TIFTON — The Tifton city council celebrated and congratulated the recipient of the Anthony G. Bateman Youth Center Scholarship during its most recent meeting.

Council members offered their praise to graduating Tift County High School senior Antron Johnson, recipient of the youth center’s second ever titular scholarship, during their May 19 meeting.

Johnson is an aspiring artist who assisted muralist Broderick Flanigan in painting the mural at the youth center in 2023 and has gone on to have his works up for auction at the last two Arts Galas from the Tifton Council for the Arts.

Dr. Tonja Tift, executive director of the youth center, praised Johnson’s passion and dedication, confident he would go on to do great things at Kennesaw State University, the college where he plans to study.

She invited Emily Richards, recipient of last year’s Anthony Bateman scholarship and a current student of Kennesaw herself, to present Johnson with the commemorative plaque while she awarded him the $1,000 scholarship check.

Tift announced that she planned to have this passing of the plaque become a tradition, with Johnson continuing the changing of hands by passing the scholarship down to its new recipient in a year’s time.

Mayor Julie Smith also expressed her pride for Johnson’s work, wishing him the best in pursuing his studies and assuring him he could reach out to her or any of her fellow council members for help or advice.