Thanks to the generosity of her granddaughter Ayla Dickey, a new Foundation scholarship fund has been established in memory of Surratts grad Jennie Denison Bayne.  The Jennie Denison Bayne Memorial Scholarship will be presented annually to a graduating senior who represents the joy for life, commitment to family and desire to make a difference in the life of others that was so characteristic of Jennie Denison Bayne.

Jennie graduated from Surrattsville around 1929.  Many of Jennies 10 brothers and sisters in Clinton attended Surratts from the early 1900s through the 1930s.  Her eldest brother Irvin Dennison, born in 1894 attended Surratts in the very early days before leaving to enter the military where he died in the flu epidemic at Ft. Meade.  Jennie passed away in February 2007 at the age of 94.  She was always very proud of her roots in Clinton and the fact that she graduated from high school, which was not always common for children of farmers during that era as many had to commit their time to helping support the family and the farm.

Ayla, who has worked in the education arena for the past 20 years, especially recognizes the value of a college education and how difficult it has become for many students to afford, particularly in today's difficult economic times.  She felt that the best way to honor her grandmother's memory would be to establish this new scholarship fund for deserving Surratts grads who exhibits some of Jennie's fine qualities.

We are grateful for Ayla's generosity, and delighted to establish this new scholarship fund in memory of a very special Surratts alumna."