MT. AIRY, Ga. — Kimberly Schlapman returned to her roots Thursday night as Habersham Central High School honored the country music star with its Lifetime Achievement Award ahead of graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2026.
School leaders, family members, friends and community supporters gathered at the school to celebrate Schlapman’s career achievements and the impact she continues to have as a Habersham Central graduate.
Principal Adam Bagwell called the recognition one of the school’s most meaningful traditions, saying the award was created to inspire students to pursue their dreams with courage, perseverance and hard work.
During the ceremony, school officials praised Schlapman not only for her success as a Grammy-winning member of Little Big Town, but also for the way she has represented her hometown throughout her career.
“You exemplify that so well,” Dr. Martha Cantrell told Schlapman while discussing perseverance and overcoming obstacles. “We know there have been hardships and heartbreaking difficulties, but you’ve shown our students those things can be overcome.”
The Habersham County Chamber of Commerce also participated in the event, presenting Schlapman with gifts connected to her hometown and announcing a donation in her mother’s name to the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
Visibly emotional at times, Schlapman told the audience she felt “incredibly humbled” by the honor and credited the Habersham County community with helping shape her life and career.
“This community believed in me when I had the tiniest little dream,” Schlapman said. “Everybody was so encouraging.”
She reflected on growing up in Cornelia and attending Habersham Central, saying the community taught her the importance of kindness, loving people and living a good life.
“You can’t get that growing up just anywhere,” she said. “This community was just so incredibly essential in helping me on my journey.”
Schlapman also spoke about returning to the campus and realizing that despite her years of success in the music industry, she still feels like “the same girl that left here.”
“I think the reason I feel like that same girl is because the roots that I grew here were so strong,” she said.
Much of her remarks focused on gratitude for her family. Schlapman thanked her parents for supporting her musical dreams from an early age, recalling how her father would drive her to performances across the region with a portable speaker, microphone and cassette tapes.
“Everything good in me started with y’all,” she said.
She also thanked her husband, children, siblings and longtime friends, describing them as the foundation that sustained her throughout her journey.
Community members shared stories during an open microphone portion of the event, recalling Schlapman singing at weddings, local festivals and community events years before achieving national fame with Little Big Town.
One former teacher recalled attending a national convention where thousands of students cheered for Schlapman during a performance, while others spoke about her kindness, humility and unwavering connection to her hometown. It’s a connection Schlapman holds with pride.
“This town built me, and I’m so grateful that this is where God chose for me to be born, to live, and this family, I can’t ask for more,” she said.
Schlapman’s recognition will include a permanent display at Habersham Central designed to inspire future students by highlighting the accomplishments of graduates who pursued their passions and succeeded. She joins other notable graduates who have also received the school’s Lifetime Achievement Award, including Dr. Stacy Nicholson (Class of ’77), Dr. Emily Foster Howell (Class of ’96), Marlan Wilbanks (Class of ’79), Air Force Lt. Col. Preston McConnell (Class of ’91), Dr. Aaron Scott (Class of ’91), and Schlapman’s brother-in-law, Pastor Brian James (Class ’90).
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