Punta Gorda Garden Club 2022 Scholarship Award Winners
Thanks to the success of last year’s fund-raising garden tour and strong community support, the Punta Gorda Garden Club is delighted to award PGGC Higher Education Scholarships of $3,000 each to four (4) students from local high schools. These very deserving young men and women have demonstrated academic excellence, extra-curricular involvement and clearly defined goals for their future studies and career plans. And the winners are: ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Erik Courtney, graduating from Charlotte High School, will attend Florida Gulf Coast University where he plans to major in Environmental Engineering. He is an Eagle Scout and volunteers with Habitat for Humanity. For the past two seasons he has been team captain, engineer, and designer of the first Charlotte High School Tech Challenge Robotics Team. Click the link to hear a few words from Erik https://youtu.be/BsZ8zrj6y48
Jax Mendelsohn, also graduating from Lemon Bay High School, plans to attend either the University of Florida or Cornell University, majoring in Environmental Studies. His intellect and work ethic have helped him achieve a high weighted GPA, while choosing to take Honors and Advanced Placement courses. He is currently serving as Lemon Bay High School Science National Honor Society President and Marine Club Treasurer while tutoring students at Ainger Middle School and Lemon Bay High School. Click the link to hear a few words from Jax https://youtu.be/yTog0tCz7kI
Nicholas Nease, graduating from Port Charlotte High School, plans to attend Duke University with a major in Environmental Science in the Nicholas School of Environment (NSE). He has been recognized as an outstanding student combining scholastic achievement, athletic performance, community involvement, and strong leadership roles, including varsity tennis, Environmental Club president, marching band and wind ensemble captain, and Student of the Year Candidate for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Click the link to hear a few words from Nicholas https://youtu.be/O1GSyV3r0bs
Jaylynn Santacross, graduating from Lemon Bay High, will attend the University of South Florida majoring in Marine Biology. She plans to obtain a master’s degree in Microbiology with a minor in Marine Science after completing her bachelor’s degree. She has pursued a rigorous course of study and has achieved at a very high-level while being actively involved in several extracurricular and community activities. During the summer she volunteered at the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota.
2022 Lemon Bay High School Recipients
Jax Mendelsohn and Jaylynn Santacross with Scholarship Chair Nancy Knaus
2023 Application Requirements
Applicants must be graduating seniors of Charlotte County High Schools, current students at Florida Southwestern State College, or previous winners of a Garden Club scholarship. Home schooled students who meet the requirements are also eligible to apply. Those requirements include a B or better grade point average, proof of financial need, and a desire to major in Agronomy, Botany, Conservation, Ecology, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Engineering, Floriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Landscape Design, Plant Pathology, Marine Biology, or related fields.
The deadline for our application submission is April 1, 2023.
Financial amounts and number of scholarships are dependent upon the club’s fundraising efforts.
Other garden club organizations also offer scholarships to deserving students. Please check their websites for further details as well as application deadlines as they vary, and some deadlines are as early as February 1st:
- National Garden Clubs, Inc. awards scholarships with a February 1st application deadline. www.gardenclub.org
- Deep South Garden Clubs awards scholarships with a February 1st application deadline. www.dsgardenclub.com
- Florida Federation of Garden Clubs (FFGC) awards scholarships with a May 1st application deadline. www.ffgc.org
For questions contact our Scholarship Chair, Nancy Knaus, at nancyknaus@yahoo.com
Nancy Knaus
Punta Gorda Garden Club
Scholarship Chair
538 Peeples Drive
Punta Gorda, FL 33950-5048
nancyknaus@yahoo.com
(413) 297-7187