As the 2024-2025 school year comes to a close, the Acworth Police Community Foundation announces its 2025 scholarship recipient, who showcased dedication and passion toward public safety. Senior Sophia Knighton obtained this $1,000 award for her outstanding character to aid her future endeavors.
Knighton, a dual-enrolled student at Kennesaw State University, found the scholarship through Law and Public Safety teacher Erika Bailey, as she recommended Knighton to apply due to her passion for criminal justice. As a senior, Knighton applied, hoping to add the award to her pile of scholarships to pay for college. With the various community service outlets Knighton holds close, the Acworth Police scholarship allows her to explore the realm of criminal justice while also gaining further volunteer opportunities within the Acworth Police Department. Knighton engages with her peers and Acworth residents to serve the people around her, including the Acworth Young Alderman association in which she participates.
“Ms. Bailey is just one of my favorite people. She actually helped me a lot with deciding what options I did have [for college], and through the law pathway, I was able to see different areas of law that I could end up following. The pathway helped me pinpoint what I would actually be up to doing because I knew I didn’t want to be a police officer or something like that,” Knighton said.
As a passionate participant in Georgia politics, Knighton joined the Cobb County Young Democrats association. In addition to this, Knighton worked as Lisa Campbell’s page under Georgia’s House of Representatives. Alongside Bailey, Knighton also visited the State Bar of Georgia, experiencing a touch of what the field of criminal justice truly entails. In addition to these experiences, Knighton also received the opportunity to attend the Kamala Harris rally in November 2024, which sealed the deal for the young individual.
The Acworth Police Community Foundation continues to provide high school seniors with opportunities to pursue their desired careers with its various merit-based aids. Other options also remain available for public safety students within the Acworth Police Department to further learning experiences as well as resources to serve their communities.
As Knighton finishes off her senior year, the aspiring criminal justice and philosophy major plans to continue her schooling at Augusta University in the fall, leaving a mark on the Acworth community. Through her studies at Augusta University, Knighton plans to enroll in classes that will deepen her understanding of the criminal justice field with new experiences or participate in internships studying criminal cases or other opportunities that come her way. Following undergrad, Knighton plans to attend law school as well to expand her education.
“I have always loved politics and government, and I wanted to do political science for the longest time, but then I felt like it was too at each other’s throats. Like, there wasn’t a lot of middle ground. So I decided to do criminal justice because it just is what it is, and there is no debate, and it would teach me more about the government without strong opinions,” Knighton said.
The Chant would like to congratulate Knighton on all her high school achievements and wish her luck in her future endeavors! Go Jaguars!
