Darlington senior Natalie Collins has been selected as the winner of the 2015 High School Female Scholarship Award Competition, sponsored by the Georgia Athletic Directors Association (GADA), and has won a $1,000 college scholarship.
Each year the program recognizes one male and one female senior from the state who have represented their respective sports well both in performance and in leadership.
“Natalie is a great representation of what we want every student-athlete to strive for: success on the field, in the classroom, off campus—and anywhere their future studies take them,” said Athletic Director Bob Stinchcomb. “We are very proud of how she has represented Darlington in this competition.”
Collins is a three-year member of the varsity crew team, two-year member of the cheerleading squad, and also ran track and field. As a rower, she received both the Scholar-Athlete Award and Coxswain Award in 2013 and 2014. The AP Scholar with Distinction has received several academic awards, and currently holds the No. 1 ranking in Darlington’s Class of 2015.
"I feel very humbled to be chosen, especially in a pool of competitive and highly-qualified nominees," said Collins. "As a scholar-athlete, Darlington has enabled me to develop a balance between my academic life and my extracurricular activities. My schedule here has allowed me to build time management skills that will better prepare me for college next year."
Collins holds membership in the Gamma Chi Epsilon Society, Mu Alpha Theta Society, Cum Laude Society, National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society. She is a 2012 graduate of the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce’s High School Leadership Rome program. Collins serves on Darlington's Honor Council, as an Admission Tiger Expert and as Spiritual Life Liaison.
The senior has spearheaded local service projects, traveled internationally for missions, and has served as a volunteer for the Tri for the Kids Youth Triathlon and Darlington’s summer Cheer Camp.
Collins plans to major in either biology or chemistry and continue on the pre-medicine track with the ultimate goal of becoming a surgeon. She plans to attend the University of Virginia in the fall.
Collins is the daughter of Rozanne and Forrest Collins of Calhoun, Ga.
For more information on GADA, visit www.gadaonline.net.
Click here to read more about Collins' original nomination in February.
