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Paulding County Master Gardener Extension Volunteers Award Scholarships to Local Students

Written by

Mary Carol Sheffield

July 2, 2026

The Paulding County Master Gardener Extension Volunteer Scholarship has awarded local students who study agriculture and related fields with support for 17 years. Recently, Master Gardeners awarded scholarships to three very worthy local high school graduates from Paulding County. This scholarship was thanks in part to generous community donations from individuals and the Dallas Garden Club, as well as funds generated from the Paulding Master Gardener Programming. The scholarship is open to any student who is a resident of Paulding County and is enrolled at a college or Technical School studying horticulture, botany, forestry, agriculture, or a biology-related field. Paulding County Master Gardeners are committed to helping to create the next generation of those interested in agriculture and related fields. Awarding this scholarship each year speaks to that commitment.

Scholarship Recipients

EllaGrace Bice graduated from East Paulding High School in 2026. EllaGrace was an active FFA member and member of the Tri-County Youth Cattlemen’s Association. EllaGrace will attend Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, where she will pursue a degree in Agriculture Business.

Four women standing side by side in front of a textured wall, smiling and engaging with each other. — Pictured, left to right: Christen Thomas, Paulding County Master Gardener Coordinator; Becky Mroczkowski, Master Gardener Extension Volunteer; EllaGrace Bice, Scholarship honoree; and Margaret Petry, Paulding County Master Gardener Extension Volunteer.

Elijah Legget is a 2026 graduate of Paulding County High School, where he was an active member of FFA. He will attend Mississippi State University in the fall and plans to study Agribusiness.

Four people pose in front of a wall adorned with the American flag. — Pictured, left to right, Christen Thomas, Paulding County Master Gardener Coordinator, Becky Mroczkowski, Master Gardener Extension Volunteer, Scholarship honoree, Elijah Leggett, and Margaret Petry, Master Gardener Extension Volunteer.

Allie Kate Wallace is a Junior at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton. She is a 2024 graduate of North Paulding High School. She is studying Agricultural Education and hopes to teach FFA when she graduates.

Two women standing in front of a colorful garden — Allie Kate Wallace, Scholarship honoree, and Master Gardener Sheena Yoe.

Paulding County Master Gardener Extension Volunteers are proud to recognize the hard work of all our honorees and to support their continued educational endeavors. If you are interested in applying for the next round of Master Gardener Scholarships, applications are posted in January of each year, and the scholarship is awarded in the spring. You can learn more about the scholarship at www.ugaextension.org/paulding

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Mary Carol Sheffield

Mary Carol Sheffield works with University of Georgia Cooperative Extension in Paulding County. She is a Senior Public Service Assistant, serving as an off-campus faculty member of the University of Georgia with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Mary Carol’s work focuses on increasing agricultural and environmental literacy and improving soil and water conservation practices in Paulding and Northwest Georgia through research-based education and outreach. In addition to her role as an Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources, she is also the County Extension Coordinator, providing leadership, mentorship and administration to an office of 7 staff members and more than 100 volunteers. She works with other agencies and businesses to provide outreach to address environmental literacy and soil and water conservation by providing gardening education for youth, Master Gardener Extension Volunteers, and homeowners as well as professional education for urban agriculture and farmers. Mary Carol has been an active member of the International Society of Arboriculture, National Association of County Agricultural Agents, Epsilon Sigma Phi, and the Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals. She holds a BA in Biology from Agnes Scott College and an MS degree in Forest Biology from Auburn University.