The theme at the Royal Palm Beach Village Council meeting on Thursday, May 15 was that “hard work pays off,” as the village awarded scholarships to 10 outstanding students and a five percent annual performance bonus to Village Manager Ray Liggins.
One of the primary responsibilities of the village’s Education Advisory Board is to evaluate applications and award 10 scholarships of $1,000 each to new high school graduates from the Village of Royal Palm Beach. In past years, the village has received up to 70 applications, but this year, only 15 students applied.
The scholarship winners are a diverse mix of village students.
Brooke Schofield is a senior at Seminole Ridge High School, graduating in the top 10 of her class. She has lived in La Mancha her entire life and comes from a family with deep roots in Royal Palm Beach. She is a 4th degree black belt, has played rugby and loves teaching youth classes at her church. These experiences have taught her the value of discipline, leadership and giving back. Brooke plans to pursue a degree in pharmacy and hopes to make a meaningful impact in the healthcare field.
Cameron Shelby is a senior at Wellington High School and plans to attend Florida Atlantic University next year to pursue a degree in criminal justice while continuing her running career. Throughout her four years of high school, she has been a dedicated member of the varsity track and cross-country teams, earning the title of Palm Beach County Cross Country Runner of the Year in the most recent season. In addition to her athletic commitments, Shelby works at Publix in the bakery department. In her leisure time, she enjoys fishing and reading. She is also an active parishioner at Our Lady Queen of the Apostles Catholic Church.
Eloise Gaspard is a senior at Suncoast High School, where she has worked hard to balance academics with involvement in community service, like beach cleanups and tutoring, and her school’s weightlifting team. Known for her positive attitude and dedication to helping others, Gaspard plans to attend Florida State University to study biomedical engineering.
Gabriella Serna is a graduate of Palm Beach Central High School, where she was awarded Cambridge’s AICE diploma. She will start studying video game design at the University of Central Florida this summer.
Jada Esmeralda Castro is a graduate of Royal Palm Beach High School. This spring, she will receive both her AICE diploma and associate in arts degree before heading to the University of Florida to study biology on a pre-dental track. Since the age of 14, Castro has worked to help support her family and became a certified expanded function dental assistant at 16. She currently works in a pediatric dental office, gaining experience for her dream career in pediatric dentistry.
Jayla Midget is a new graduate of Seminole Ridge High School with a deep passion for community involvement and healthcare. During her time in high school, she actively participated in both academics and athletics. She was a member of the Spanish Honor Society for three years and the National Honor Society for two. She also played varsity basketball all four years, serving as team captain during her junior and senior years — an experience that taught her crucial lessons about teamwork, leadership and perseverance. She plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing, with the goal of becoming a third-generation nurse, following her dream of caring for sick children and giving back to the community through compassionate healthcare.
Jami Ross, a Royal Palm Beach High School graduate, assumed an extraordinary course load and still graduated in the top five percent of her class. She was active in a number of academic and athletic endeavors, including serving on the varsity volleyball team. She has also served in leadership positions in community service organizations. She will be bringing her talents to the University of Miami.
Ogochukwu Ikem, a Royal Palm Beach High School graduate, successfully completed four years in the Medical Sciences Academy program. She earned five medical certifications and is an AICE diploma recipient. During her senior year, she was the president of HOSA, a group for future health professionals, and the National Honor Society. She is also the co-founder of Heartwarming Hands, which supports senior citizens. With her passion for helping others, Ikem has earned more than 670 community service hours in her high school career. She will be attending Florida International University to study biochemistry on the pre-med track to pursue a career as a pediatric oncologist.
Rachel Hunter was born and raised in Royal Palm Beach. She is a graduate of Seminole Ridge High School, where she was part of the TV production program, president of the National Honor Society and captain of the girls tennis team. Hunter will be heading to the University of Florida to major in journalism.
Royal Palm Beach High School graduate Rohan Persaud is almost done completing his bachelor’s of business administration degree in management information systems with a concentration in cybersecurity and a minor in artificial intelligence at Florida Atlantic University. He is currently employed as a help desk technician at FAU, where he assists thousands of people with technology issues on an as-needed basis. This summer, Persaud will join the School District of Palm Beach County’s cybersecurity department as an intern. At RPBHS, he was active in academic and leadership clubs, such as student council, Academic Games, National Honor Society and more. He graduated in the top 10 of his class and developed an award-winning utility management system that earned district and state-level recognition.
In other council business, the employment contract for Village Manager Ray Liggins calls for an annual evaluation and up to a five percent annual bonus. The council had only positive remarks about Liggins’ performance and unanimously agreed to give him the maximum allowable bonus.
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