Commit to your passion
At a glance
Chris and Marilynn Hopkins own and operate over 1,200-acres of farmland in Lyons, Georgia.
Chris currently serves on the Georgia Cotton Commission board. He received his Master of Plant Protection and Pest Management in 2004.
The Hopkinses established the Chris and Marilynn Hopkins Scholarship Fund for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in 2018.
“We wanted to give in the same way we were given to.”
– Chris and Marilynn Hopkins
Chris (BSA ’02, MPPPM ’04) and Marilynn Hopkins (BSA ’05) have a deep connection to UGA. For Marilynn, she always knew she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her family’s Bulldog legacy. For Chris, after being involved with UGA Extension, he knew the opportunities at UGA were too great to pass up. They met at UGA, through mutual friends, and started their journey together. As active members on campus and avid football fans, the Hopkinses did everything they could to enjoy Athens and student life at UGA.
“There is a point of pride being a UGA grad,” Chris said. “We’re proud to be connected. You do a lot of great things in life, but UGA ranks at the top!” The Bulldog Nation is a strong influence in the Hopkins’ life. “Our daily circle is tied to UGA,” they said, as their lifelong friends and professional network stem from connections made as students. They continue to benefit from the reputation and support of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES). It is this continued support and community that inspires Chris and Marilynn to give back to UGA and pass on their experience to other students and families.
Chris and Marilynn are no strangers to hard work. Long hours at the office and on their farm, on top of raising two kids, keep them busy and moving; but this is nothing new. “Our professors taught us a strong work ethic and how to put in the hours to achieve what you want,” they said. Fortunately, they have a strong community of relationships built at UGA that help carry their family and careers.
The outcomes of their effort make the hard work worthwhile. Chris, a store manager at Lasseter Tractor Company, strives to create a relationally-focused business environment that fosters customer connection. “We’re more than just a business exchange. We are a part of the solution to our customers’ needs in any way that we can be.” Meanwhile, Marilynn, an accounting clerk at Altamaha Electric Membership Corporation, values being a part of providing vital services to farmers in rural areas of Georgia. Their life and their work is about uplifting the agriculture community.
Chris and Marilynn at Tate Plaza with their two sons.
Similarly to their agriculture community service, Chris and Marilynn are working to serve the UGA community. Recently, the Hopkinses founded their own scholarship fund for CAES. “We are products of CAES scholarships. We wanted to give in the same way we were given to,” they said. Both Chris and Marilynn worked their way through school and relied on alumni-funded scholarships to stay enrolled at UGA. Their endowment is dedicated “for all who selflessly gave to us.”
“It doesn’t take a huge sum of money. A small amount is the difference for a student that keeps them positive as they work toward their degree.” Chris and Marilynn hope that their endowment will encourage students to continue the cycle of giving and inspire students to contribute to their local communities and to the rural Georgia economy with their new knowledge and industry experience.
What’s your cause? 100 percent of undesignated gifts to the Georgia Fund go to scholarships, allowing talented students in your field to pursue their education and discover how they can make an impact on the world.
