The Tommy and Annette Sasser Scholarship was recently endowed with the Copiah-Lincoln Community College Foundation by the Sasser family. This scholarship was established to benefit a student majoring in science with at least a 3.0 GPA and demonstrated financial need.

Sasser’s family hosted a lunch to surprise him with this honor at the Thames Center in January. During the announcement his son, Stan, said they wanted to honor him and his late wife, and they could not think of a better way after his many years of service to the school.

“I’m not normally speechless,” Sasser said emotionally at the gift, “But that’s what I am – speechless.”

Tommy Sasser graduated from Bogue Chitto High School in 1963 and attended Co-Lin before transferring to the University of Southern Mississippi, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry. He received a master’s degree from Mississippi College with further study at Mississippi State University.

Sasser has served on the Co-Lin Board of Trustees for more than 30 years and is a past member of the Co-Lin Foundation Board. He has served as a deacon at Calvary Baptist Church in Bogue Chitto for more than 50 years. He is past president of the Lincoln County Forestry Association, Lincoln County Education Association and South Central Chapter Sons of the American Revolution, Bogue Chitto Lions Club and has been active in various other civic organizations. He retired from Lincoln County Schools with 30 years of service and currently owns and operates Sasser Farms, a 700-acre tree farm in the Bogue Chitto area.

Annette Sasser was a 1962 graduate of Bogue Chitto High School. She was a graduate of Co-Lin and the University of Southern Mississippi with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. She retired from Lincoln County Schools with 23 years of service. She served as a pianist and a Sunday school teacher at Calvary Baptist Church for 41 years. Tommy and Annette were married for 49 years. She passed away on Sept. 16, 2016.

Tommy and Annette are the parents of two sons, Stan (Tara) and Gary Paul (deceased), and have three grandsons, Clint (Katie) Sasser, Ryne (Kaitlyn) Sasser, and Steven (Jennifer) Sasser.  He also has a great-grandson on the way.

Contributions to the Tommy and Annette Sasser Scholarship, or any other scholarship, can be mailed to the Co-Lin Foundation at P.O. Box 649, Wesson, MS 39191, or made online at https://www.colin.edu/alumni-foundation/give-now/.