Senior Leah Mayo has been named one of only two recipients of Presbyterian College’s prestigious Quattlebaum Scholarship, which covers room, board, tuition and fees each year for four years of undergraduate study. The total estimated value of the four-year scholarship exceeds $160,000.
“Being a Quattlebaum Scholar is a huge honor,” said Mayo, the daughter of Cristie Smith of Rome and Kelly Mayo of Marietta, Ga. “Of course, it relieves the financial burden of a college education, which I am so grateful for, but the Quattlebaum is so much more than a relief. It’s also a reward for my hard work in high school and a pathway to a promising future.”
An outstanding student and member of the Headmaster’s List, Mayo has taken 17 Honors and AP courses at Darlington and has been designated an AP Scholar with Honor by The College Board. She has received the Sewanee Club Award for Excellence, the E.L. Wright Award for French 3, and a nomination for the Robertson Scholars Program at Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
A proven leader, Mayo was president of the junior class and currently serves as president of the Discipline Committee and vice president of the French Club. She is also a member of the National Honor Society, the Cum Laude Society, the Societe Honoraire de Francais, Gamma Chi Epsilon, National Art Honor Society, the Psychology Club and the staff of The Inkslinger literary magazine. Athletically, she is a member of the Varsity “D” Club and has played four years of varsity lacrosse. She also excels in the arts, winning the Chieftains’ Art Contest as a freshman and the Maya Angelou Poetry Contest as a junior.
Outside of school, Mayo enjoys volunteering with local community organizations, including the Boys & Girls Club, McHenry Primary School, the Open Door Home and Toys for Tots, to name a few. The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve awarded her the Commander’s Award for outstanding achievement in support of the Rome-area Toys for Tots Program. She has also served as a peer mentor for younger students at Darlington. Each summer, she works as a counselor at Rockbrook Camp for Girls in Brevard, N.C. She has also attended Converse College’s Young Writer’s Workshop in Spartanburg, S.C.
“Leah did an awesome job in the scholarship competition and I look forward to seeing her on campus for the next four years,” said Brian Fortman, dean of admissions. “Presbyterian College will be a stronger community because of this decision.”
The Quattlebaum Scholarship was established in 1981 by Alexander McQueen Quattlebaum “to influence the quality of leadership in our nation by bringing young men and women of exceptional promise to Presbyterian College for the finest preparation possible.” Over the past 24 years, the Quattlebaum family has rewarded the efforts of 30 outstanding student leaders.
Mayo plans to major in English in college. As a Quattlebaum Scholar, she will also have the opportunity to intern in the office of the president.
“I am really looking forward to interning with the president and working on PC’s magazine, Figs and Thistles,” Mayo said. “I want to be at a place where people love their school and don’t just see it as a place of education, but as a community – a family – as well. It was clear to me that students and teachers alike love PC dearly and I’m excited about joining the PC family this fall.”
