As a condition of accepting the money, students agree to return to Sparkman after graduation, to live and work in town.

Four of Sparkman’s 12 high school graduates, who won a scholarship last summer, are obliged to return to the town after completing their college education.

Win-win scenario

For Renee Brown, who has two young daughters, the scholarship program is a winning enterprise for everyone.

“One person can fund a scholarship program alone," Brown says, "but if everybody pools together, we can give, but still not have to give as much as we would if we had to pay for our children to go to college alone.”

Since its launch last March, the Sparkman Scholarship Fund has raised more than $56,000, the majority of that in just three months, according to Brenda Garrett, a member of the scholarship fund.

“We had people call after they saw articles in newspapers," Garrett says. "Though they had been away from Sparkman for a long time, they saw the story and connected and made a donation and let us know that they appreciated what we’re doing for their hometown.”

Four of Sparkman’s 12 high school graduates won a scholarship last summer, including Garrett’s son Sam. He's now studying mechanical engineering at Arkansas Technical University in nearby Russellville.

“I’m planning on going back after I get out of the college," Sam Garrett says. "Maybe me staying around would encourage a lot of peers to stay around too.”