From left, Rotary scholarship chairman Joe Cerino, scholarship winner Bridget Wawrzyniak, mother Beth Wawrzyniak and sister Margaret Wawrzyniak at the Rotary scholarship luncheon Friday at Gulf Coast Village.

Rotary Gold Coast has awarded its $4,000, four-year scholarship to Cape Coral High School student Bridget Wawrzyniak.

At the top of her class academically, Wawrzyniak went to states as a member of the weightlifting team and soon will attend the University of Florida where she will pursue a career in nursing, thanks to her own efforts and the numerous scholarships she has earned. Wawrzyniak has also received scholarships from the high school and from the Cape Coral Kiwanis

The Rotary held a luncheon in her honor Friday at Gulf Coast Village, where members got to know a little more about the soon-to-be Gator.

Wawrzyniak earned a 4.0 tradition GPA and a 5.65 weighted GPA. She also took part in many extracurricular activities, including playing for the lacrosse team and weightlifting team, where she finished in the top 10 in the 139-pound weight class.

She said she was hoping to be on the club weightlifting team and plans to bring her lacrosse sticks to Gainesville to throw the ball around.

The Rotary scholarship selection process includes in-person interviews.

The candidates had to live in Cape Coral, though they could attend a school outside the city. Rotary reviewed the applicants and narrowed the list down to six candidates. And after an interview, they select the recipient of the scholarship, which is $1,000 per year for four years.

Wawrzyniak will have to keep up at least a 3.2 GPA and send them notification of how she is doing.

Joe Cerino, Rotarian and scholarship chairman, said the organization has given out scholarships for 35 years, and while the fund had dried up a little, Cerino said the club hopes to hand out more scholarships in the future.

“This is the most rewarding thing I do in Rotary. It’s great to see so many kids involved in the community. Their applications are fantastic and it gives me a lot of hope for our future,” Cerino said.

Wawrzyniak said when she got the e-mail to notify her of being a finalist made her a little nervous, as it meant a face-to-face interview.

“Once I got there and I sat down to speak with all of them, my nerves calmed and I realized they weren’t hard questions,” Wawrzyniak said. “I was grateful when I learned I had gotten the scholarship.”

Wawrzyniak will room with her older sister, Margaret, which made Beth, their mom, very happy.

“We’ve instilled in them that hard work pays off and you have to put in the time and commitment whether it be writing an essay or practicing a sport,” Beth said. “As a parent, you have to spend the time and support your kids. We were grateful when she won the Rotary scholarship.”