Dollywood Foundation announces winner of 2002 Dolly Parton Scholarship

PIGEON FORGE, TN - The Dollywood Foundation has selected the winner of the second-ever Dolly Parton Scholarship, which is awarded to a graduating senior of Dolly’s alma matter, Sevier County High School. Kristy Pope of Kodak is the recipient of $15,000 in scholarship money, which was presented at the school’s Awards Night on May 16. The Dolly Parton Scholarship, announced last year by the country superstar, represents the single largest scholarship at Sevier County High School. Along with her many academic achievements, Pope is an active volunteer at the Tennessee School for the Deaf, the Boys and Girls Club, and the Baptist Senior Health Care Center. A member of Beech Springs Baptist Church, she will enter Maryville College this fall to pursue a degree in Sign Language and Elementary Education. “Kristy is a most deserving recipient of Dolly’s Scholarship,” says Dollywood Foundation Executive Director David Dotson. “She has a clear vision of what she wants to do with her life and she is determined to make her dreams come true.” The first Dolly Parton Scholarship, a partnership between the Sevier County High School Alumni Association and The Dollywood Foundation, was awarded in May of 2001. It is awarded each year to a senior at SCHS who embodies the spirit and strength of the high school’s most famous alumnus - Dolly Parton. “We are so blessed our county has such a wealth of talent and commitment among our youth,” says Susan Atchley, Executive Director of the SCHS Alumni Association. “Our future is in good hands and Kristy Pope will be one of tomorrow’s leaders.” In addition to The Dolly Parton Scholarship, The Dollywood Foundation annually awards other scholarships in the fields of academics, music, and the environment to seniors at Gatlinburg-Pittman and Seymour High Schools. The Dollywood Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public foundation sponsoring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and other educational programs. For more information, call (865) 428-9606, or write to The Dollywood Foundation at 1020 Dollywood Lane; Pigeon Forge, TN 37863-4101.