Thirty-three students at high schools across Sarasota County were recently awarded scholarships through the Education Foundation of Sarasota County.
Fifteen students received a Jumpstart Your Future one-year Florida Prepaid Scholarship for 30 credit hours, valued at $3,400.
“The dual purpose of these scholarships can’t be overstated,” said Jennifer Vigne, president and CEO of the Education Foundation. “For many of the recipients, the financial support is essential to their ability to pursue education after high school, and to all the recipients, the resounding vote of confidence will propel them more confidently into their future endeavors.”
The recipients include:
· North Port High School: Maranatha Estanus, Destiny Giurgiu, Michael Sprague, and Bryanna Stults.
· Riverview High School: Marco Vegh.
· Sarasota High School: Marcelo Chinga, Luca Lazzari, Justin Paulino, and Joseph Ziegler.
· Sarasota Military Academy: Santiago Rivera Mendoza.
· Suncoast Polytechnical High School: Anton Becker.
· Venice High School: Angelena Campbell, Alexandra Council, Aryana Lovely, and Flavia Onetiu.
The Education Foundation also awarded 10 students with Career and Technical School Scholarships. Over $28,000 in total scholarship funding was awarded to the following students:
· Booker High School: Cephora Moise.
· North Port High School: Lilyanna Gotcher and Ashton Hanselman.
· Riverview High School: Kaidyn BeVier, Arantza Florian, Kyanna Scruggs, and Christian Widener.
· Sarasota High School: Trey Conley and Maya White.
· Sarasota Military Academy: Helena Dunham.
Hana Mullen and Jake Turner each received the Retsy Lauer Visual Art Scholarships. Mullen, a sophomore at Pine View School, will use the $2,000 one-time pre-college scholarship to attend Brown University’s Reimagining Art and Activism summer program. With a $2,000 scholarship, Turner, who graduated from Pine View School, will attend Savannah College of Art and Design, seeking a degree in creative writing with a minor in acting and photography.
Anastasiia Lezhanina, a recent graduate from North Port High School, received the Lempe Family Resiliency Scholarship. With up to $9,000 in funding, she plans to attend State College of Florida and pursue a degree and career in filmmaking.
Anjolie Zerbini-Voyles and Emma Wilson Weber were recognized with Ivan F. and Ina C. Legore Scholarships. Zerbini-Voyles, who graduated from Sarasota High School and will receive a $4,000 renewable scholarship (up to $16,000), plans to attend Florida Atlantic University to study criminal justice. Suncoast Polytechnical High School graduate Weber, with a scholarship of $1,000 renewable up to $4,000, plans to attend Florida Gulf Coast University to pursue a degree in education.
Camila Del Valle Ieal Maldonado, who graduated from Sarasota High School, received the Arthur D. Vandroff Scholarship of $1,000, renewable up to $4,000, and will enroll at the University of South Florida to study health science.
William Minnear and Jaidin Pina, who both attended North Port High School, received Suncoast Credit Union Scholars Scholarships. The $2,000 one-time scholarships will help Minnear pursue a degree in chemical engineering at the University of Florida and Pina a degree in nursing and biology from the University of Miami.
The Education Foundation’s mission is to enhance the potential of students, promote excellence in teaching, and inspire innovation in education, guided by strategic philanthropy. The organization is grateful for the support of individual donors and the philanthropic organizations that make these scholarships possible.
Submitted by Sarah Glendening
