About the Scott H. Smith Award of Excellence Scholarship
The mission of the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra is to enrich our community through music, connecting with audiences, creating memorable experiences, education programs and performance opportunities. Providing education through musical opportunities is one of the important ways the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra fulfills the mission of enriching our community through music. Our organization provides a wide range of programs for youth, including the Youth Orchestras, the Strings Project, the Young Artists Competition, and the Ovation Music Camp. In 2024, the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra proudly announced the first Dr. Scott H. Smith Award of Excellence Scholarship.
The award is named in honor of Dr. Scott H. Smith. Dr. Smith joined the LSO Board of Directors in June of 1992 and retired in June of 2021, as the longest serving board member in LSO history with 29 years of active board membership. Dr. Smith served in many roles during his tenure, most notable as LSO’s 11th President from July 2008 – June 2010. Dr. Smith served in several other officer and committee roles. He provided leadership as chair of development, personally managing the advertising function for concert programs for many years.
Dr. Smith was a Professor of English at LaGrange College. The LSO Board of Directors named the Dr. Scott H. Smith Scholarship to honor this man who spent his life’s work in the education of bright and inquisitive minds and worked many years to help develop and grow the many programs offered by the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra.
Who is eligible to apply?
The Dr. Scott H. Smith Award of Excellence Scholarship is open to any high school senior currently enrolled in public, private or home school and who has at any time, past or present, participated in one or more of the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra’s programs. These programs include the Youth Orchestra, the Strings Ensemble, the Young Artists Competition, and/or the Ovation Music Camp.
The scholarship will be given annually to a qualified candidate which will be determined by the LSO scholarship committee. The scholarship may not be awarded in years when no qualified candidate is identified.
Application Details
The 2025 Dr. Scott H. Smith Award of Excellence Scholarship is $500
To apply, please complete the questions on the following pdf application file and return this scholarship application, with the additional required documents, to LaGrange Symphony Orchestra (LSO). Applications may be hand delivered or submitted by first-class mail to Mrs. Raylene M. Carter, Executive Director, LaGrange Symphony Orchestra, Inc. The physical location is 301 Church Street – 2nd Floor of Truist Bank, LaGrange, Georgia. The mailing address is P.O. Box 2321, LaGrange, Georgia 30241.
All applications must be received no later than March 15, 2025.
The LaGrange Symphony Orchestra Scholarship Committee will review all applications.
Previous Scholarship Award Winners
2024
The 2024 committee concluded that two young adults had exceptional standings. During this inaugural year of the award, the organization awarded both candidates a $500 scholarship.
Congratulations to Wesley Minicozzi and Jade Murray
