Toccoa Family Donates to North Georgia Tech Scholarship Foundation

A Toccoa family has made a substantial donation to the North Georgia Technical College Scholarship fund.

The college recently received a $50,000 donation to begin the Haley Family Scholarship in honor of the Haley family and their legacy at North Georgia Tech.

Jana Haley Cheek and husband, Buddy, who are from Toccoa gave the endowment because of the close ties her family shares with the school.

“We established the scholarship because NGTC has meant so much to my family for almost 50 years,” says Cheek. “The college was, and continues to be, a place where people can obtain an excellent education and still feel like they are part of a big family.”

Cheek said the family’s hope is that others will add to the principle of the scholarship over the years so that many future students will be able to complete their education.

“We are very pleased to be able to establish a scholarship to honor a family of educators and public servants who have been a part of the school for nearly 50 of its 75-year existence,” she said.

Scholarship Foundation director Cynthia Brown said the Haley family has a long history with the college, beginning with Robert Haley who worked there as a guidance counselor.

“I cannot tell you what it means to have people recognize the value of an education at North Georgia Technical College,” she said. “And then to be able to honor folks who had a part in the lives of so many students for so many years.”

Haley’s wife, Jinx, spent time as a GED instructor at NGTC before beginning her career as an educator, teaching in Habersham County.

Cheek’s sister, Donna Haley, began her career in medicine after completing her Lab Technology degree at NGTC and went on to medical school at Emory University.

Son Robbie Haley, Cheek’s brother, became a Georgia State Trooper and spent his career as a dedicated public servant.

Cheek followed in her mother’s footsteps and has recently retired from a career as a high school science teacher at Stephens County High School and administrator at Liberty Elementary. She now serves on the NGTC Foundation Board of Trustees.

Brown said the scholarship will be a general scholarship open to all students.

“It is a general scholarship of any student enrolled in North Georgia Tech. It doesn’t matter what program, which location, what level whether certificate diploma or degree. It is for students with a documented financial need who want an education,” Brown explained.

Brown said one student will be chosen to receive the first scholarship from this endowment for Spring 2019.

For more information about scholarship opportunities at North Georgia Technical College, call 706-754-7714 or email [email protected].