Three graduating seniors receive Albritton scholarship

For the fifth year, the Dean B. Albritton family recognized three high school seniors along with the ministry of matriarch.

The family created the Dean B. Albritton Memorial Scholarship following her death in 2021 to benefit graduating seniors in Autauga, Elmore and Montgomery counties.

This year’s recipients were Gracie Hope Arnold of Wetumpka, Sophie Rebekah Creamer of Tallassee and Colin Daniel Dye of Montgomery.

Dean’s husband Walter hopes the scholarship will allow the students to serve their communities like his wife did through their ministry.

“I invite these deserving students to consider her example as a pattern for their lives,” Albritton said. “It means the world to me and to my family.”

Walter joined his sons Matt, Mark, Tim and Steve to create the scholarship to remember Dean.

“It did not matter who you were, if you had never heard of Jesus she was ready to share the hope that was her heart,” Matt said.

Dean’s legacy stretches across the River Region. She helped New Walk of Life Church become the strong ministry it is today near downtown Montgomery as her husband led Wetumpka Methodist Church. 

At the same time the Albrittons celebrated their mother, they also celebrated the students and their accomplishments.

Arnold is in the top 10% of her class and has been a co-leader in the Young Adult Bible Study. She’s active in the choir and several honor societies. 

Arnold was unable to attend the awards banquet as she was performing in the Wetumpka High School Theater Guild’s spring production. She did record a video thanking the Albritton family for their generosity and described her relationship with God as one reason for her success.

“There have been plenty of moments where I felt unsure or overwhelmed, but God has always been faithful,” Arnold said. “He's given me peace when I needed it most, and he's constantly reminding me that I don't have to figure everything out on my own.”

Arnold plans to attend Troy University this fall.

Creamer is a home schooled student from Tallassee. She was in the Elmore County High School Maroon Machine Marching Band, where Creamer served as president. She too is involved in many church and community service activities. She plans to study nursing at Jacksonville State University and has hopes to be in the band. 

Creamer grew up a pastor’s child and said the church raised her. 

“I often say that I've been in the church since nine months before I was born,” Creamer said. “Every woman in the congregation is like an aunt or a grandmother to me and every man instantly became a big brother or a crazy uncle.”

Creamer said church members were always willing to help with rides, school fundraisers and with godly advice.

But just because of her connections to a church, doesn’t define her relationship with God.

“I serve not out of a sense of obligation from my parents, but out of a genuine love,” Creamer said. “It is something that I just love doing and my faith in Jesus is the exact same. It doesn't come from the church, it doesn't come from my parents. It's a personal belief that I've held for almost my entire life.”

Dye is graduating from Loveless Academy magnet program. He's a member of the National Honor Society. He has served as captain of the basketball team and participated in indoor track. He will go to Auburn University to study biomedical science with hopes of going to medical school.

Dye was noted for his relationship with God and his work ethic. He credited his perseverance to portions of the Boy Scout oath, noting especially “morally straight.”

“You're constantly going to have challenges that you're going to face in life,” Dye said. “It could be peer pressure from your friends or others that are trying to get you off the path. It’s just like obstacles, they're going to be in your way. But you got to keep persevering through that tough time, no matter what anybody says, no matter what your mind is telling you, you just got to keep being morally straight.”