MACON, Ga., Dec. 17, 2018 – Pate Smith, a senior at Tattnall Square Academy, was awarded the 2018 Chip Davidson Scholarship. Students in 11th and 12th grades are eligible to compete if they have a HOPE GPA of 3.5 or higher, are currently enrolled in a minimum of two AP or honors courses, have participated in a varsity sport during the previous year, and have been involved in at least one school club or activity during the previous year. Smith, who competed against 23 other junior and seniors, wrote on the following topic:

The furor around the recent Kavanaugh nomination and the political fighting that has surrounded it has emphasized the growing politicization of the Supreme Court. Attack, defend, or modify the following argument: the Supreme Court is becoming less and less the nation’s legal foundation and may soon become as politically divisive as Congress. 

You can read his essay here. Essays are scored anonymously by a panel of judges, and the winning essay is awarded a full tuition scholarship for the 2018-2019 school year.

The Chip Davidson Scholarship is funded by 1991 TSA alumnus, Michael Deason. Deason started the scholarship fund in honor of Chip Davidson, long time faculty member and coach, who inspired him throughout his school career.

“The main piece to this scholarship is to honor those who have sacrificed for so many. Chip personified that for me. It is because of the work of many that this scholarship even exists,” expressed Deason.

Previous winners of the Chip Davidson Scholarship include:

Logan Easterwood – 2008
Caroline Jackson – 2009
Lauren Loudermilk – 2010
Jonathan Smith – 2011
Jordan Laskey – 2012
Cameron Dorn – 2013
Hayden Hunt – 2014
Suzannah Smith – 2015
Ashlyn Alligood – 2016
Brooke Reno – 2017