A new scholarship fund at South Georgia Technical College has been established and endowed in memory of Anne Miller Colston. The Anne Miller Colston scholarship will be administered by the SGTC Foundation.
The Anne Miller Colston Scholarship was endowed by her children, Mike and Su Ann Bird of Americus, Greg and Sheila Colston of Brooks, GA, and Keith and Connie Colston of Blounts Creek, NC.
The Anne Mille Colston Scholarship will provide at least one scholarship annually to deserving South Georgia Technical College accounting and early childhood care and education students.
“Our mom believed that education was extremely important. She truly believed that an education was the one thing that no one could ever take away from you,” said her daughter Su Ann Bird. “She also believed in South Georgia Technical College and the opportunities that the college provided, so this was a great way to honor her memory.”
The family chose to provide the scholarships for both accounting and early childhood care and education because those were the two career paths that Anne Miller Colston devoted her working life to.
She began “keeping books” for the Colston Ford Sales Company in Wrightsville, GA, after she married Al Colston. They were married for over 50 years and had four children. One son, Bruce Colston, preceded her in death.
She later kept books for their Colston Ford Company in Vienna, Ga. After that she was the financial secretary for the Dooly County School System.
When the family moved to McRae, GA, she worked at Telfair County High School before she began her career as a second-grade teacher at Ocmulgee Academy in Lumber City. Once she and her family moved to Americus in the early 1970’s, she returned to her accounting career working as the financial secretary at First Baptist Church for over 30 years.
“We are very appreciative of the Bird-Colston family and their willingness to partner with South Georgia Technical College through the sponsorship of this scholarship in memory of their mother,” said SGTC President Dr. John Watford. “This is a wonderful way for the family to honor the memory of their mother while also allowing her legacy and love of education to continue to benefit others for years to come.”
The Anne Miller Colston scholarship endowment will guarantee indefinite educational opportunities that will impact students at SGTC for many years.
“Mom loved South Georgia Technical College and she loved hearing how students had been impacted by the education they received here,” said Bird. “She was neighbors with Roy and Liza Parker, Roy and Martha Ann Studstill and Broadus and Lib Willoughby. Even though all of them have now passed on, each of their legacies continue to live on through their families as well as the South Georgia Technical College Foundation. They were all active supporters of the SGTC Foundation while they lived and now their legacies will still continue to help the next generation of students.
“Endowed scholarships are a wonderful way to recognize family members and also benefit students now and for years to come. I think mom would have been very pleased that we chose to honor her memory in this way,” added Bird, who works at the Executive Director of the SGTC Foundation and as the Vice President of Institutional Advancement for South Georgia Technical College.
For more information about endowing scholarships at South Georgia Technical College, contact Su Ann Bird at 229.931.2110 or sbird@southgatech.edu.