The Columbia State Community College Foundation has established a new scholarship with the Slaughter-King family for education and nursing students living in Maury County.

The scholarship, established by a family with three generations of Columbia State alumni, was created to help relieve students of financial stressors so that they can pursue their educational and career goals. 

Mattie Slaughter-King benefited from scholarships during her time learning at Columbia State. She now wants other students to be helped on their educational journey by receiving scholarship funds.

“I enjoyed learning from Mattie about her life's journey and how Columbia State was involved,” said Bethany Lay, Columbia State vice president for advancement and executive director of the Columbia State Foundation. “The college and foundation are appreciative of her desire to encourage students to push through even when life is challenging. The scholarship will be helpful to Maury County students in nursing or education programs of study.”

Slaughter-King attended Columbia State as a nontraditional student with two young children. During this time, she lived in Franklin, and her youngest son, David, had just begun nursery school. She was enrolled in the education program and remembers receiving scholarships that helped her on her educational journey.

Slaughter-King graduated Summa Cum Laude from Columbia State and then transferred to Belmont University to finish her degree in education. Both Mattie's sons, Roy and David Slaughter, also started their college career at Columbia State.

Due to Roy's tour of duty in Iraq, he took a break from college but returned to Columbia State, thereafter, completing his degree. He later transferred to Middle Tennessee State University and pursued a degree in education. He is now a minister.

Slaughter-King’s niece, Tracy Brown-Foster, is another product of Columbia State.

Slaughter-King wants scholarship recipients to be encouraged by this scholarship to persevere and reach their goals.

The Columbia State Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that supports and partners with the college to positively impact student success and the communities in which it serves. For more information, visit www.ColumbiaState.edu/Foundation.