20 year Army veteran and TJC criminal justice professor LaRhonda Hamilton served as guest speaker at the annual Betty's Learning Scholarship Program event on Saturday. Six East Texas students received a $300 scholarship. 

Betty’s Learning Center, owned by Betty Harden, has been gifting graduating students who once attended her learning center as a child with a scholarship since 2015.

Harden and her husband started the scholarship because they could see the need for financial assistance, even at the daycare level, for children and families in the community. Betty’s Learning Center has been serving the East Texas community since 1993.

“We wanted to follow the progress of our students from K-12 and provide a small scholarship to support and further motivate them towards college education,” she said. “The scholarship started by my husband saving our spare change in a jar. The change really added up in a year of saving and so early in our school program we use those funds to provide scholarships.”

On Aug. 12, six students from across the East Texas area were awarded a $300 scholarship by the learning center.

Harden said she believes when children know they are supported, it allows them the confidence to do well in school.

“I believe that providing a small scholarship to the alumni of our learning center keeps us connected to our students through their grade school years,” she said. “I believe that when children know they are supported that they do well in school and life. Our students do not often come from families that can afford the rising costs of higher education and so we give a scholarship to support.”

Recipients of Betty’s Learning Center Scholarship Program include KamRym Hampton, JaCory Seaton, Kya Cook, and Keilan Tuck of Chapel Hill High School, Dadrian Brooks of Duncanville High School, and Rodney Harden, Jr. of Tyler Legacy High School.

LaRhonda Hamilton, a 20-year Army Veteran and currently a criminal justice professor at Tyler Junior College, was on hand as guest speaker.

Hamilton advised the graduates to not let life “pass them by.”

“Don’t let life pass you by without finding your potential – finding and following your dreams and never ever stop learning,” she said. “Education is one thing that cannot be taken away from us and is the movement from darkness to light. Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”

Hamilton went on to quote Nelson Mandela saying life is about taking risks.

“Nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks. Nelson Mandela said ‘there is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.’ You will fail, you will lose at some point in life, you will not be good at something. Life will disappoint, people will disappoint; but I encourage you to embrace it. It’s impossible to avoid the experience of let downs and disappointments, to be told ‘no.’”

“But remember the ‘no’ can possibly mean not yet or mean this isn’t your path; so whatever your dreams are, you hold on to it and never let it go – no matter the twists and turns you may have to go through to get it.”

Harden said she is grateful to be able to provide the scholarships and over the years has received donations to help towards the annual scholarship awards.

“We are grateful,” she said. “And for many years now, we have received donations from individuals that are friends of Betty’s Learning Center to help us fund the annual scholarships.”

Betty’s Learning Center is located at 21647 FM 2767 in Winona, 17 miles east of Tyler, and can be reached at 903-566-4386.