By LINDA CHION KENNEY
Six more graduating high school seniors have made the list of recipients for the scholarship program named in memory of Dr. Earl J. Lennard, a lifelong educator who entered the Hillsborough County school system as a first-grader and retired as its superintendent of schools in 2005.
The namesake of the high school in Ruskin, Lennard died Dec. 23, 2019, after being hospitalized with a prolonged illness since Thanksgiving 2018. He was 77.
Upon announcing the establishment of the scholarship program in January 2020, Mike Jones, then the president of the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce, said the Lennard scholarship fund was “to help make sure we never forget his contributions to this community and, in a small way, continue the work he devoted his life to.”
Riverview resident Earl Lennard was a beloved classroom teacher who served also as Hillsborough County’s superintendent of schools and supervisor of elections.
Toward that end, this year’s six scholarship recipients are Jalena Dinh of Riverview, the first valedictorian from the first graduating class of Jules F. Sumner High School in Balm/Riverview; Elise Rebhahn, a Riverview resident attending Blake High School in Tampa; Faith Nwosu, a Brandon resident attending Spoto High in Riverview; DeAndrea Daughtry, a Brandon resident attending Riverview High; Lauren Mercer, an Apollo Beach resident attending East Bay High; and Hope Tepfer, a Ruskin resident attending Lennard High.
The Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce launched the scholarship fund, managed by the Riverview Woman’s Club, at the chamber’s Jan. 17, 2020, dinner. To be eligible for the scholarship consideration, a senior must live in Riverview or have a family member in good standing with the Riverview chamber or Riverview Woman’s Club. The scholarship is for students seeking post-secondary studies at colleges, universities and technical colleges for workplace readiness.
“We kind of molded the scholarship program around what Earl had to say about giving back to local students, who are more likely to come back home and work here in the community,” said Donna Fore, treasurer of the Riverview Woman’s Club, who said she admired Lennard greatly.
“An historian, an educator, a good friend, what else can you say about Earl,” Fore said. “If you wanted to know something about Riverview or a person who grew up in Riverview, he was the person to ask.”
In all, 15 graduates have received the Dr. Earl J. Lennard Scholarship since its inception, including in 2020, Chanel Campbell and Willow Morgan, from Lennard High, and Ashley Aagaard and Allison Powers, from East Bay and Riverview high schools, respectively.
Last year’s recipients were Emily Ann Pesquera from East Bay High; Mattison Burris, from Lennard High; Anne Caroline-Howard and Reagan Pulkowski, from Riverview High; and Asia Nobles, from Spoto High.
This year’s review of scholarship recipients, provided by the Riverview Woman’s Club, provides insight into why this year’s recipients made the cut.
As Sumner’s first-ever valedictorian, Dinh earned a 6.88 grade-point average, according to a May 5 school district report. The scholarship review notes Dinh earned Principal Honor Roll distinction for each quarter of her high school career, while taking advanced and college-level coursework. She volunteered with the sports medical support team during the fall football season, which led to her decision to pursue a degree in exercise science at the University of South Florida.
En route to her high school studies, Rebhahn pursued her interest in art at Progress Village Middle Magnet School of the Arts, where she developed a portfolio to secure her acceptance to the visual arts magnet program at Blake High School. “Elise spent her high school years developing her skills as an artist as well as obtaining academic success earning principal’s honor roll for all quarters,” the review reads. Rebhahn plans to study graphic design and digital media at the University of North Florida.
Earl Lennard, pictured as a classroom teacher at East Bay High
Set to graduate third in her class at Spoto, Nwosu earned 43 college credits as a dual-enrolled student at Hillsborough Community College. “Faith is the definition of a leader because she always comes with solutions to problems and serves as a model for others,” notes her recommendation letter. Nwosu plans to major in biomedical sciences at the University of South Florida.
As valedictorian of Riverview High, Daughtry as a dual-enrolled student earned both her high school diploma and Associate in Arts degree from Hillsborough Community College (HCC), while logging more than 300 hours of community service. She had leadership roles in several extracurricular activities. A recipient of the Athena Society Dr. Sylvia Richardson Young Women of Promise Award, Daughtry also was an AP Scholar with Distinction and a National African American Recognition program winner. With her goal to become a radiologist, Daughtry plans to major in biology or health sciences with a focus on pre-med. At the time of her application, she had applied for admission to Lehigh University and had been accepted to the University of Florida.
Graduating in the top 3 percent of her East Bay High class, Mercer “excelled academically, athletically and in service to the community, all while holding two part-time jobs,” according to her scholarship background review. Noted also were her unweighted 4.0 grade-point average and leadership roles in extracurricular activities, including as captain of the varsity swim team, captain of the tennis team, parliamentarian of the National Honor Society and yearbook editor. Mercer plans to major in physical therapy at the University of Central Florida.
As a dual-enrolled student at Lennard High, Tepfer achieved an unweighted 4.0 grade-point average and a weighted GPA of 7.68. A member of the varsity cheer squad and varsity track team, Tepfer also was vice president of the DECA Club, committee head of student government and a member of the senior council. She also held a part-time job, as a gymnastics instructor. Tepfer plans to study marketing within the fitness industry at either the University of Central Florida or Florida State University.