Two Athens High School grads earn Athena League scholarships

Published 9:54 am Saturday, July 12, 2025

A pair of Auburn-bound Athens High School graduates will carry some local support with them to the Plains this fall, thanks to a pair of well-earned scholarships offered by the Athens League. 

Mae Martin and Cassidy Pemberton, 2025 graduates of Athens High School, each has been awarded the Athena League’s Lynn Gilbert Trent-Beverly Berry Crutcher Scholarship. Each student earned her scholarship “based on their academic achievement, school involvement, and their service to their community,” the Athena League said in announcing the recipients.

The daughter of Jeremy and Lori Martin, Mae Martin was active in academics, athletics, and social clubs throughout her high school career. She was selected as a member of the Beta Club, the National Honor Society, the Social Studies honor society, Rho Kappa, and the National Science Honor society. 

Martin also was an active member of Future Teachers of Alabama, HOSA, SADD, and the Interact Club. As an athlete, she was a one-year member of the AHS tennis team, a two-year member of the softball team, and a three-year member of the Athens High School Swim team. As a member of Pi Beta Sigma Sorority, she participated in many volunteer and social activities.

Mae plans to attend Auburn University, where she will major in Elementary Education. Her dream is to return to Athens after graduation to teach in Athens City Schools.

The daughter of Raymond and Jennifer Pemberton, Cassidy Pemberton concentrated her activities mostly around JROTC and its many different facets during her high school career. 

As a member of the JROTC Rifle team, Cassidy was awarded the Sharpshooter rifle medal, while also participating in the JROTC drill team, the JROTC color guard, and the JROTC sabre team. Pemberton was the recipient of the American Legion Military Excellence Silver Award and the Patrick Henry Award for outstanding performance within the JROTC program. Academically, her accomplishments include the Academic Achievement Award for Health, and the Golden Eagle Choice Award for 10th grade Honors English, Forensics, History 202, and Personal Finance.

Cassidy plans to attend Auburn University to study Public Relations, and she also intends to join the Army National Guard.

Chartered on Sept. 8, 1970, the Athena League is a social and civic charitable organization whose outreach, for more than 50 years, has endeavored to assist generations of local women in Athens. Its name was derived from Athena, the Grecian patron goddess of Athens.