A homeschooled student was awarded the seventh annual Elmore County Republican Party Scholarship.
Sophie Creamer was one of three finalists invited to the party’s annual scholarship dinner and walked away with the top dollar.Â
“She is our first-ever homeschool applicant,” scholarship chairperson Karen Stewart said. “We also had a record number of applicants.”
Creamer started school in the Eclectic schools but she and her family chose to keep education in the home. But it didn’t stop her interaction with public school students. Creamer was more than a member of the Elmore County High School Maroon Machine Marching Band. She was also band president while playing the piccolo and oboe. Practice and performances had her on the field and in the band room four to five days a week. There were also football games, competition days and concerts at which to perform.Â
“It takes a lot of time management skills, but I feel like homeschooling has taught me a lot about that,” Creamer said. “Band taught me a lot about leadership skills and helped me become the leader I am today.”
The scholarship requires an essay based in politics. This year’s prompt was to write something in the political realm that should have been handled differently.
“I chose federal spending, particularly pertaining to FEMA and the hurricanes and Ukraine,” Creamer said. “Then DOGE and all that stuff started coming out. It's even revealed more that I could have used in my essay that I didn't know prior to submitting it. I may go back and rewrite portions of it.”
Creamer currently plans to attend Jacksonville State University and major in nursing.
“I have not yet tried out for the scholarship portion of it,” Creamer said.Â
She also wants to carry on her music that kept her on the band fields.
“I'll try out for the marching band when that comes closer in time,” Creamer said.
Creamer was joined as a finalist by Wetumpka High School seniors Gracie Arnold and Price Goggans. All three were awarded financial scholarships.
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