Decatur County student earns regional scholarship from West Tennessee foundation

A $1,000 scholarship for Decatur County student Kjavik Fowler could make the first semester of college or trade school a little less daunting, especially in a county where every dollar has to stretch further for tuition, books and fees.

The Community Foundation of West Tennessee and the Central West Tennessee Association of Realtors said Fowler was among the students selected for this year’s scholarship program, which will total $9,000 across the nine-county service area. The groups are scheduled to hold a reception Friday, May 8, from 1 to 2 p.m. at the CWTAR office at 935 Old Humboldt Rd. Suite B in Jackson.

The 2026 awards doubled from last year’s $500 scholarships to $1,000 each, with one graduating senior chosen in every county in the service area. Students from Chester, Crockett, Decatur, Dyer, Gibson, Haywood, Henderson, Lauderdale and Madison counties were eligible if they were graduating seniors with at least a 2.5 GPA, including students in public, private and homeschool settings. The application window ran from March 11 through April 17.

For Decatur County families, Fowler’s selection is more than a line in a regional announcement. It signals that a student from a county with an estimated 11,820 residents is competing successfully in a broader West Tennessee field and being recognized outside the local school system. Decatur County, formed in 1845 from Perry County and anchored by the county seat in Decaturville, is small enough that one award can carry real weight for a young person heading to college or technical training.

The Community Foundation of West Tennessee said it was established in 1985, serves 20 counties in rural West Tennessee and manages more than 35 scholarship funds. The foundation said it awarded $4.3 million in grants, assistance and scholarships in 2024, a scale that helps explain why programs like this can reach students from places such as Parsons, Decaturville, Scotts Hill and Bath Springs.

The CWTAR scholarship program started in 2025 with $500 awards, and nine students were recognized at the June 17, 2025 reception for a combined $4,500. This year’s larger awards show the program is gaining traction, and that matters in a county where Riverside High School in Decaturville had an actual enrollment of 457 students in the 2025-26 TSSAA directory. For students trying to move from local classrooms to regional colleges or career programs, a $1,000 scholarship can be the difference between covering an early expense and putting off a plan for another semester.