Mayor’s Scholarship recipients honored
The things this year’s 13 Mayor’s Scholarship recipients have in common?
They are very smart.
And they work very hard.
Other than that, the honorees feted at Tuesday’s 40th annual Scholarship Awards Dinner at the Palmetto Pines Country Club, were the most diverse bunch the fund has ever seen.
One of the recipients is a 52-year-old mother of five, another a former house painter who is transitioning to become a nurse at 27, and a third graduated from Ida Baker last year to become a firefighter and an EMT.
Joanne Hayden, president of the Cape Coral Mayor’s Scholarship Fund, said the technical college aspect is relatively new and has resulted in some unique recipients.
“We always invited applications for technical college students, but didn’t receive a lot. Last year, I met with Charlie Pease at CCTC and talked about how we can support those colleges and students. We have committed funding for the three schools and through their selection process came up with three winners,” Hayden said.
Mayor John Gunter, the honorary chairman to the event, read a proclamation to recognize the program and said it is one of the best he attends each year.
“Everyone asks me why Cape Coral is so great. It’s because of the people who live and work here,” Gunter said. “It’s because of those great people that we have events like this to give back to the community and help others. It’s not what we do for ourselves, but what we can do for others.”
The recipients are:
• Cape Coral High School: Joseph Brady, Dana Lara, Julis Rodriguez, Maison Wunderlich.
• Ida Baker: Kylie Burkhamer, Courtney Dingerson, Alyssa Maldonado.
• North Fort Myers: Kassandra Macchia, Joshua Ortega.
• Mariner: Arlette Reyes.
• Fort Myers Technical College: Sharon Patten.
• Cape Coral Technical College: Nick Testoni.
• Southwest Public Service Academy: Kelsey Sutton.
Wunderlich’s scholarship may have been the most impactful. It was one in tribute to the late Mayor Joe Coviello, who placed an emphasis on the youth of the city.
“It’s exciting. It’s really an honor for sure. I’m grateful for the scholarship for attending an out-of-state university. It will be very helpful for my career,” said Wunderlich, who will attend Purdue University and major in Aviation Management and Professional Flight to become a commercial pilot.
Patten, the mother of five, said the whole time she was home-schooling her kids and running a home business, she always had the desire to go to school for web development.
“I didn’t know if I should go back to school at me age, so finally I decided to do it because I would regret it if I don’t,” said Patten said, was nominated for the scholarship. “I told my kids to never stop learning and getting the scholarship was the Lord telling me I need to stay in school.”
Ortega said he felt blessed to be a recipient.
“I want to thank the sponsors for this opportunity and I can’t wait to see what’s next,” said Ortega, who will major in computer science or engineering at Central Florida, in hope of joining a major tech company. “I’m glad I got this opportunity. I don’t know how I got it, but I did.”
Macchia said she was very excited to have the money to attend The University of Florida where she plans to study to become an environmental engineer.
“I want to take advantage of the opportunity given to me to further my education. I want to get into renewable energy because that’s a current problem and green energy is growing,” Macchia said. “So many kids can’t go to college because of funding.”
The recipients will receive $1,000 per year to attend two-year or four-year colleges or universities, up to $4,000.
Any Cape Coral resident interested in continuing his/her education, a high school senior and not related to a board member on the scholarship committee or the mayor is eligible.
Since its inception in 1982, the scholarship fund has given scholarships to 613 students worth nearly $1 million.
This year’s sponsors included the Gunterberg Charitable Foundation & Culliton Family, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 33, NorTech Boats, Rotary, Cape Coral Employees Union (IUPAT Local 2301), Cape Coral Kiwanis, US Building Group, John & Teresa Gunter, Anna “Boots” Tolles, AECOM, Arthur Printing, Henderson Franklin, LCEC, CCCIA, Lee County Sheriff, R/Seahawks , Cape Coral Emergency Physicians, Coviello Family, Gloria Tate, Realtor / Raso Realty, Cape Coral Chamber of Commerce, Lee Health, Lee County Tax Collector, Cape Coral Professional Fire Fighters – Local 2424, North American Composites, SETI Power and The Breeze.