The Mrs. Annie Cox Memorial Scholarship Committee is proud to announce the awarding of a scholarship to Miss Patty Hatfield and Miss Anna Grace Sissom, Cannon County High School Seniors – Class of 2020, who graduated on May 14th, 2020. This scholarship is in memory of longtime educator and beloved Cannon County citizen, Mrs. Annie Cox. The scholarship has been established as an additional financial resource for a student intending to major in Elementary Education who has demonstrated achievement and based on need. Mrs. Cox was a very special person to all of Cannon County, and appropriately this scholarship honors her “Love for Education and Children, Character, Capability, and Need.” The scholarship personifies Mrs. Cox’s words,
“I love to see children learn! I just love it! And want to make a difference in the life of a child.” — Mrs. Annie Cox.
The Scholarship amount was $250.00 each in which they will use toward their demonstrated need to attend college intending to major in Early Childhood Education. The Mrs. Annie Cox Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually to a Cannon County High School Senior that is on track to graduate this year, have an application pending to or acceptance received from a state accredited two or four year college/university, recommendation of a CCHS faculty member, intending to major in Elementary Education, and write a 300 Word Essay entitled, “Why I deserve this scholarship, and why do I want to be an Elementary Teacher?”
Patty is the daughter of Chris and Missy Hatfield of Readyville. She stated in her essay, which was a part of the scholarship application, “My desire to become a teacher has always been with me since I could remember. All my teachers have talked about how it’s amazing to see a child finally get something, or to see them get older and mature.”
Anna Grace is the daughter of Gaylon and Suzette Sissom of Bradyville. She stated in her essay, which was a part of the scholarship application, “At an early age, I developed a sense of knowing that I had been given a special gift in my compassion and love for children. As a coach for the Cannon County Youth Basketball league…I used leadership skills in order to teach kids to the best of my ability.”
The Mrs. Annie Cox Memorial Scholarship Committee includes: former West Side School Principal – Mr. Ronald D. Basham – Chairman; former West Side Principal and Current Director of Cannon County Schools – Mr. Wm. Freddy Curtis – Secretary; Current West Side Principal – Mrs. Karen King; West Side School Secretary – Mrs. Kathy Simon; and West Side Kindergarten Teacher and long-time colleague of Mrs. Cox – Mrs. Rita Jones. This year – 2020 marks the 11th year since Mrs. Cox passed away on July 6th, 2009.
It is also important to note that Mrs. Cox’s last class she taught before her untimely death graduated in the Class of 2020. Patty Hatfield was in Mrs. Cox’s last class, and Anna Grace Sissom was a young admirer of Mrs. Cox as her mother was Mrs. Cox’s Assistant Basketball Coach at West Side School. The Committee is honored to denote that each of these young future educators had personal connections to Mrs. Cox.
There will be a major fundraising efforts by the committee to continue to fund this scholarship and raise awareness to a new generation that did not have the privilege and honor of knowing Mrs. Cox. The Mrs. Annie Cox Memorial Scholarship Dinner was to have been held in April 2020, but was postponed due to COVID-19. The Committee desires to do alternate fundraising activities, and more details will be announced about these exciting opportunities to honor the memory of Mrs. Annie Cox at a later date.