Bryan Atchley Sid Blalock Scholarship - Sevier County Partners in Progress

Bryan Atchley/Sid Blalock Memorial Scholarships

We are pleased to announce that the Sevier County Partners in Progress Board of Directors voted in 2020 to honor two of the founding board members by providing a non-tuition scholarship each Fall in their name. This scholarship will be called the Bryan Atchley/Sid Blalock Memorial Scholarship. Two scholarships of $500* will be awarded at the beginning of Fall semester each year. Students that have met the requirements for the Sevier County Partners in Progress scholarship will be invited to apply for the Bryan Atchley/Sid Blalock Memorial Scholarship by submitting a 500-word essay prior to Fall semester. The essay should include why the student thinks he/she should receive the scholarship and include a summary of any community service or charity work they have done in the community. The winner will have $500 deposited into their ETSU student account to be used for books, lab fees, extra class fees or incidentals. This is a one-time scholarship.

*At the July 23, 2024 Board of Directors meeting, the Board voted to increase the scholarship amount from $500 to $1000.

Bryan and Sid were valuable board members and are greatly missed. We are pleased to honor them by naming this scholarship for these two fine men.

Bryan C. Atchley (1952-2018) served as Mayor of Sevierville for 23 years (1995-2018). Mayor Atchley was involved in countless boards and projects to benefit the City of Sevierville and its residents. He served on the Board of Sevier County Partners in Progress Education Foundation as a founding member. He was also Secretary to the Board during his tenure.

Sid Blalock (1939-2019) was a lifetime resident of Sevier County and supported a number of local causes. He was particularly passionate about education and was proud to help bring the mission of Partners in Progress to life. Sid was CEO of Charles Blalock & Sons, Inc. and deeply devoted to his family, friends, employees and community. He had great vision and curiosity always exploring new ideas and ventures.

Most Recent Scholarship Award Recipients

Katie Kelly is a graduate of Pigeon Forge High School and received her degree in business management from Walters State Community College (WSCC). While at WSCC, Katie served as a WS Ambassador and welcomed students to campus and helped to alleviate stress during finals and midterms. While Katie was at WSCC, she was named “Student of the Year for the Sevierville campus”. She began classes at ETSU this Fall pursuing a degree in business administration. Katie has a passion for serving her community. She has volunteered at the ISAIAH 117 house, Special Olympics, and Alzheimer’s Tennessee. Volunteering has been a huge part of her life. Katie says “I have been so blessed to have been surrounded by so many loving people who have given their all to see me succeed and I want to do the same for others. As a young child, my parents encouraged me to never stop pursuing what brought me joy. One thing that brings me tremendous joy is music”. Katie has been in choir throughout middle and high school, and now into college.

Jordyn Alspach is a gradate of Gatlinburg Pittman High School. She is currently attending ETSU working towards a Bachelors in Education. She is a substitute for the Sevier County School System. Jordyn loves her job. Being around children brings her much joy. In her free time, she enjoys reading and hiking. Jordyn said, “Like Mr. Sid Blalock and Mr. Bryan Atchley, I love Sevier County. I purposely honor my community by choosing to volunteer with organizations that mean the most. She has been a youth leader at Pathways Church. She has volunteered at the Sevier County Food Ministry, Keep Sevier Beautiful and the Upward Bound Cheerleading program at First Baptist Church. There has never been a doubt in my mind that I would graduate college but I’ve always known the financial aspect would be my biggest challenge. I began working and saving for college at 16 and continue to work now. Thank you to Sevier County Partners in Progress for this scholarship to help me continue my academic career.”