The BankSouth Foundation is proud to announce the 2023 recipients of the BankSouth Citizenship Award and Scholarship. Each year, the Foundation honors three Greene County graduating seniors who demonstrate moral courage, honesty, respect, and helpfulness in their high schools and their community. The award and scholarship are provided to help with education costs at the next level at each recipient’s chosen college or university.  

The recipients of the BankSouth Citizenship Award and Scholarship were nominated and selected by their teachers and their peers. BankSouth is pleased to introduce this year’s recipients: Elodie Johnson from Nathanael Greene Academy, Trilea Rhodes from Greene County High School, and Hailey Heinen from Lake Oconee Academy. Each recipient was presented with their award at their high schools’ senior award ceremonies.  

Elodie Johnson graduated top of her class at Nathanael Greene Academy as the Valedictorian. She has plans to attend Athens Technical College to pursue a career in Physical Therapy. “I am honored to have received the BankSouth Citizenship Award and Scholarship, and the opportunities that receiving the scholarship will give me,” says Johnson. “I want to help better the community by being part of the healthcare field.”  Johnson’s favorite memories during her senior year were giving books to the pre-school through the Chick-Fil-A Leadership Program as well as giving gifts to kids in need during the holidays.    

Trilea Rhodes is the recipient of this year’s BankSouth Citizenship Award and Scholarship for Greene County High School. She plans to attend Alabama State University where she intends to work towards a major in Biology. Rhodes’s goal is to become a surgeon within the medical field. “I feel so honored, and I am extremely grateful to have received this scholarship. This scholarship is a big step forward to achieving my goals and helping with my continuing education,” explains Rhodes. Aside from her academic achievements, Rhodes was also a multi-sport athlete who participated in cheerleading, soccer, and volleyball at Greene County High.    

Hailey Heinen of Lake Oconee Academy is the third recipient of this year’s BankSouth Citizenship Award and Scholarship. Starting this fall, Heinen will begin working in a joint degree program between the College of William & Mary (in Virginia) and the University of St. Andrews (in Scotland). Heinen will work towards a degree in International Relations and later has plans of attending law school. “I was truly honored to receive the scholarship,” says Heinen. “This scholarship was unique in that teachers and peers selected me for it, and their recognition of my hard work in and out of the classroom meant a lot to me.” In addition to her studies in the classroom, Heinen has spent time tutoring students, has been a member of both the Lake Oconee Academy cheerleading and tennis teams, and led fundraising efforts for Lake Oconee Miracle.