Gwinnett County officials on Wednesday kicked off construction on the future community recreation center at Lenora Park in southern Gwinnett.
The project will revitalize the existing gym and expand it into a community recreation center with spaces including a community room with a catering kitchen, a dance studio, an art room and a classroom. Additionally, there will be upgraded restrooms, locker rooms, administrative offices and a reception area. The center will also include an upper-level balcony with a two-way walking track. Outside, there will be a new drop-off area and parking for 73 vehicles.
In addition to the gym expansion, several other projects are underway at Lenora Park. Recently, the multipurpose field was converted from natural to synthetic turf, making it the 17th and final field to make this transition in the Gwinnett Parks and Recreation system.
Other projects include a new press box and maintenance compound, additional lighted outdoor basketball courts, six lighted pickleball courts and improvements to the dog park with new agility equipment and shade features.
Construction on the community recreation center begins this year, with gymnasium renovations set to start in early 2025. Gwinnett County is using approximately $10 million in SPLOST funds for the community recreation center and gymnasium expansion project.
You can earn $440 if you become a poll worker
Get involved in the electoral process and give back to your community! The Gwinnett Voter Registrations and Elections Office is seeking citizens of all backgrounds, especially bilingual Spanish speakers, to become poll officials for upcoming elections.
It’s a great opportunity to see how elections work, gain valuable work experience, and earn up to $440 per election. Interested citizens are encouraged to apply at GwinnettCountyJobs.com.
Ghanaian native changes view, and gains degree
Osei. Provided.
By Ken Scar
Lois Osei’s story began a world away from Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), but on May 9, she will complete her latest chapter when she walks across the commencement stage to receive her degree.
Osei was born in Accra, the capital and largest city in Ghana. She still carries memories from her birth country, like climbing to the top of the mango tree in her grandmother’s yard for ripe mangos, and how blue and clear the ocean water is and how white the sand is on its beach. “I remember seeing horses on the beach and being able to play, eat, and swim with my mom and her friends,” says Osei.
When Osei was one year old, her father, Frank, moved to the U.S. to make a better life for his family. He at one point had three jobs at once. Four years later, he sent for Osei and her mother, Esther, and the family settled in Lawrenceville. “Today, my dad is a delivery driver. His hard work and dedication inspired me to be the hardworking person I am today,” she says.
Osei said she had no plans to attend a four-year college after graduating from Peachtree Ridge High School in 2019. “At graduation, I felt like a complete failure, surrounded by peers who were attending big-named schools. I felt so inadequate. I was filled with self-doubt and a huge wave of uncertainty about my future.”
Her plans changed on the night of her senior prom when she saw a homeless man on the street. The juxtaposition of her — dressed to the nines and celebrating what’s historically one of the best nights of a young American’s life — and a homeless person sharing the same space, sparked something in her. “I decided I was going to commit my life to making meaningful impacts in the lives of others, right then and there,” she says.
She was drawn to GGC’s small class sizes, affordability, and the fact that it’s less than a ten-minute drive from her home in Lawrenceville. She started her GGC journey in August 2019. “I decided to make my time at GGC count,” she says. “I pushed myself by joining organizations. The first one that really took me out of my comfort zone was the Student Government Association (SGA).” Osei was so inspired she applied for the senate secretary position and served for half a term.
After SGA, she helped revamp her department’s sociology club. She gathered a few other like-minded students and they re-named it the Grizzly Organization for Human Services. In her two consecutive years as president, the club went from having five members to almost 30. “We’ve done book drives, donated to the GGC care pantry, volunteered at the GGC micro-farm, donated care packages to Northside Hospital, and we volunteer every month with Families 4 Families, a foster care agency,” says Osei. “Getting involved on campus really made my time at GGC worthwhile. I’m so glad I decided to get a bit uncomfortable and venture out. I’ve grown more than I thought as a student and a person!”
Osei will receive a degree in human services with a concentration in social work and a minor in sociology. She plans to attend graduate school to earn a master’s in clinical social work.
Osei will be among more than 900 students who will graduate at GGC’s spring 2024 commencement, taking place at 10 a.m. May 9 at Gas South District in Duluth.
Peach State foundation awards scholarships for 2024
The Peach State Federal Credit Union C.A.R.E.S. Foundation announces the scholarship and educational grant recipients for 2024. The Foundation awarded $290,000 to high school seniors, professionals seeing career advancement, and educational organizations.
The annual scholarship program is one of the ways the Foundation achieves its mission of making meaningful community impacts within Peach State FCU’s service areas. It recognizes education as a pathway for creating and cultivating a secure financial future for the individuals and communities in which Peach State serves.
Demitra Houlis, Peach State’s Chief administrative officer and foundation president, says: “The Foundation’s scholarship program provides more than just financial assistance. It gives these individuals hope and access to sustaining a brighter financial future that may not have been readily accessible to them before.”
The scholarship program pays homage to Peach State FCU’s founders, past and present board members and employees, and the lifetime achievements of numerous distinguished school system and community leaders.
The following are the winners from Gwinnett County:
In honor of the credit union’s founders, Career Advancement Scholarships were awarded to these professionals seeking career advancement: Taza Blanton, Mallory Fannin, Lindsay Griffin, Lisa Moody and Kianna Patrick.
Marie Tshibula was awarded the Wilma Widmer Career Advancement Scholarship.
The Legacy Student Scholarship was awarded to Margaret Robinson, North Gwinnett High School.
School System and Community Honoree Scholarships were awarded to Ella Maddox, Apalachee High School | Dan Cromer Student Scholarship; Paola Munoz, Central Gwinnett High School | Rick Cost Student Scholarship; Arely Rodriguez, Berkmar High School | Dr. Frances Davis Student Scholarship; and Macee Still, Loganville High School | Gary Hobbs Student Scholarship.
In addition, the Peach State FCU C.A.R.E.S. Foundation is also honored to support the following organizations with scholarships and educational grants, including Georgia Gwinnett College Foundation; Gwinnett County Public Schools Foundation; and Gwinnett Technical College Foundation.
Peach State FCU has long-standing roots within the education system. Its founding members were former educators of the Gwinnett County School System who believed in forming a credit union for the teachers of Gwinnett County. The Annual Scholarship Program has awarded over $2.5 million since 2002. To learn more about Peach State’s Scholarship Program, visit peachstatefcu.org/scholarships.
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