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South County Contributors Pave the Way for College-Bound Grads
By Melody Jameson melody@observernews.net
May 29, 2008 - 10:03:38 PM

Several dozen family foundations, service organizations and businesses across South Hillsborough County - and beyond - this year are investing well over a quarter million dollars in graduates of this region’s three public high schools.

Analysis of scholarship award reports    from East Bay, Lennard and Riverview High Schools shows that nearly 80 graduating seniors are leaving with cash grants designed to help them meet the increasing expense of a college education.

Helping to underwrite the escalating costs of tuition, books, required equipment, plus, are some 40 for-profit and non-profit groups representing many aspects of South County life.  Fraternal, social service and military organizations as well as private family foundations are joining with religious, utility, educational and commercial entities to assist committed grads over the financial hurdles and into suitable institutions – on their ways to advanced knowledge equipping them to serve as tomorrow’s leaders.

And, at all three schools, many of the awarded graduates have received two or more scholarship grants, with East Bay topping the trio not only in terms of multiple awards but also in the total number of scholarships won and the number of organizations providing them.

In addition to the local monies provided students to help them further their educations, guidance counselors state, college-bound graduates may receive financial boosts from national merit or athletic scholarship programs along with federal government and other private foundation support.  Moreover, scholarships are awarded on a number of bases such as academic achievement, demonstrated leadership qualities, community involvements as well as financial needs.

Lennard High School

At Lennard , newest of the South County public high schools,  a dozen grads are sharing nearly $100,000 contributed by 18 organizations, most of them local. And, of those 12, eight are receiving more than one local area scholarship award.

Judith Villegas, for example, is to receive a total of $13,000 in local area money - $8,500 of it her first year in college – according to the Lennard Guidance Department local scholarship award report for 2008.   In addition to at least six smaller awards, Villegas received a University of South Florida Scholarship in the amount of $1,500 per year for four years. 

An award in the same amount also was made by the multiple-campus, Tampa-based University to Lennard senior Brittany Cooper.  

And, some of the South County’s social service, fraternal, family foundation, commercial and religious groups seek to spread their college funding help among graduates of all three schools.
The Apollo Beach Women’s Club this year is making their Lennard award to Nichole Martinez while the BAC Tampa Bay Education Foundation singled out Jandy Reina-Alfonso as their Lennard recipient.

This year, the Bailey Family Foundation scholarship in the amount of $20,000 over four years  for a graduating Longhorn also goes to Reina-Alfonso.

A combination Chick-Fil-A & Dick’s  Sporting Goods scholarship is going to both Casey Leister and Villegas.

Chelsey English obtained the Dickman Realty scholarship while the DeSoto Lodge provided funding to Villegas.

Monies from the E.G. Simmons Memorial Scholarship Fund this year also are going to Lennard grads Tanza Selbeck and Eligio Rios.

Dustin Robinson received a credit union scholarship as well as one from the Interfaith Council of Sun City Center.  Other recipients of the Council’s provisions to Lennard students are Timothy Bahr, Jonathan Bedoya, English, Leister, Rios, Selbeck and Villegas.

The Matthew A. Knight award goes to Rios and Villegas while Bahr picked up the Olin Mott scholarship money.

Peace River Electric Company considerations are going to Rios and Leister.

The Ruskin Eagles for 2008 are making an award to Rios and the Ruskin Woman’s Club awards go to him as well as to Leister, Robinson and Villegas.

Sun City Center Kiwanians are assisting Reina-Alfonso and Villegas while the South Shore Rotary Club is awarding Bahr, English, Robinson and Amanda Visicaro.

East Bay High School

Among the 304  graduating seniors at the 51-year-old East Bay, 52 have won local scholarships in varying amounts – most for the coming year, a few for multiple years – according to Kazie Weaver, guidance resource specialist.  Well over half of them – 30 students – received more than one award, Weaver noted. And, the local cash grants come to approximately $150,000, supplied by 24 groups and organizations.

While other seniors received a greater number of scholarship awards, Kayla Langford attained the highest overall dollar level in the local grant category.  The Bailey Family Foundation has promised her $5,000 per year for each of her four undergraduate years.  Langford also received two smaller awards.

The Apollo Beach Women’s Club made cash grants to Megan McGuire, Sabrina James, Venessa Boccio, Luisa Prieto, Lauren Kerstetter, Kelly Leeper, Whitney Smith, Christine Jokisch and Andrew Staight.

The American Legion Auxillary, Unit 148, awarded Shonteka Hopkins and Kadine Interval.
In addition, the BAC Tampa Bay Education Foundation made an award to Interval.

