Beyond the Game: Fountain City Classic Invests in Education, Opportunity and the Future of Students

Follow the Courier Eco Latino Newspaper as we share the inspiring stories of four Fountain City Classic scholarship recipients and explore how the Classic continues to make a difference beyond the game.

Rhea Das: Turning Community Support Into a Future of Service

Fountain City Classic scholarship recipient Rhea Das is pursuing her dreams of a career in health care while embracing the responsibility of giving back to the community that has invested in her future.

For Rhea Das, receiving a Fountain City Classic Scholarship represents more than financial assistance. It is a powerful reminder that hard work, determination and community support can open doors to opportunity.

As she adjusts to college life away from home, Das is drawing strength from her family, the encouragement of Mrs. Reese and the continued support of the Fountain City Classic organization. With aspirations of becoming a doctor or physician assistant specializing in women's health, she hopes to make quality health care more accessible while creating opportunities for future generations of students.

In this Q&A with the Courier Eco Latino, Das reflects on her educational journey, the challenges of college life and her commitment to paying forward the generosity she has received.

Q: What does receiving a Fountain City Classic Scholarship mean to you personally, and how has this financial support impacted your educational journey?

Rhea Das: Receiving a Fountain City Classic Scholarship means so much more to me than financial assistance. It is a recognition of the hard work, dedication and accomplishments I achieved throughout high school. Knowing that an organization believes in my potential and is willing to invest in my future motivates me to continue striving for excellence throughout college.

The scholarship has significantly eased the financial burden on my family and me, allowing me to concentrate on my education and career aspirations without constantly worrying about college expenses.

I am also incredibly grateful for the continued encouragement and support of Mrs. Reese. Having someone who genuinely cares about my success is a blessing, especially while I am away from home.

This scholarship has given me peace of mind, greater confidence and the freedom to embrace my college experience while remaining focused on building a successful future.

Q: What challenges have you faced while pursuing your college education, and how has this scholarship helped you overcome those obstacles?

Das: One of my greatest challenges has been adjusting to life away from my family. Leaving the people I was accustomed to seeing every day and entering an entirely new environment has been both exciting and difficult.

However, my family and the Fountain City Classic community have consistently reminded me that I have the strength and determination to overcome challenges.

Mrs. Reese's continued encouragement has been especially meaningful. She reminds me that I am capable of accomplishing difficult things, whether the challenges are large or small.

The financial assistance from this scholarship has also relieved some of the pressures associated with college. Instead of constantly worrying about expenses, I can focus on my academic performance, personal growth and becoming more independent.

Through this experience, I am learning that challenges are opportunities to discover just how strong and capable I truly am.

Q: What are your career goals and aspirations, and how do you hope to use your education to make a positive difference in your community?

Das: My goal is to pursue a career in health care, either as a physician or a physician assistant, with a particular interest in gynecology and women's health.

I am passionate about helping women receive the quality medical care they need and deserve. Too often, women encounter barriers to health care because of financial difficulties, limited appointment availability or other challenges that prevent them from receiving timely treatment.

I want to be part of the solution by helping make women's health care more accessible and ensuring that more women have opportunities to receive the care they need.

But my desire to make a difference extends beyond my professional career.

Just as the Fountain City Classic organization has invested in my education, I hope to establish a scholarship one day to help high school students pursue their college dreams.

I would also love to organize educational workshops for students interested in health care, introducing them to different career opportunities and giving them a realistic understanding of what working in the medical field involves.

Ultimately, I want young people to understand that their dreams are achievable and that there are people in their community who believe in them and want to see them succeed.

Q: If you could speak directly to the Fountain City Classic organizers, sponsors and supporters who make these scholarships possible, what would you want them to know about the difference their investment is making in your life?

Das: First, I would simply say thank you.

Thank you for believing in me, recognizing my potential and investing in my future. Your generosity has made a meaningful difference in my life and in my family's life.

Because of your support, I can devote more attention to my education, explore my interests and work toward my professional goals without carrying as much financial stress.

