor of Mrs. McGee who spent 35 years in the Bibb County School District, retiring as Deputy Superintendent after also serving as interim Superintendent. She then spent the past five years leading UWCG’s Read United program. 

”This year’s nominees join a group of over 9,000 students in the history of the Golden Eagle Awards,” said George McCanless, President & CEO of United Way of Central Georgia. “We are honored to continue this program and to recognize the accomplishments of these incredible young people.”             

The virtual awards program will begin promptly at 7 pm on May 20th at https://www.unitedwaycg.org/GEAwards.