By Jacquie Hobgood
The prospect of college is perhaps one of the most exciting events in a student’s life. At the same time, it may also be a bit daunting, as the cost of college is ever increasing. For the past several years, the Celebration Foundation has granted scholarships to Celebration residents who submitted an application.
This year, the Celebration Foundation partnered with the Education Foundation of Osceola County to administer our scholarships. We are pleased to announce the Foundation is awarding 10 very deserving seniors with a scholarship toward their college expenses.
This year, our recipients are Aspen Brenan, Ashley Carpenter, Ryan Erickson, Claudia Guerrero, Breanna Heflin, Maya Lanzone, Cassidy Lester, Lily O’Brien, Spencer Schmidt, and Isabella Van Oss. The awarded students are attending some of the nation’s most prestigious schools, from the University of Florida to Boston University.
The applicants were reviewed and chosen anonymously by a panel that evaluated the students’ successes. Considerations included overall GPA, school and work participation, and most importantly, their ongoing community service and acts of assistance toward others.
The Celebration Foundation received applications from students that had performed over 500 hours of community service during their high school career. It is truly uplifting to witness this level of compassion in our youth today. As Martin Luther King Jr. stated, “Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You only need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love.”
Well done seniors! May compassion and success follow you on your journey. Godspeed class of 2019.
The above article appears in the June 2019 edition of the Celebration News