Clarke Central High School National FFA Organization chapter member Quinn Pendley, a senior, sits in the CCHS Eve Carson Memorial Garden on April 28. A committee of CCHS faculty and staff selected Pendley as the recipient of the Eve Carson Humanitarian Spirit Award, which was announced at Senior Honors Night on May 19. “(Pendley) is one of the most unique souls that we have (run) across,” CCHS FFA co-adviser Levi Carr-Brooks said. “(He) excels in making others feel accepted, loved and that they are a vital role (both) within our program and outside of (it).” Photo by Grady Dunston
CCHS senior Quinn Pendley was presented with the Eve Carson Humanitarian Spirit Award at Senior Honors Night on May 19.
Clarke Central High School senior Quinn Pendley was awarded the Eve Carson Humanitarian Spirit Award on May 19 during the Senior Honors Night ceremony in the E.B. Mell Auditorium.
A graphic shows past Clarke Central High School recipients of the Eve Carson Humanitarian Spirit Award. The award was created in 2009 by the Foundation for Excellence in Public Education to honor the life and memory of CCHS Class of 2004 alumna Eve Carson. “(An ECHSA winner is the) type of person who’s really positive (and) ready to say ‘Yes.’ (They’re) someone you know from being out in front of things, not because they’re self-promoting (but because) they have this joy about being of service to people,” CCHS school counselor Heidi Nibbelink said. Data compiled by David Ragsdale, graphic by Adah Hamman
The award was created in 2009 by the Foundation for Excellence in Public Education to honor the life of CCHS Class of 2004 alumna Eve Carson. Each year, the ECHSA is given to a fifth, eighth and 12th-grade student within the Clarke County School District who best exemplifies Carson’s compassion for others.
In order to receive the ECHSA, students must be nominated by a member of staff or faculty at their respective school. CCHS candidates are then evaluated by a committee of CCHS personnel, led by English department co-chair David Ragsdale.
“(Candidates are) supposed to embody the spirit of Eve Carson, the type of person she was and the legacy she left,” Committee member Heidi Nibbelink, a CCHS school counselor, said. “To me, that means someone who cares about all people, no matter what group (they belong) to. (So, an) inclusive person, a person who says, ‘Yes’ to things and (a person who) has ideas about making the world a better place, and (then) puts (them) into action.”
A member of the National FFA Organization chapter at CCHS, Pendley became Georgia FFA’s Northern Region State Vice President at the 97th Georgia FFA Convention in 2025. CCHS FFA chapter co-adviser Levi Brooks also attended the event, which he believes demonstrated Pendley’s leadership within the program.
“Quinn set his mind at a young age that he wanted to serve on the state level. Watching his dreams come true was truly inspiring to me,” Brooks said. “Over those years, it came with challenges, but challenges of growth. Quinn’s done an excellent job over the years of learning acceptance whenever being told, ‘No,’ or ‘You’re not ready yet,’ recognizing his weaknesses and being able to move forward.”
“I believe inclusivity is important because I have been the student who has been excluded before and I know how awful that feels.That (feeling) inspired me to try and make everyone feel included so (that) no one feels the same way I did.”
— Quin Pendley,
2026 CCHS Eve Carson Humanitarian Spirit Award recipient
After high school, Pendley plans to continue his education at the University of Georgia by majoring in Agricultural and Applied Economics.
“I believe inclusivity is important because I have been the student who has been excluded before and I know how awful that feels,” Pendley said. “That (feeling) inspired me to try and make everyone feel included so (that) no one feels the same way I did.”
