The local club, Civic Leaders United Behind Youth (CLUB Y), awarded three local high school graduates with $500 scholarships for college.

Makenzie Blalock, Vanessa Williams and Shelby Jones, were recipients of the Howard Norrell, Memorial Scholarship.

CLUB Y was originally known as the Calhoun Optimists Club, but changed their vision to keep money for the youth in local and in the county. The scholarship is named after a late member of the club, for his involvement with foster children.

At the clubs weekly lunch meeting, Blalock, Williams and Jones were honored with the scholarships and free lunch with family members at the Atlanta Gate Restaurant in Calhoun.

According to the Chairman of the Scholarship Committee for CLUB Y, Andy Denton, the scholarships are not like other scholarships, and allow students to deal with costs outside of attending college.

“There are the cars and insurance having to get the supplies, you have to buy the off size sheets for the dorm beds, we simply write a check to you,” said Denton, who says he can relate by having two of his own children currently in college.

Williams is expecting to attend Georgia Tech’s biology program and take a pre-med route. Williams thanked the members of the club for the opportunity.

Jones will attend Dalton State to pursue a nursing degree and says he hopes to work at a local hospital.

Blalock will attend the University of Georgia to pursue a veterinarian degree and plans to cheer for the bulldogs, as a member of a 2010 and 2011 state championship cheerleading team.

All three awardees were scholarship recipients for more than one scholarship and are all happy to have the help to curb the high costs of college.

CLUB Y, a club of between 25 and 30 members, helps youth in the Calhoun and Gordon County community, and has been awarding the Howard Norrell, Memorial Scholarship since 1988, according to CLUB Y President Roger Rigner, who says CLUB Y was started to keep money in the county to help local youth.