Lauren Payne has been named the first recipient of the Dr. Sidney Benton Endowed Mathematics Educator Scholarship.
The Gillsville native recently graduated with a degree in mathematics with teacher certification from the University of North Georgia and says she knew early on that she wanted to become a math teacher.
"I could explain things in a way that people could understand it," Payne said. "So I decided to make it a career."
Dr. Sidney Benton taught at what was then North Georgia College for 20 years starting in 1975 and earned the Fieldale Professorship of Teacher Education and later earned professor emeritus status in retirement.
While at UNG, he received the Distinguished Professor Award and was also the head of Graduate Studies and Testing.
Payne expressed her gratitude for the $1,000 scholarship saying that it helped pay for her final semester.
"It's really nice that Dr. Benton is supporting the newer generation of teachers. We need that support from the more experienced educators of the world," Payne said. "We can't get to where they are without their support."
