Bainbridge College faculty, students and staff gathered to celebrate with Student Government Association President Jana Simmons of Cairo at a reception honoring her as the recipient of a full-tuition scholarship from the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of Georgia Foundation, which gave the reception.

Introduced by Bainbridge College President Tom Wilkerson, WSWG Executive Director Fred Kitchens spoke on behalf of his organization and congratulated Simmons during the Nov. 3 event in the college’s Edward D. Mobley Administration Building.

She is one of eight students in eight public colleges and universities throughout Georgia to receive scholarships for the 2010-11 academic year, a total financial commitment of $31,570 for those students this year, Kitchens said.

Among the more than 30 people who attended the reception were the honoree’s parents, Doug and Jan Simmons of Cairo, and her academic adviser, Eric Dueno, who teaches chemistry.

A dean’s list student, Simmons is pursuing an Associate of Arts in Sciences and plans to transfer to Georgia Southern University next fall as a pre-med student.

Kitchens said that the WSWG Foundation, whose members are family-owned businesses, was created in 1964 to share the industry’s resources with fellow Georgians through direct scholarship support to undergraduate students enrolled in the state’s public colleges and universities.

Since the first scholarship that was awarded in 1965, the foundation has established 1,017 scholarships for a total financial commitment that has exceeded $1 million, Kitchens said. He noted that the organization also continues its $5,000 earmark for minority students administered through Atlanta Metropolitan College.