November 11, 2025 — In 2018, Allison Carroll was planning her wedding, finishing her Master’s degree in Education, and looking forward to meeting her incoming third-grade class at Dowell Elementary School. Unfortunately, she was never able to complete any of those tasks. Allison died tragically in a car wreck on July 22, just over a week before the new school year was to begin.
A Hillgrove graduate in 2012 and a University of Georgia grad in 2016, Allison was excited to begin her married life and have children of her own. Although that wasn't how it turned out, she still impacted so many people in her 24 years. She was known for her kindness and her smile, and she approached life with a spirit of love. Additionally, she had a heart for mission work and served in California, Uganda, and other locations.
Allison’s father, Ed Carroll, and a close family friend, Phil Branon, in cooperation with Hillgrove head basketball coaches Ed Morris (former boys team coach) and Susan Milam (current girls team coach), created the Allison Carroll Forever 14 Scholarship Fund with the Cobb Community Foundation to carry on Allison’s name and spirit. Forever 14 represents Allison’s team number when she played for the Hawks basketball team. While she is no longer physically with us, the scholarship ensures that Allison's legacy will live on through Hillgrove students of high character with a passion for making a positive impact. Recipients receive a one-time $1,000 college scholarship, which may be used for tuition, school supplies, and fees.
While at Hillgrove, Allison was an honor student and a member of the Lady Hawks basketball team, as well as participating in many other extracurricular activities. After graduation, she attended UGA, earning her degree in Education. She returned home to Cobb to teach at Dowell Elementary with a passion for teaching and caring for her students.
The Forever 14 Girls Basketball Showcase was held over the weekend, marking the beginning of the season for 12 teams. Six of those teams were from Cobb Schools: Hillgrove, McEachern, Pebblebrook, Pope, Sprayberry, and Walton.
"This was our fifth year of hosting the showcase and was probably the best one," said Hillgrove Head Coach Sue Milam. "We had the largest amount of teams participate and raised about $4500 for the scholarship fund. Several basketball media outlets were in attendance, as well as college recruiters."
The showcase opened with North Cobb Christian vs Whitefield Academy and closed with Holy Innocence vs River Ridge. The four games in between featured Cobb teams and included two Cobb vs Cobb matchups. All of the teams brought a high level of excitement and talent to the court at Hillgrove's Fowler Gymnasium.
In the second game, Walton beat Collins Hill, 72-68. Senior Lauren Kent was selected as the Walton's Player of the Game. Next, Sprayberry won over Pebblebrook, 65-33. Mikyla Wilson was chosen Player of the Game for Sprayberry.
Pope took on McEachern in the fourth game of the Showcase. The Greyhounds beat the Indians, 52-44, and Pope's Abbey Bensman was Player of the Game. The hosting Hillgrove Hawks played South Gwinnett and gave the home fans something to cheer about with a 71-55 victory over the Comets. Kierra Jackson was awarded Player of the Game for the Lady Hawks.
"I was pleased with our team's performance," Coach Milam said after the game. "I thought they set the tone of the game with their defensive intensity and did a good job with offensive execution and shared the ball well."
Standouts for the Lady Hawks included Aeris Macon with 21 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks. Kierra Jackson had 26 points, six rebounds, and five steals. Shelby McCall had seven points and seven rebounds.
Although the win was a great way to start the season, Coach Milam was reflective about the larger purpose of the Forever 14 Showcase.
"Having coached Allison, this cause is very dear to me. I watched her grow up, and I know her parents. I love that we are able to give back to Hillgrove students who excel in sports and academics, and who share the same moral compass that directed Allison's life. The scholarship is a great way to continue to shine the light that Allison put into the world," Coach Milam concluded with an emotional smile.
