Adeline Horton knew she wanted to attend Oglethorpe after she spent a January weekend competing for the Hammack School of Business Scholarship. In February, she solidified her choice with a tennis recruitment visit. Then in March, the bottom fell out for everyone in the form of a pandemic.

“I have immensely enjoyed my time at Oglethorpe thus far. Thanks to COVID-19 it has been far from anything I ever would have expected, but it has been great,” she said. “I have been challenged academically but my professors still take the time to check in on students to see how we are doing as people, not just academically.”

Horton competed against more than two dozen prospective students to earn the full-tuition scholarship. “I wanted to compete because it was such an incredible opportunity,” she said. “Not only was it a chance to win an amazing scholarship, but also an opportunity to meet and spend time with the Oglethorpe business professors and my potential future classmates.”

Horton said winning the scholarship was a surprise, despite the fact that the Gainesville, Georgia, student had been an overachiever at Lakeview Academy: member of the Math Honors Society, National Art Honors Society, FCA, helped found the Interact Service Club, and was on the Varsity Cheerleading and Tennis Team.

“I felt confident in my presentation and I knew that my team had done well in the simulation portion of the competition,” she said. “However, I also knew I was in a room of the best and it was not going to be easy to win. I was so humbled and honored when I found out I won. I do not think I have ever smiled so much in one day.”

Horton is a member of Chi Omega and is on the women’s tennis team at Oglethorpe. She said she is looking forward to actually being physically on campus. She said, “I cannot wait for the day I get to be on campus, spend time in the Cousins Center, and meet some of my incredible professors in person!”

Adeline Horton ’24