By EMILY SPARACINO / Staff Writer

CHELSEA – The Chelsea Business Alliance recognized its first scholarship recipient and other local high school students for their accomplishments at a luncheon May 13.

Chelsea High School senior Jake Cotton received a $3,000 scholarship from CBA on May 1.

As co-president of the school’s Future Business Leaders of America group, Cotton applied for the scholarship, which was available to all FBLA members.

“I can’t tell you what this scholarship means to me,” Cotton said during the luncheon. “Just growing up in this community is such a blessing. It’s really going to be difficult to leave this city.”

Cotton will attend Auburn University in the fall and major in business administration.

Cotton’s father, Tim Cotton, attended the luncheon and said he was glad the scholarship brought attention to all of the students’ efforts.

“The scholarship is great, but the recognition of his (Jake’s) work … It’s great that that work was rewarded,” Tim Cotton said. “It also brought to the forefront the work of other students.”

The following CHHS FBLA members were also recognized at the luncheon: Sydney Bell, Meagan Lovell, Sid Ridgway, Vanessa Rushton, Emily Honeycutt, Melissa Shaw, Madison Shaw and Hannah Richey.

FBLA co-sponsors are Carlene Hooper and Dora Montgomery.

“The FBLA is an important asset, not only to the school but to the community,” CBA President Ben Smith said. “Our businesses are only as strong as our community.”

Smith thanked CBA sponsors and scholarship contributors, including Steve Sewani, who donated more than $900 to this year’s scholarship from a fundraiser he held at his gas station in Chelsea.