The Columbia State Community College Foundation recently hosted a check presentation event marking the creation of the Annie Pearl Gordon Harwell Endowment Scholarship, as well as the My Tennessee Hometown Heroes Scholarship.

The endowment, established by her family, will continue her legacy of helping the community by supporting students attending Columbia State. The scholarship funds are for students living in Maury County who are degree or certificate-seeking with financial need.

“The Columbia State Foundation is pleased to have these two distinct yet deeply connected scholarships,” said Bethany Lay, Columbia State vice president for advancement and executive director of the Columbia State Foundation. “By honoring both a beloved mother and formative mentors, these scholarships capture the essence of legacy—recognizing we are shaped by love and guidance received at home and by our greater community. The gathering of people at the presentation of these funds served to emphasize the lasting impact individuals can make on the lives of those around them.”

Reginald “Reggie” Harwell, Annie Harwell’s son, helped present the donation to the Columbia State Foundation and reflected on important lessons his mother taught him. She taught him to address tasks and impossible challenges one day at a time until they are doable. She showed him new perspectives on life when things were hard or didn’t make sense. Most importantly, she was a lifelong advocate and champion of raising up her family and her community to be better.

Austin Harwell, Annie Harwell’s grandson, also spoke about the legacy of his grandmother.

"She was absolutely the matriarch of our family,” he said. “None of us would be where we are without her drive. This scholarship that we're putting in her name is absolutely the best way that we wanted to honor her. Because, as dad said, she was proud of being a Columbian.”

In addition to the endowment scholarship, the My Tennessee Hometown Heroes Scholarship has also been established by Reggie Harwell in recognition of local teachers and mentors who impacted his early years. A graduate of Columbia Central High School, Harwell’s intention for the scholarship is to create a spotlight on the positive contribution the community of Columbia, his hometown, made to his life. He hopes that this fund will encourage others to start or continue their own involvement in the welfare and advancement of the local population.

Some of the inaugural honorees of the My Tennessee Hometown Heroes Scholarship include Mrs. Blue, Mrs. Tiny Jones, Mrs. Sydney McClain, Mr. Van Edmundson, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Boyd and Annie Ruth Harlan, Mrs. Addie Lee Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Walter and Annie Ruth Martin, Mr. and Mrs. Cecil and Hannah Bullock, Mr. Milton Gordon, Mr. Robert Wisener, the late Reverend William Thomas Harwell and the late Reverend Robert Burns.

“Just as your mother and her stories inspired you to do good, what you're doing with this scholarship is producing goodness in the community,” said Dr. Janet F. Smith, Columbia State president. “When we look at what happens through our Foundation and the generosity of those who give to make these scholarships possible, we see that they don’t just touch one life—they touch many. It’s like a river that branches out, growing as it goes. It reaches countless individuals and transforms lives along the way.”

The Columbia State Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that supports and partners with the college to positively impact student success and the communities in which it serves. For more information, visit www.ColumbiaState.edu/Foundation.