Columbia State Community College receives gift to establish endowment and scholarship

Columbia State Community College has recently received a gift from Reggie Harwell, son of the late Annie Pearl Gordon Harwell, that will establish both the Annie Pearl Gordon Harwell Endowment Scholarship and the My Tennessee Hometown Heroes Scholarship. The $14,500 gift was handed over to the Columbia State Foundation during a check presentation event.

According to an article on Columbia State Community College’s website, Bethany Lay, who serves as the college’s vice president for advancement and as the executive director of the Columbia State Foundation, was quoted as saying of the gift, “The Columbia State Foundation is pleased to have these two distinct yet deeply connected scholarships. By honoring both a beloved mother and formative mentors, these scholarships capture the essence of legacy—recognizing we are shaped by love and guidance received at home and by our greater community. The gathering of people at the presentation of these funds served to emphasize the lasting impact individuals can make on the lives of those around them.”

The Annie Pearl Gordon Harwell Endowment Scholarship will be awarded to Columbia State Community College students who are living in Maury County and are seeking a degree or a certificate while demonstrating financial need.

Annie Harwell was known to offer wisdom to her family and to help uplift both her family and the larger community. She taught her son Reggie to take on difficult tasks one day at a time and to look for a different perspective if something didn’t make sense. Annie’s grandson, Austin Harwell, described his grandmother as the family’s matriarch and said that this scholarship is the best way to honor her legacy.

In addition to establishing the Annie Pearl Gordon Harwell Endowment Scholarship, Reggie Harwell is also establishing the My Tennessee Hometown Heroes Scholarship, which he hopes will shine a spotlight on individuals who make a positive contribution to the community in Columbia, Tennessee. Reggie recognized several of the mentors who helped him throughout his life that he has chosen to honor in this scholarship establishment: Mrs. Blue, Mrs. Tiny Jones, Mrs. Sydney McClain, Mr. Van Edmundson, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Boyd and Annie Ruth Harlan, Mrs. Addie Lee Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Walter and Annie Ruth Martin, Mr. and Mrs. Cecil and Hannah Bullock, Mr. Milton Gordon, Mr. Robert Wisener, the late Reverend William Thomas Harwell, and the late Reverend Robert Burns.

At the check presentation event, while addressing Reggie Harwell about the good that will be done through the two scholarships he is establishing, Columbia State Community College president Dr. Janet F. Smith stated, “Just as your mother and her stories inspired you to do good, what you're doing with this scholarship is producing goodness in the community. When we look at what happens through our Foundation and the generosity of those who give to make these scholarships possible, we see that they don’t just touch one life—they touch many. It’s like a river that branches out, growing as it goes. It reaches countless individuals and transforms lives along the way.”

For more information about Columbia State Community College, visit the school’s website.