Your investment has also allowed me to enjoy the full college experience. I have opportunities to build friendships, participate in cultural and career-oriented organizations and explore experiences that contribute to my personal and professional development.

Those opportunities are an important part of becoming a well-rounded individual.

What makes your generosity even more meaningful is that it has inspired me to give back. I hope that one day I will be in a position to provide another student with the same encouragement, opportunity and financial assistance that you have given me.

Your investment is not simply helping me attend college. It is helping shape the person I am becoming and the difference I hope to make in the world.

Q: Beyond the financial assistance, what does it mean to know that an entire community believes in your potential and is investing in your future?

Das: It is incredibly inspiring to know that the Columbus community is coming together to support students and invest in our futures.

Being away from home can sometimes make college feel overwhelming, but knowing that I have an entire community cheering me on gives me strength and reassurance.

It reminds me that I am not walking this journey alone.

When challenges arise, I think about the people who believe in me and the sacrifices they have made to help students like me succeed. Their support motivates me to work harder, remain focused and make the most of every opportunity I have been given.

More importantly, it has taught me that success should never be measured solely by what we accomplish for ourselves. True success also involves what we are willing to do for others.

I want to use my education, career and experiences to make a meaningful difference in people's lives.

One day, I hope to give back to the Columbus community by supporting students, creating educational opportunities and encouraging young people to pursue their dreams with confidence.

The Fountain City Classic community has shown me what happens when people believe in the potential of others. My hope is to carry that same spirit of generosity forward so that future generations of students can experience the encouragement and opportunities that have meant so much to me.

Editor's Note: The Fountain City Classic Scholarship Program reflects the organization's longstanding commitment to educational opportunity, academic excellence and community investment. Through the generosity of sponsors, supporters and community partners, the program helps students pursue higher education while encouraging recipients to become future leaders and advocates for service. In 2026, the Fountain City Classic awarded $33,000 in scholarships to 29 students, continuing its mission of turning community support into educational opportunity and lasting impact.

From Columbus to Georgia Tech: Oriana Nixon Is Turning Community Investment Into a Future of Leadership and Service

 For Columbus native Oriana Nixon, receiving a Fountain City Classic Scholarship represents far more than financial assistance. It is a reminder that the community that helped shape her life continues to believe in her potential.

Now a first-year industrial engineering student at the prestigious Georgia Institute of Technology, Nixon is pursuing her passion for problem-solving, innovation and leadership while remaining committed to giving back to the community she proudly calls home.

Through academic excellence, campus involvement and hands-on consulting experiences, Nixon is already demonstrating how an investment in one student's education can create opportunities to positively impact the lives of many others.

In this Fountain City Classic Scholarship Spotlight, Nixon reflects on her educational journey, the challenges of college life, her career aspirations and the responsibility she feels to turn the generosity of others into opportunities for future generations.

Q: What does receiving a Fountain City Classic Scholarship mean to you personally, and how has this financial support impacted your educational journey?

Oriana Nixon: Receiving the Fountain City Classic Scholarship means so much to me because it represents far more than financial assistance. As someone born and raised in Columbus, Georgia, it is incredibly meaningful to know that the community that helped shape who I am today is also investing in the person I am becoming.

I am currently a first-year industrial engineering student at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and attending Georgia Tech has been one of my proudest accomplishments. However, pursuing a college education comes with significant financial responsibilities.

Through hard work and the generosity of organizations like the Fountain City Classic, I have been able to ease some of that financial burden and devote more of my energy to my education.

What makes this scholarship especially meaningful is the reminder that my accomplishments are not mine alone. They also reflect the encouragement, sacrifices and support of the people who have believed in me along the way.

Q: What challenges have you faced while pursuing your college education, and how has this scholarship helped you overcome some of those obstacles?

Oriana Nixon: One of my greatest challenges has been balancing the financial responsibilities of college with the academic and personal demands of being a student.

Georgia Tech is an academically rigorous institution, and adjusting to college life has challenged me to become more independent, disciplined and intentional about managing my time.

Along with taking demanding courses, I work on campus as a student technology support assistant at the Scheller College of Business and participate in several student organizations. These experiences have been extremely rewarding, but learning to balance academics, employment and extracurricular activities has required significant adjustment.

