SWFL Community Foundation will honor 2020 scholarship recipients virtually

For over 40 years, the Southwest Florida Community Foundation has been helping students in Southwest Florida achieve higher education through its scholarship program.

AS WE CONTINUE TO PRACTICESOCIAL DISTANCING -- ONE LOCALFOUNDATION WILL BE HONORING IT’S2020 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTSVIRTUALLY.THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA COMMUNITYFOUNDATION SAYS A RECORD NUMBEROF STUDENTS APPLY THIS YEAR.AND NOW THEY WANT TO MAKE SURETHOSE WHO WERE SELECTED GETRECOGNIZED.FOX 4 SANDRA RODRIGUEZ JOINS USWITH HOW MANY STUDENTS WILLBENEFIT FROM THESE SCHOLARSHIPS.(0:00 - 0:08)(0:41-0:55)2:11:31(SARAH OWEN, CEO & PRESIDENT,SWFL Community Foundation):"So kind of in this time ofuncertainty, that we can offernearly 900-thousand in fundingseems meaningful."FOR OVER 40 YEARS━ THESOUTHWEST FLORIDA COMMUNITYFOUNDATION HAS BEEN HELPINGSTUDENTS IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDATHROUGH IT’S SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM━ FUNDED BY PHILANTHROPICDONATIONS2:02:00(SARAH OWEN, CEO & PRESIDENT):"We don’t ever want to thinkabout financial barriers get inthe way of a student pursuingtheir dreams."THIS YEAR AWARDING SCHOLARSHIPSTO 135-RECIPIENTS... FROM THERECORD NUMBER OF 835 WHOAPPLIEDTHOSE SCHOLARSHIPS WILL GOTOWARDS THE 20-21 SCHOOL YEARFOR STUDENTS PURSUING A COLLEGEDEGREE OR TECHNICAL CERTIFICATE5:05:36(Malaina Mote, Head of Power andSocial Mobility, SWFL CommunityFoundation):"A lot of families are trying tofigure out how they are going toafford college, so just to beable to give them that littleounce of hope or less worriesabout the financial situationmakes it all worth it for us."AS CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONSCONTINUE TO BE IN PLACE━ THEFOUNDATION WILL RECOGNIZE THISYEAR’S RECIPIENTS━ VIRTUALLY53:55(SARAH OWEN, CEO & PRESIDENT):"We want to celebrate them andwe also want to celebrate thedonors, and the scholarshipreaders that make the wholeprocess possible, it’s reallysomething to celebrate."AVERAGE SCHOLARSHIPS ARE5-THOUSAND DOLLARS BUTRECIPIENTS COULD GET EVEN MORECRITERIA FOR THE SCHOLARSHIPS ISESTABLISHED BY EACH DONOR1:42:29(Malaina Mote, Power and SocialMobility, SWFL CommunityFoundation):"Our top awarded, our mostcompetitive scholarships are4-year, 10-thousand dollar,renewable scholarship, so atotal of 40-thousand dollars."PAST RECIPIENTS HAVE GONE TOWORK IN VARIES PROFESSIONS,INCLUDING THE MEDICAL FIELDNATS *EVELYN SPEAKING IN PROMOVIDEO*LIKE EVELYN SUAREZ━ WHOMIGRATED FROM CUBA AT 2-YEARSOLD SHE IS NOW A REGISTEREDNURSE1:57:13(SARAH OWEN, CEO & PRESIDENT):"Our hope is that thesescholarships help students havehope for their future."3:14:35(SARAH OWEN, CEO & PRESIDENT):"If there’s someone out therewatching now and says ’I’d loveto establish a scholarshipfund,’ we hope that they reachout to us because it means nextyear we can offer more."LL TAG:THE VIRTUAL SCHOLARSHIP CEREMONYWILL TAKE PLACE ON MAY 7 THERE,STUDENTS WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO