RINCON — Taylor Doten, a South Effingham High School graduate and former student in the Effingham College and Career Academy STEM program, has been selected as a recipient of a Georgia-Pacific Foundation Employees’ Children Scholarship. She is the daughter of Chris and Allison Doten.
Chris is the paper machines product system leader at the Georgia-Pacific Savannah River Mill.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Taylor and her fellow students were forced to finish their high school careers through virtual learning. They face the beginning of their college experience unsure if it will begin on time.
“While this year’s seniors have faced a number of unprecedented challenges, we hope that the diplomas they earn and scholarships they receive will remind them that their accomplishments are still something to be celebrated and that their futures remain promising,” said Rob Shaw, vice president of manufacturing at Savannah River Mill. “It’s a privilege to recognize the students of our Georgia-Pacific team members for their outstanding academic achievements in a way that helps them invest in their future.”
Georgia-Pacific awards 50 scholarships each year to the children of employees across the country. The scholarship awards $2,000 per year for up to four years of full-time college undergraduate study or until baccalaureate degree requirements are completed, whichever occurs first, for a total maximum award of $8,000.
“The COVID-19 shutdown has cost these young people a huge part of their educational experience,” said Curley M. Dossman Jr., president of the Georgia-Pacific Foundation. “It is vital that we continue to support their academic success and remind them that their futures remain bright.”
Since the scholarship program began in 1988, Georgia-Pacific has awarded nearly 1,600 scholarships totaling nearly $13 million. The program is administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation and is open to children of all active, full-time, U.S.-based employees of Georgia-Pacific. About 300 applications were received this year.
Education is a cornerstone of Georgia-Pacific’s community investment. Across the country, the company supports a wide array of public school and community based educational programs. Investment support includes programs that boost literacy, promote STEM and STEAM interest and train educators to take their skills to the next level of teaching and learning.
About Georgia-Pacific
Based in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific and its subsidiaries are among the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of bath tissue, paper towels and napkins, tableware, paper-based packaging, cellulose, specialty fibers, nonwoven fabrics, building products and related chemicals. Our familiar consumer brands include Quilted Northern®, Angel Soft®, Brawny®, Dixie®, enMotion®, Sparkle®, Mardi Gras® and Vanity Fair®. Georgia-Pacific has long been a leading supplier of building products to lumber and building materials dealers and large do-it-yourself warehouse retailers. Its Georgia-Pacific Recycling subsidiary is among the world’s largest traders of paper, metal and plastics. The company operates more than 150 facilities and employs more than 30,000 people directly and creates approximately 89,000 jobs indirectly. For more information, visit: gp.com.
