The Founders Scholarship Fund awards College Scholarships

The Founders Scholarship Fund awarded 28 Collier County Students with College Scholarships totaling $672,000

College scholarships were awarded to 28 Collier County students by The Founders Scholarship Fund(FSF) during a celebration reception on April 28 at Club Pelican Bay. Soon-to-be high school grads, along with many parents and family members, and Founders Fund Board members, gathered to get acquainted during the event.

Everyone in attendance was excited for the confirming news that scholarships were raised from $3,000 per year for four years to $6,000 per year thanks to the leadership and hard work of outgoing FSF Board Chair, Adam Crescenzi. He, along with his dedicated board, raised the scholarship amount to help with the ever-rising expenses associated in pursuing a higher education. A total of $672,000 in scholarships were awarded at the reception.

The Founders Scholarship Fund is a local 501 (c)3 non-profit organization that awards renewable scholarships to local students who have shown determination, academic achievements, and financial need to pursue a college education. Until this year, each student received $3,000 per year. However, with the recent increase, each student will receive $6,000 per year amounting to a $24,000 scholarship. Since the organization was founded in 1991 by golf members of Club Pelican Bay, FSF has awarded over$5 million in scholarships to more than 775Collier County students. Scholarships are non-restrictive and are given to help students with college and post high-school educational expenses. Students receive the renewable scholarships with the agreement they are a full-time student and maintain a B average or better in their college studies.

“This group of students rose above the obstacles and challenges of the past two years with Covid and social distancing,” said Crescenzi. “I was really impressed with them — their scholastic achievements in spite of the pandemic and with the diversity of the careers they are pursuing.”

At the celebration, incoming Board Chair Pat Chadwick welcomed the students and their families and then introduced Bob Tyre, Scholarship Committee Chair, who presented each student with their scholarship packet. Each student then spoke briefly about their college choice and area of study which covered a wide gamut from bioengineering to entrepreneurship.

The 2022Founders Scholarship Fund Recipients:

Barron Collier High School – Jenny Belandres Mendoza, Jack McElrath, Camila Rojas
Club Pelican Bay(Employees/Family) – Maryanne Medina, Dan Zhao
Community School– Gabriel Katz
Everglades City School – Taylor Dahlke
Golden Gate High School – Stephanie Anez, Stephanie Cazares
Gulf Coast High School – Franchesca Pearo
Immokalee High School -Stanley Bazelais, Luz Maria Cantero-Huapilla, Kamili Henry
Lely High School – Jennifer Bachmann, Krista Boodram, Mia Pellegriti, Uriel Trejo
Lorenzo Walker Technical High School -Dayanis Cuellar, Yanet Hidalgo Loyola, Casey Perez, Samuel Siahaan
Naples High School -Isaiah Barajas, Aidan Hubbell, Asael Jean
Palmetto Ridge High School -Nathalie Ospina-Ledesma, Rigoberto Tovar
St. John Neumann High School -Jesse Herrera, Christopher Rosato

For more information about scholarships or sponsorships, contact Stacy Lee-Williams, FSF Director at 239-593-0124 or visit www.TheFoundersScholarshipFund.org.

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