Chasity Barnes, a 2002 and 2007 graduate of Troy University, served as the Community College Relations Coordinator for TROY until she passed away in 2009 after a brief illness. Her sister, Amanda Barnes Granger, wanted to honor Barnes and keep her memory alive by establishing the Chasity Dione Barnes Memorial Scholarship in 2024.

Since her sister’s passing, Granger has made it her personal mission to make sure her sister is never forgotten. 

“Her light was too bright to be dimmed so suddenly,” she said. “I feel like, since I’m the oldest sister, that even in death I want to take care of my little sister.”

Granger said that scholarships seemed to be the natural choice to honor her sister. Since 2009, the Barnes family has been awarding scholarships in some capacity in memory of Chasity. 

“We get to help students achieve their dreams of a college education,” she said. “And those recipients and their families get to learn Chasity’s name. That helps with my mission to keep her memory alive and well.”

The Chasity Dione Barnes Memorial Scholarship was established to assist students on the Troy Campus, with the first preference given to an African American student who is an incoming freshman from Coffee, Houston, Henry, or Dale counties in Alabama. Recipients must exemplify high moral standards and values and realize the importance of a quality education. Recipients will be selected by the Troy University Scholarship Committee. One $1,000 scholarship will be awarded annually to assist with tuition and fees. Recipients are also required to write a thank you letter to the donor and must attend the scholarship donor and recipient reception held each April.

Granger described Barnes as an ambitious young woman who always wanted more. Despite growing up in the small town of Webb, Alabama, she was determined to be successful.

“Chasity knew that education was her key to success,” she said. “And helping students reach their educational goals by awarding them a scholarship was the perfect way to honor her legacy.”

Granger, who is also a TROY graduate, said that Barnes decided to follow in her footsteps by attending TROY, creating a family tradition.

“I think TROY was special to Chasity because she had seen me graduate from there,” Granger said. “When it was her time, she applied and was awarded the same scholarship as me, the Troy Leadership Scholarship, and studied kind of the same classes. I did broadcast journalism, and she did public relations and journalism. But she had to outdo me by later getting her MBA. That’s my Chasity!”

“TROY is our family’s legacy now. All four of us sisters attended TROY. Three of us graduated, and all three of us have master’s degrees from TROY as well. One of Chasity’s beloved nieces, Bethany Granger, graduated in 2022 with her bachelor’s degree.”

Granger also shared that Barnes not only loved her family, but also her Savior.

“She loved God with everything in her. I think that’s what made her illness somewhat easier to process. She knew God would either bring her through it or she would be with her Lord and Savior.”

Students who are interested in applying for the scholarship can do so here before the deadline on March 1. If you would like to donate to the scholarship, you can do that here.

In 2018, Granger established a nonprofit called Chasity’s Champions Inc., which provides educational resources and financial aid to students in memory of her sister. You can learn more about Chasity and Chasity’s Champions Inc. by visiting the website.