PEARSON, GA -
It is not often that folks in Pearson dress up for a black tie affair, but Sunday night they welcomed back many of Atkinson County's most successful people.
It was their way to give back to their hometown.
Folks in Pearson put on their best clothes to give back their life lessons to their hometown.
"To me, we are blessed to be a blessing," said organizer Tijuana Vickers. "We are not just blessed for ourselves. We are blessed to give it to others. A gift is not a gift if you cannot give it away."
It is the 'Giving Back Summit.' Sunday night was their black tie affair where some of the most successful people from Pearson said thank you to their former teachers.
One military veteran who is now a human resources director in Boston says his life is an example that big success can come from small towns.
"The sweetest corn, as you know, comes from the smallest fields," said Emanuel Ingram, the Director of Human Resources at Army Laboratory in Massachusetts. "That has always been kind of my motto. It's not where you come from. It is where you are going."
They held workshops over the weekend where the Pearson success stories shared what they know. People who now work in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Boston, Atlanta, and more were here.
"People ranging from human resource directors, we have principals, a dentist, a lecturer from Spelman College," Vickers said. "We have an accountant. We have a variety of a group of people."
And all of them grew up right here in Atkinson County. Ingram is not surprised to see so many people achieving so much from Pearson.
"I think 13 of our presidents came from towns that didn't even have traffic lights," Ingram said. "It's kind of like Pearson. It is not where you are born, it is pretty much where you are going."
The summit was free of charge and the speakers donated their time. The goal was for every person to be inspired.
"To go back and be empowered to give back to their communities all over the place," said Vickers.
It is a success story they want to resonate all over Georgia and the country.
This was the second 'Giving Back' summit. Organizers say they get great feedback from the community and they plan to hold another one next year.
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Tijuana Vickers
Emanuel Ingram
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