Malachi Marbury, a member of the 2026 graduating class of Crisp County High School, was nominated and selected to receive the Crisp County High School Class of 1965 scholarship from the South Georgia Technical College Foundation. The scholarship can be utilized for tuition, books, supplies, on-campus housing, and educational tools while he pursues his education at South Georgia Technical College.
Alumni of the Crisp County High School Class of 1965 set up the scholarship at South Georgia Technical College as a meaningful way to give back to their community. The scholarship is awarded annually and is open to members of the current graduating class of Crisp County High School who choose to further their education at South Georgia Technical College.
Marbury plans to enroll in the SGTC Early Childhood Care and Education program this fall. He self-described himself as an “positive role model” and wants to help others know that they can succeed despite difficulties they might encounter.
He received highest recommendations from former teachers because of his exceptional academic achievements, leadership qualities, and unwavering commitment to his personal growth and betterment of those around him.
“From the first day in my classroom, Malachi stood out as a remarkable student. His analytical abilities and critical thinking skills are far beyond what I typically see in high school students. He is highly motivated and was never deterred by challenging work. He demonstrated perseverance as he faced any obstacle,” said Andrea Noble, who taught him for the last two years.
Noble continued and stated “beyond Malachi’s academic success, he is a compassionate and driven individual. He often serves the role as a peer mediator. He also volunteers extensively at the Crisp County Elementary School, where he is a natural mentor and role model.”
Another teacher added, “throughout the years I have known him, I have seen Malachi grow into a responsible, motivated, and thoughtful young man. He continues to set goals for himself and works steadily toward achieving them. He does not give up easily and demonstrates a maturity that is commendable for someone his age. His ability to balance academics, personal growth, and community involvement is a clear indication of his readiness for the next stage of his education.”
He is the son of Charolette Smith and chose Early Childhood Education because he wants to be a teacher in the early grades. “As a neurodivergent individual, it is important to me to remind others that we can accomplish anything that we choose to do. We have to learn what works for us, and sometimes it means that we have to push ourselves harder. But we can never give up on ourselves and we cannot allow the opinions of others to keep us from achieving our goals,” said Marbury.
Malachi Marbury thanked the members of the Crisp County High School Class of ’65 for providing this scholarship. “I am very thankful for the opportunity to receive this scholarship and with your help, this scholarship will help me to reach my goals. We have to choose to swing for the stars. If we miss the star that we were aiming for, then we can land on another one that is just as great.”
The Crisp County High School Class of 65 initiated this scholarship program 24 years ago when they returned to Cordele for a class reunion. Susan Owens Stripling, along with Patti Bridges Dash and Stella Williams Bailey were the guiding forces behind the scholarship efforts. They decided to enlist the support of their classmates to establish a fund to aid students who wanted to attend South Georgia Technical College after high school graduation. The former CCHS students were successful in securing enough donations from classmates to establish a scholarship endowment fund with the SGTC Foundation.