Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal enacted the REACH Scholarship in 2012 as a way to provide an opportunity for students to continue their dreams of education. Six years later, he stood in attendance at Meadowcreek High School to watch nine Gwinnett County Public Schools eighth-graders sign their contracts to become REACH Scholars.

The signing ceremony Wednesday afternoon drew proud middle school principals, government officials and parents to recognize Jerrilyn De La Rosa, Takeyra Brown, Melany Pelayo-Medina, Lewis Le, Emmanuel Adebesin, Arelie Barriga, Kidus Tadesse, Jonathan Bell and Kendall Reaves Jr.