Kristen Zemina received the Eunice M. Smith Scholarship while Rickard Gallo was named the Dickman Family Scholarship award winner.

Receiving renewable grants for 2008 from the E.G. Simmons Memorial scholarship fund are Jou Her, Vanessah Rhodus, Kadine Interval, Rachel Hall, Jordan Penn, Allison Michalek and John Turner.

The Florida Credit Union Foundation honored Ashley Greene with a grant while the Freedom Plaza Employees Scholarship Fund recognized with money the efforts of Christian Gay, RuShane Harris, Tara Ledford, Anthony Phan and Rudolph (Andy) Scarlett.

 As for the Interfaith Social Action Council of Sun City Center, their awards are going to Matthew Arp, Brittany Davis, Rachel Hall, Kadine Interval, Christine Jokisch, Sarah Jordan, Kayla Keene, Lauren Kerstetter, Kelly Leeper, Melanie Madsen, Queena Phu, Brittni Seifer, Priscilla Viera and Crystal Zipperer.

Recipients of the Joseph LaBarbera scholarships this year are:  Johairis Ayala, Brandon Buford, Monty Byrd, Megan McGuire, Anthony Phan, Vanessah Rhodus, Boni Santa Maria, Brittni Seifer, Whitney Smith and Crystal Zipperer.

The Krewe of South Shore Marauders scholarships go this year to Melanie Madsen, Joshua Marzilli, Shauntelle Holbrook, Venessa Boccio and Whitney Smith.

Winners sharing in the Kenneth Freunscht Memorial Scholarhip funds for 2008 are: Priscilla Viera, Kelly Leeper, RuShane Harris, Cynthia Blumenthal, Venessa Boccio, Peggy Gann, Ashley Greene, Rachel Hall, Alison Michalek, and Andy Scarlett. 

The Kiwanis Club of Tampa Bay split its award between Jou Her and Jessica Caisse while the Marine Corp scholarship went to Kayla Langford.

The Pelican Players of Sun City Center are providing renewable awards to Courtney Driggers and Cassandra Holbrook.

The Ruskin Woman’s Club chose to provide its scholarships to Ashley Norton, Kevin Johns, Ashley Greene and Courtney Driggers as the South Shore Rotary Club singled out Jou Her, Megan McGuire and Alejandro Pina as its recipients this year.

Sun City Center Kiwanians are awarding Megan McGuire, Queena Phu, Anthony Phan and Alejandro Pina while the Sun City Rotary Club is giving assistance to Kristen Zemina, Boni Santa Maria, Kevin Johns and Crystal Zipperer.

From Tampa Electric Company’s Big Bend plant have come grants to Juan Ramirez, Shonteka Hopkins, Jordan Penn, Brian Restrepo and RuShane Harris.

Dr. Fred Taylor, honoring his mother through the MOM Taylor Scholarship fund, this year is giving financial help to Vanessah Rhodus, Megan McGuire, Johairis Ayala, Christine Jokisch and Kayla Langford.

Ruskin’s VFW Post 6287 and its Ladies Auxiliary made their scholarship monies available to Crystal Zipperer while Wal-Mart’s Gibsonton store divided its community scholarship fund between Christine Jokisch, Rickard Gallo and Michael Kanusky.

Riverview High School

At Riverview High School, celebrating its 10- year anniversary this year and graduating a 2008 class of 492 , more than $50,000 has been put up through nine local scholarship programs.   The funds will aid 15 graduating students as they begin their college careers, according to the school’s local scholarship report.

Once again, the Bailey Family Foundation is awarding four-year scholarships totally $20,000, but two Riverview High grads will be benefitting.  Antonio Dowels and Katelyn Randall each are to receive $5,000 each year as they pursue  undergraduate degrees.    

Senior Solomon Nerio has been tapped to receive the BAC Tampa Bay Education Foundation grant and scholarship monies from the Bloomingdale Civic Association will go to Kelsey Brown as well as to Derrick Fernandez.

Dowels also will receive the Dee Wolf Shark Spirit Award while Sun City Center Pelican Players assistance is earmarked for Angelica Corbett and Alexander Crenshaw.

Gina Souto is recipient of the Riverview Rotary Club award while a scholarship in the name of Sandy Waldron is headed for Kayla Reigner.

The Steve Thomas Athletic Award, funded by the Riverview HS Athletic Boosters, this year is going to five students: Casey Driscoll, Dianne Gonzalez, Ashley McClain, Amanda Metzger and Julie Serenko.

And, the Thomas Priddy Memorial Scholarship for 2008 is being awarded both Brown and Alex Cortlandt. 


©2008 Melody Jameson


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