The GDS “Home By Six” Scholarship Fund was established under the will of Daphnie Swift and The Swift Family in memory of her mother Gwendolyn Diane Swift.  Mrs. Swift was a very nice caring woman, that enjoyed cooking, shopping, going to yard sales, and helping others.  She was a foster parent, that helped over 85 children in her home over the years. She was originally born in Washington DC and later moved to TN, where she attended school and later married Edward Swift.  She was a devoted housewife who enjoyed caring for her family.  She turned her hobby of making ceramics and crafts into a home-based business, where she created many floral arrangements and ceramic pieces and sold them.   Everyone in the community loved her very much, and to people even outside of her children, she was known as          “Ma Gwen”.  Anyone who came to her home loved eating her homecooked meals, and all the foster care agencies knew when they sent children to her home that they would be cared for properly, and they would gain at least ten pounds from the amazing daily home-cooked meals.  One of the signature items that she was known for was her world-famous Cherry Crunch Cake.  She would make this cake for people all over America, and when the family would come to visit or she would travel to visit them, they had to get a cake.  This scholarship fund was established in her loving memory and to carry on her legacy of helping others succeed in life.  The name of the scholarship is unique, because Mrs. Swift was a sweet loving mother, but her children knew that education was one of the most important things in life to her and following rules.  Her youngest son Jason once went to play with his friends, and he was supposed to be home by six, but he was a few minutes late.  In an attempt to call Jason’s friend's parent's house to tell him to hurry home, she accidentally called Mr. William McFarland, who was an extremely nice man who was a teacher to both of her children Daphnie and Jason in school.  When Mr. Mac, as all of the students called him, answered the phone, she said in a stern tone “Hello, tell Jason that he is late, and he knows that he is supposed to be home by 6”. Mr. Mac started laughing and told her that she had accidentally called him trying to reach someone else, and he had joked about it since that day. 

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PURPOSE:

The purpose is to establish a scholarship program for the benefit of worthy students of good character in

high school or who need financial aid to assist them in obtaining a college education.

 

ELIGIBILITY:

• Applicants must be graduates of an accredited high school in, work, or be a resident of TN.  A preference will be given to those students who live in the Gibson and Shelby counties.

• Award winners must be enrolled as full-time students and maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average.

• Award winners must be completing their undergraduate degrees. The scholarship is not for those receiving a master's degree or a Ph.D.

• Each award winner is required to submit a grade report for the period for which the scholarship is awarded. The report will be considered if the recipient applies for the scholarship again in the future.

 

CRITERIA:

Applicants will be selected based on the following:

• Scholastic ability

• Financial need

• Personal character

• Preference will be given to those students in Gibson and Shelby Counties

* GPA must be at least 3.5

 

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

Candidates must submit a completed application packet (please see NOTE below) to the Scholarship

Committee no later than 5:00 p.m. on June 1. Please do not staple application materials. Faxed

applications will not be accepted. Page five of this application, Financial Aid Information, is the only

portion that will be accepted via fax.

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The scholarship is currently available.

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NOTE: For an application to be deemed complete and considered by the Scholarship Selection

The committee must include the following:

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1. A completed application form including a signed Information Release Form. The financial section must be completed by the college or university’s Financial    Assistance Office and returned to the Committee by the deadline.

2. Typed essay (1-2 pages) listing all honors and awards you have received in high school and college, a description of your career goals, any special personal or family circumstances affecting your need for financial assistance, and why you feel that you are the best candidate for the scholarship.

3. Official high school or college transcript.

4. SAT/ACT scores if you are a recent high school graduate.

5. A letter of recommendation from your academic dean, advisor, counselor, or teacher.

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The Scholarship Selection Committee comprised of the trustees of the original fund shall make the

selection of each scholarship recipient and forward the notice to the fund for disbursement. The

scholarship disbursement shall be made directly to the educational institution for the benefit of the

scholarship recipient. The scholarship must be utilized within one year of the date of the award.

 

AWARDS:

Scholarship Range: This will be a fully paid scholarship for a bachelor's degree in the amount of $4,500.00 each year for the next 3 years, and the GDS Executive Committee will assess the progress of the scholarship with the designated college after 3 years to renew this scholarship for an additional period and possibly increase the number of recipients. 

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