ATHENS-Margaret King, an Athens High School graduate, will start at Auburn University this fall with knowledge about
community service, a positive attitude and fulfilling her role as a young citizen.
King was a member of the Athens Mayor’s Youth Commission and received this year’s $150 Youth Commission
scholarship. On her scholarship application, King said, “We exist to bring light out of the darkness for others and
give a good example of how God loves. Community service makes you feel good, like you really helped
someone or something. It gives you an external purpose. Community service betters all of the people in the
city.”
Youth Commission’s mission is to teach participants about local government’s role and their role to be engaged
and informed citizens. During her Youth Commission service, King helped children make Mardi Gras masks at
the Mardi Gras Parade with a Purpose, volunteered at various community Christmas events, assisted with
registration for an educational tea at the Pincham-Lincoln Center and assisted with the Rural Tourism
Conference held in Athens.
She also provided input for the group’s community grants program and adopted a Senior Buddy at the Athens
Activity Center.
“During my tenure on the Mayor’s Youth Commission, I learned many aspects of how to fulfill my role as a
citizen,” King said. “I’ve learned that making connections and treating everyone with respect are among the
most important things when contributing to your city.”
She said “positive yet realistic attitudes, and that energy” are contagious for a community. King described the
Mardi Gras mask event as “super busy” and noted none of the volunteering Youth Commissioners or families
stressed out but instead had a good time and waited patiently as everyone took a turn making masks.
“Most importantly, the kids who do not have the kind of money to make crafts at home got to experience that
core childhood memory, and I got to watch it happen,” King said.
She said Athens is “lucky to have maintained our welcoming, homey attitude” despite the city’s explosive
population growth.
“One thing I learned the most is that, oftentimes, contributing to my role as a citizen means doing something I do
not necessarily want to do at the moment, or something that inconveniences me, in order to improve the state of
our city,” King said. “Over time, I grew to truly enjoy doing anything for the betterment of the city I live in.”
Mayor Ronnie Marks said he expects King to share her enthusiasm for giving back during her college career at
Auburn.
“She is a dynamic student who saw the value of our mission and integrated it into her life,” Marks said. “I am so
proud of her, and can’t wait to see what she accomplishes.”
The $150 scholarship was given in memory of Youth Commission mentor Holly Hollman’s family members who
passed away in recent months: her mother, Shirley Hollman, and her aunt and uncle, Norman and Jimmie Lee
McGee.
