Founders Scholarship Fund awards 30 Collier County Students with College Scholarships totaling $720,000

College scholarships were awarded to 30 Collier County students by the Founders Scholarship Fund (FSF) at an awards presentation held on April 24 at Club Pelican Bay.

Soon-to-be high school grads, along with their parents and Founders Scholarship Fund Board members and mentors, gathered for the annual scholarship reception and ceremony where a total of $720,000 was awarded.

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 or technical degree. Each student received a $24,000 scholarship to be disbursed $6,000 per year for four years.

At the celebration, Board Chair Pat Chadwick welcomed the students and their families and then presented the scholarships to each student. As students were individually introduced, they took to the microphone to speak about their college choices and future goals. Career aspirations ranged from medical, engineering, technology, to film production.

Two special scholarships were awarded at the ceremony in honor of two distinguished gentlemen who have been avid supporters of the non-profit’s mission. The first scholarship presented was in honor of the late George Thomas who served as a board member of the Founders Scholarship Fund for many years; his wife Joan Thomas presented the scholarship to Charles Nicholson. The second named scholarship was awarded to Sutton Crouch in honor of Craig Hindman who is an active FSF supporter. Bill Bosway, CEO of Gibraltar Industries, flew to Naples to surprise Mr. Hindman with a $24,000 named scholarship gift which was to honor his retirement from the Gibraltar board.

Since the organization was founded in 1991 by golf members of Club Pelican Bay, over $7.3 million in scholarships have been awarded to more than 860 Collier 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.

The 2024 Founders Scholarship Fund Recipients:
Barron Collier High School – Joseph Aaron Stenza
Club Pelican Bay (Employees/Family) – Charles Nicholson, Cheyenne Jarvis Jacoby, James Swaford, Michael Eck, Vance Landry
Golden Gate High School – Sanlove Eve Michel, Alejandro Lopez, Josman Daniel Flores Cardenas, Jissel Escobedo-Maldonado
Gulf Coast High School – Samuel Graydon Isenberg
Immokalee High School – Geraldi Ninel Sanabria, Ivan Vega Arreola, Alexander Alonso-Lucas, Perla Hernandez, Mildred Hinojosa Hernandez, Cristal Gonzalez Guerrero
Lely High School – Esmeralda Bakollari, Thomas M. Pellegriti
Lorenzo Walker Technical High School – Johane Saintil, Sutton Crouch, Xaria Nicole Boatswain
Mason Classical Academy – Alexander Vlahakis
Naples High School – Alexis Mariette Richardson, Johnnie Mauricio Vargas, Bernardo Cortinas III,
Reyna Lucrecio-Olaeta
Palmetto Ridge High School – Robert Stefan Ene, Liam Joseph Rezende De Lucia
St. John Neumann High School – Beata Blood

For more information about scholarships or sponsorships, visit www.TheFoundersScholarshipFund.org.
xxx