The Thomas family proudly announces the 2024 Pat Thomas Memorial
Scholarship winner is Ellie Renee Burris. Ellie was presented with a one-time
$1,000 scholarship during the Quitman High School graduation ceremony held on
Tuesday, May 21, 2024. She plans to attend Louisiana Tech University and major
in nursing.

The Thomas family would like to thank those that served on the selection
committee this year and in the past. Choosing a recipient each year is a difficult
task. We would also like to express our gratitude to Principal Carter and the staff
at QHS for the continued support every year during this process.

Following the 2016 death of our mom, Pat Thomas, the Thomas Family
Scholarship Fund was established. We wanted to honor her legacy of service to
God, her Church, her community, and to Quitman High School. In addition to the
scholarship, our family also makes donations to special projects, an athletic team,
activity, or club at the school. Our family appreciates our surrounding
community’s generosity that enables us to give back to our school.

As part of the selection process, all scholarship applicants are screened based on
the following characteristics that were present in the life of our mom:
Honor
Character
Integrity
Humility
Willingness to serve others without the expectation of recognition or
personal attention.

Ellie Burris was found by the scholarship committee to encompass all of Mom’s
attributes. The letters of recommendation that we request are always such an
insight to the applicants.

The below comments are just a few comments written about Ellie:

“Ellie has a combination of a positive attitude and the belief that she always has
room for improvement.”

“She will uphold the spiritual, moral, and academic values that are so important
for this scholarship.”

Ellie’s original career in education was upended after her sister, Mollie, was
involved in a serious accident. Ellie found her “calling” after witnessing the care
and compassion the nurses displayed not only with Mollie, but her entire family.

Ellie’s humility, integrity, and love for God, others, and her family are on full
display in her life whether she is at school events, work, church, or even on social
media. The Thomas family has no doubt that she will continue to add to the legacy
of our family and the winners that have come before her.

Congratulations, Ellie! We pray God blesses you! – Thomas family

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