Kelli and Boyce Rutherford

Kelli and Boyce Rutherford have been proud GMC Prep School parents and supporters since 2012. Kelli was an attorney for 22 years and has been a Juvenile Court Judge for the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit since the fall of 2020. Boyce owns his own timber business, Rutherford Timber Harvesting.

This Jones County family wished for their children, Luke and Lauren, to be in a strong academic environment that taught traditional American values, so they were instantly drawn to GMC’s ideals. Kelli’s father served in the National Guard – she was raised on the notion of respect and honor for the United States and the American flag. “Once our son Luke started in the 6th grade and we went to our first GMC parade, the school felt like home,” noted Kelli.

Luke, the Rutherford’s oldest child thrived as a student at GMC. He was motivated by the different awards and rank structure. “Luke really came out of his shell with the opportunities GMC gave him. The luncheons and dinners where he got to meet with VIP guests and officials helped him mature. He learned how to speak to an adult in conversation and shake hands, all while he was still in high school. Those are the kinds of experiences you just don’t get everywhere,” Kelli said.

Luke graduated from GMC Prep in 2019. He was a dual-enrollment student and graduated with his associate degree from GMC on the very same day. Luke is now studying mechanical engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. The family notes that GMC Prep’s academic structure was pivotal in helping Luke prepare well for the rigor of college, and activities like raiders, wrestling, and football helped instill the confidence Luke needed. MAJ Todd Van Dine’s influence on Luke was especially meaningful. The GMC Prep Raiders Coach was pivotal in helping Luke get healthy and thrive on and off the Raiders course.

Kelli and Boyce’s daughter, Lauren, is in 11 th grade at GMC Prep and has benefited from the many leadership and extracurricular opportunities GMC provides its students. Lauren is active in the fine arts department, especially the theatre program and One Act. She is captain of the cheerleading team, plays golf for GMC Prep, and was Battalion Commander her 8th grade year.

Lauren is a driven student and has set a future goal to attend medical school. “We have no doubt she is prepared to go wherever she needs to go,” Kelli shared. Kelli and Boyce are confident in Lauren’s ability to excel after she graduates from GMC Prep thanks to the character-based education GMC provides.

The Rutherfords have seen Luke and Lauren flourish through GMC’s fine arts and raiders programs, and because of that, the family financially supports those programs to continue to help other students. “GMC has offered such valuable extracurricular activities for our kids. Luke and Lauren have built specific athletic and artistic skills but also learned other vital lessons like teamwork, stamina, and patience,” Kelli said.

“Not many schools can offer the structure, discipline, honor and respect that GMC does. Because of that, we want more students to come to GMC and for the school to succeed well into the future. That is why we give back to the school. I feel like we need character and honor instilled in our young people. The more students that have this GMC experience, the better America will be,” shared Kelli.

To join the Rutherford family in supporting GMC Preparatory School, please visit this link.