TN Division Scholarship Recipient Aubrey Garton

Apr 8, 2026

By Griffin Fletcher

Operations Manager

Aubrey Garton

Aubrey Garton finished high school with a perfect GPA, was valedictorian of her class, served as president or vice president of at least four clubs, and already has multiple semesters of college credit under her belt. These achievements alone are quite impressive, but you would likely expect such accolades for a PBF scholarship winner. There is, however, so much more to Aubrey than excellent grades and extracurricular clubs.

For example, Aubrey can bowl. In fact, she's one of the best bowlers in the state of Tennessee. She helped her school's bowling team win four state championships, was named 2025 Miss Bowling for the state, and was honored as one of 10 members of the United States Bowling Congress' High School All-American Team.

She started bowling in the fourth grade and hasn't stopped since. "I really enjoy it, just as a sport," she said, especially "the team aspect of it." Her personal best score is an astounding 298 - just two points shy of a perfect game. Even when she wasn't the one stacking up strikes, Aubrey was often serving the bowling community at large in high school, serving as president of the Savannah (Tenn.) Youth Bowling Association and assisting with elementary bowling teams.

Aubrey in Green Bay, Wisc. after being named to the Dexter All American Team

She didn't spend all her time outside of school at the bowling alley, though. Aubrey was a member of a collection of clubs and organizations that's almost too long to list - from art, English, and vocational honor societies to 4-H and FFA, student council, the Central Bank Youth Leadership program, Hardin County High School VOLS (a volunteer organization) - if you name it, Aubrey was probably a member. Speaking of volunteering, she did a lot of that, too. Aubrey served at airport "fly-ins," the University of Tennessee Extension, 4-H Youth Camp, Vacation Bible School at her church, and tutored elementary school students in reading and math - she accumulated a staggering 350 hours of community service during high school.

As if that wasn't enough, Aubrey also spent time earning additional accolades while exploring other various and sundry interests, like Crime Scene Investigation (she's a Skills USA Regional Gold Medalist in CSI), drones (she's licensed to fly them commercially), and criminal justice (she passed a statewide exam to earn college credit). "Well-rounded" seems like a bit of an understatement.

Aubrey's father, Ray, has been in law enforcement for 22 years, spending the last 19 of those with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, where he serves as a sergeant. He has been a PBA member since 2007. He is also, as you would probably expect, extremely proud of his daughter. "Aubrey never ceases to amaze me," he said. "She is driven and determined in everything she does."

Aubrey hunting with her dad, Sgt. Ray Garton

Sergeant Garton was at his proudest on Aubrey's graduation night when she took the stage to deliver her valedictory address. It was the culmination of years of hard work in the classroom and the community - the crowning moment of her youth. It became a memory that he will always cherish. "The excitement and nervousness in her face [turned] to confidence and professionalism just before she gave her Valedictorian speech," remembered Garton. "Once she was at the podium, she took a breath and spoke to the crowd like she had been doing it her whole life. Not only was I proud of her accomplishment, but her message of encouragement to her fellow classmates was heartfelt and meaningful."

Now that high school is in the books, Aubrey is headed to the University of Tennessee at Martin, where she is set to begin a course of study in a field that most college freshmen haven't considered - and probably haven't even heard of.

"I plan to become an actuary," said Aubrey. "I plan to major in actuarial science mathematics. I really enjoy math a lot, and I looked at being an accountant, but then I found actuary, and I just felt like assessing risk would keep me active, and I would learn something new every day." She took the opportunity to shadow a group of actuaries in March 2025, and the experience reinforced her belief that actuarial science was the right path for her. "I really enjoyed it," she said.

Aubrey on her graduation night with her father, Ray, mother, Monica, and brother, Will

When she manages to make time for herself, Aubrey likes to garden, play video and board games, and go out to eat with her friends. She also likes to read, but like with so many other things, has a unique and interesting preference for what she reads: "I prefer books that are written in an older style language, where I have to decipher what the author is saying." She enjoys the challenge of reading older literature and connecting with the past through the antiquated language of the authors of centuries past. "Like right now, I'm reading a book written by C. S. Lewis," said Aubrey, "and he's harder to read for some of it, but I just like trying to figure out what he's saying."

Aubrey Garton clearly doesn't like to leave stones unturned. When an opportunity to get involved with something new arises, she seizes it, and when she finds that this new experience is one that interests her, she sticks with it. This mentality has done more for Aubrey than just building an impressive resume - it has allowed her to cultivate a distinct variety of passions and pursuits that deepen her knowledge, enrich her character and make her life more exciting. It's easy to see that, as she works her way through college, Aubrey will have no problem finding her place in the world. It's also hard to believe that she isn't going to bowl a perfect 300 at some point soon.

Aubrey, alongside her dad, receiving the PBF scholarship check from TNPBA Wildlife Resources Chapter's Senior Vice President Brandon Taylor

Aubrey exemplifies what the PBF looks for in its scholarship recipients, and the Foundation is pleased to name her a 2025 Tennessee Division winner.