17-Year-Old Garret Simons Awarded $5,000 Scholarship for Community Service
The scholarship, known as the 2023 R.D. Bennett Community Service Scholarship, allows Garret to pursue his undergraduate degree in Political Science at Duke University.
AKACHI NOEL 
In a remarkable achievement, 17-year-old Garret Simons from Hilton Head Island High School in the United States has been granted a $5,000 scholarship for his exemplary community service efforts. The scholarship, known as the 2023 R.D. Bennett Community Service Scholarship, allows Garret to pursue his undergraduate degree in Political Science at Duke University.
Presented by the Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, the R.D. Bennett Community Service Scholarship recognizes high school students who demonstrate the cooperative principle of "concern for community" through impactful community service projects. Garret's project, named "Making Birthdays Bright," stood out among entries from students across the state.
Garret donated over 180 birthday boxes to 11 local food banks as part of his project. These boxes, containing everything needed to bake and decorate a cake, were distributed to individuals celebrating birthdays within their families. Collaborating with the nonprofit organization Pockets Full of Sunshine, Garret worked to assemble birthday boxes and bring joy to those facing food insecurity.
Reflecting on the impact of his project, Garret expressed satisfaction with the positive feedback from food bank clients and emphasized how the initiative meets a need previously unmet.
“The birthday boxes have helped many families facing food insecurity celebrate birthdays and gave them the supplies and extras needed that they might not be able to afford,” he shared.
Garret completed his community service project after participating in the cooperative annual Washington Youth Tour program, which sends rising high school seniors to Washington, D.C. for a week each summer. The CEO of Palmetto Electric Cooperative, Berl Davis, commended Garret's ability to reach food banks across the service territory and expressed pride in his community impact.
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On LinkedIn, Garret announced his plans to attend Duke University, where he intends to major in political science at the university’s Trinity College of Arts and Sciences. His story exemplifies the positive impact of dedicated community service and the transformative power of scholarships in supporting the aspirations of young individuals.