I have also gained a greater appreciation for the financial planning and sacrifices necessary to make higher education possible.

Scholarships have played an important role in helping my family and me manage those expenses. The Fountain City Classic Scholarship has provided additional support, allowing me to approach my education with greater confidence and focus on experiences that will prepare me for my future career.

Q: What are your career goals and aspirations, and how do you hope to use your education to make a positive difference in your community?

Oriana Nixon: As an industrial engineering student, I am especially interested in consulting, data analytics and supply chain management.

What excites me most about industrial engineering is the opportunity to solve complex problems, improve systems and develop innovative solutions that make organizations more efficient and effective.

I am already exploring these interests through my involvement in consulting organizations at Georgia Tech.

As a lead consultant with Epic Intentions, I am leading a team working with the Piedmont Park Conservancy to identify opportunities to improve its financial and operational processes. I am also involved with 180 Degrees Consulting, where I work with a team supporting a nonprofit-focused project.

These experiences have shown me that the knowledge and skills I am developing in the classroom can make a meaningful difference beyond academics.

My goal is to build a career that combines analytical problem-solving with leadership and service.

More importantly, I want to use the opportunities I have received to create opportunities for others.

Whether that means supporting nonprofit organizations, mentoring younger students or giving back to my hometown of Columbus, I want my success to be measured not simply by what I accomplish professionally, but by the positive difference I make in the lives of others.

Q: If you could speak directly to the Fountain City Classic organizers, sponsors and supporters who make these scholarships possible, what would you want them to know about the difference their investment is making in your life?

Oriana Nixon: First, I would express my sincere gratitude.

I recognize that scholarships like this are only possible because of individuals who generously contribute their time, resources and energy to help students pursue their dreams.

I want every organizer, sponsor and supporter to know that their investment is making a genuine difference in my life.

By helping relieve some of the financial pressures associated with college, they are allowing me to concentrate on developing the knowledge, skills and experiences that will shape my future.

But their generosity has also taught me something equally important: With opportunity comes responsibility.

Receiving this scholarship has inspired me to think more deeply about how I can eventually help others. I hope that one day I will be in a position to support students who possess the same ambition and determination that I do but may lack the financial resources necessary to achieve their goals.

The impact of the Fountain City Classic extends far beyond an individual scholarship recipient.

Every student who benefits from this generosity has the potential to carry that investment forward, creating opportunities and making a difference in someone else's life.

That is what makes this scholarship so special.

Q: Beyond the financial assistance, what does it mean to know that an entire community believes in your potential and is investing in your future?

Oriana Nixon: Knowing that my community believes in my potential is both an incredible honor and a powerful source of motivation.

Growing up in Columbus, I could never have imagined all the opportunities that would eventually become available to me. However, I always knew that I wanted to work hard, pursue my education and accomplish something meaningful.

Being selected for this scholarship reminds me that people recognize not only what I have already achieved but also what I have the potential to accomplish.

That means so much because Columbus will always be home.

No matter where my education or career takes me, the people, lessons and experiences that shaped my upbringing will remain an important part of who I am.

I believe one of the greatest ways to demonstrate gratitude for an opportunity is to make the most of it and eventually extend that same opportunity to someone else.

Knowing that my community has invested in my future makes me even more determined to succeed — not simply to make those who support me proud, but to ensure that their belief in me becomes something that benefits others.

My hope is that one day another young student from Columbus will look at my journey and find the courage to pursue opportunities they once believed were beyond their reach.

Because ultimately, the greatest way I can honor the investment my community has made in me is to become someone who invests in the dreams of others.

Editor's Note: The Fountain City Classic Scholarship Spotlight series, presented by the Courier Eco Latino Newspaper, celebrates students whose educational journeys reflect the Classic's commitment to academic excellence, opportunity and community empowerment. Through the generosity of its organizers, sponsors and supporters, the Fountain City Classic continues to demonstrate that its greatest victories are not measured solely on the football field, but in the classrooms, careers and futures of the young people it helps support.