Students, parents, and volunteers recently gathered at Cress Creek Golf and Country Club for First in Your Family’s annual recognition reception. This event honors the hard work of young people in the Education Sponsorship Program who are striving to reach their higher education goals.
      Volunteers Sara Smith, Lois Turco, Jack and Martha Young welcomed parents and guests and expressed appreciation to Cress Creek for hosting the event. Team leaders introduced each group of students and then shared a few of their experiences from the past year. 
      The senior group talked about career choices and colleges to which they are applying. The juniors shared stories from educational enrichment programs they attended during the summer including Operation Enterprise and Camp Horse-shoe. The 10th grade group discussed the financial planning sessions and what they learned from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens.
      Author Betty Snyder of Shepherdstown was the featured speaker. She discussed her own journey and how she overcame obstacles to obtain a college education. She referenced passages from her book, Born But Not Buried, that helped students to see beyond immediate situations and focus on long-term goals. After Mrs. Snyder’s remarks, students received scholarship credit certificates and paid tribute to the founders, Dee and Tom Taylor.