Spherion Staffing and Recruiting (Spherion) of Augusta is proud to announce that Aaron Hudson, a 2016 graduate of Hephzibah High School, has been named a recipient of the annual Sandy Mazur Excellence in Leadership Scholarship. The $5,000 scholarship was established in honor of Spherion’s former President, Sandy Mazur, recognizing her unwavering dedication to leadership, excellence, and service to others. Since its creation in 2019, the scholarship has supported students pursuing higher education, technical training, or skilled trades, reflecting Spherion’s commitment to helping students achieve their educational and career goals.

Aaron, a first-generation college student, is pursuing a mathematics degree at Augusta Technical College and plans to continue his studies at Augusta University through 2028. Alongside his full-time job as a truck driver, he spends his free time at Garden City Mission, where he supports and connects with individuals facing challenges similar to those his own family has experienced. Having seen firsthand the impact of economic hardship and housing instability, Aaron developed a passion for finance and risk management as a way to help others build stability. He hopes to become an actuary and use his expertise to create meaningful change for individuals and families in his community.

“Supporting students like Aaron is at the heart of what Spherion stands for,” said Angela Swarts, local franchise business owner of Spherion Augusta. “Aaron’s dedication to service and his commitment to lifting others reflect the kind of leadership Sandy Mazur inspired. We’re honored to help him pursue his educational and career goals and to see him make a meaningful difference in the Augusta community.”

The award honors students like Aaron, who demonstrate the qualities that Sandy Mazur embodied during her 18-year career at Spherion—excellence, leadership, and a passion for making a difference. Created in her honor, the scholarship reflects Mazur’s “pay it forward” spirit, which continues to inspire teams at hundreds of Spherion offices nationwide and helps the next generation carry forward Mazur’s dedication to community service.  

The Spherion Scholarship Advisory Board, led by franchisees Beth DeLaney and Michael Chalmers, coordinated with the Ohio-based nonprofit The Richland County Foundation, which disburses grants for charitable organizations, to review hundreds of applicants and choose the finalists. From there, a group of franchise community representatives, including DeLaney, Chalmers and Mazur, select the winners. With the names and locations removed, the group reviewed the applicants and chose Aaron as one of five scholarship recipients.

“Celebrating Aaron as a recipient of the Sandy Mazur Excellence in Leadership Scholarship is such a joy,” said Mazur. “His achievements, leadership, and dedication to making a difference in his community reflect everything this award stands for. I can’t wait to see the impact Aaron will continue to make as a leader for the next generation. Congratulations again, this recognition is well deserved!” 

In addition to Aaron, four other students in Spherion’s community were also honored with $5,000 scholarships.

For more information on Spherion in Augusta, visit www.spherion.com/augusta. 

For more information on the Sandy Mazur Excellence in Leadership Scholarship, visit spherion.com/scholarship.