profile Kathryn Telford
Chasing Passions,
Following Dreams By Judy Bailey
At the tender age of 19, Kathryn Telford realized the importance of giving. hile attending education classes at Georgia College, the coed established an endowment to fund scholarships for deserving students in her home of Franklin County, Ga. With the encouragement of her father, Gordon Telford, Jr., Telford established the Kathryn Telford Scholarship with a $20,000 gift to the university. The first scholarship will be awarded in February 2009 to an incoming Fall 2009 freshman. The senior majoring in middle school education said giving back is the right thing to do. “I want to support this school that offers me an opportunity to excel,” she says. “I could not have asked for a better experience than I have had at Georgia College.” Attending classes on the Hope Scholarship, Telford says her educational costs have been minimal. “My dad had been saving money for years to send me to college, and I had all this money leftover,” she says. “I wanted to give other students a chance to get an education, chase their passions and follow their dreams. Telford is one of a kind, according to Georgia College Director of Development Elizabeth Hines. “This is fantastic,” Hines says. “Kathryn is truly an example and role model for the Georgia College family.” Telford is wise beyond her years. She believes in proactive, positive thinking. While attending classes, she also has given her time and energy to the university and the Milledgeville community as a member of Delta Zeta sorority working with children with auditory problems. She has fine-tuned her leadership skills and spread her positive energy to classmates, sorority sisters and friends. She also turned family tragedies into triumphs for herself and others. When Telford was a kindergartner, she lost her mother in a tragic automobile accident. And her older brother suffered life-altering injuries while Telford was in middle school. “I could have felt sorry for myself, but I chose to think and act positively,” she says. “My middle school teachers really helped me through the hard times. I want to become an example and role model for the students I plan to teach.” Telford admits she lacked focus on her studies in high school and was more interested in her friends than books. She credits the one-onone relationships with her professors and the encouragement of her teaching cohort for a successful experience at Georgia College. “I wouldn’t be the student I am if I had attended a larger university,” she says. “Georgia College is a perfect fit for me. And I’ve learned to balance my life.” Telford will graduate in May 2009 and plans to pursue a master’s degree out of state. But her heart will remain at Georgia College. Her goal is to encourage other students and families to support Georgia College for the next generations of students. “You don’t have to wait to give back, no matter what your capability,” she says. “Not everyone has the ability to give the way I did, but anyone can offer positive thoughts and energy. The more positive thoughts you have, the more positive things will happen.”
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Georgia College Connection • Fall 2008
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