Scholarship Spotlight: A’lante Shepherd

From the time he was a young boy living in Atlanta, Georgia, A’lante Shepherd would marvel at architecture and structures with awe. His grandfather helped to construct some of Atlanta’s landmarks, and Shepherd is determined to follow in his footsteps.

“It’s in my bloodstream and I want to carry it on,” he said. “I want to learn both the business side and the physical side of masonry.”

Shepherd now gets to do just that with the help of the Leon N. Weiner Education Foundation’s scholarship program. He has been accepted to Williamson College of Trades and will major in masonry while also playing for the college’s baseball team.

It was a knock on the door at Delmar Crossings that opened up this opportunity for Shepherd. “The apartment manager knocked on the door and told us about the scholarship,” he said. He begins his studies August 2021.

“I’m looking forward to learning,” said Shepherd, a 2020 high school graduate who will live on campus for the three-year program at Williamson College of Trades. “I have a passion for it, and I want to be the first one in my family to become a mason.”

Shepherd has had the example of his parents, who both attended college programs to guide him through the college experience. “I’m the third person in my family to attend college,” he said. “I can’t wait to work at perfecting my craft and fall in love with masonry.”

He said the opportunity is still surreal but definitely an answer to his prayers. “It’s something I’ve been praying for since I was a kid,” he said. With his drive, passion, and the assistance of the Leon N. Weiner Education Foundation, his dreams are now coming true, he said.

“There are not a lot of young masons out there, so I thought, why shouldn’t it be me?” said Shepherd.