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Education is a top priority in Coral Gables, as proven by the Coral Gables Community Foundation recent award of nearly $250,000 in college scholarships to deserving local students.
Dignitaries, Foundation board members, donors, and the scholarship recipients and their families celebrated at the annual Scholarship Reception hosted jointly with the City of Coral Gables on Tuesday, May 4, at the Coral Gables Museum.
This year, the Foundation awarded 57 scholarships from its various scholarship programs: Coral Gables Community Foundation’s Four-Year $10,000 Scholarship, Four-Year $5,000 Scholarship, Merit Scholarship and Culinary Arts Scholarship; Dave Ragan Jr. Memorial Scholarship; Ralph V. Moore Scholarship for Cavalier Excellence; Lady Suzanna P. Tweed Scholarship; Garcia Perseverance Scholarship; Coral Gables Bar Association Scholarship in memory of Ervin Gonzalez; Kerdyk Music Scholarship, and three new scholarships this year — Julian Perez Memorial Scholarship presented by Mayra Vide-Perez in honor of her husband, Mitchel Zuniga Memorial Scholarship presented by Martha Mendez Michele in honor of her son given to a graduating Cavalier football student athlete, and the inaugural Shine Bright Scholarship.
“Each year, the Coral Gables Community Foundation has the privilege of honoring students who have excelled academically and shown outstanding service to their community,” said Laura Russo, chair of the Foundation’s board of directors, adding that she believes that today’s scholarship recipients will be the ones awarding even larger scholarships years from now.
“The generosity of our board of directors, fund holders and donors has allowed us to invest nearly a million dollars in our community’s education over the last few years” said Matthew Meehan, Scholarship Committee chair and Foundation board member.
Meehan concluded the ceremony with a challenge to the students to give back to the community that has supported them and to use their education and skills to make a difference by paying it forward to the next generation.
The Foundation’s fund holders have taken a strong interest in education, as proven in scholarship giving by funds like the Coral Gables Bar Association, Dave Ragan Jr. Memorial fund as well as through the development of the Friends of Gables High fund, a fiscal sponsorship fund operated under the charitable umbrella of the Foundation and founded by dedicated alumni. The Friends of Gables High recently awarded $10,000 to Coral Gables High School to fund projects such as renovating the drama department, repairing the school band’s instruments, improving video production equipment and others.
For more information on the Coral Gables Community Foundation, visit gablesfoundation.org.
