05/14/2025
35 Local High School Students Awarded $840,000 in College Scholarships by the Founders Scholarship Fund
NAPLES, Fla. (May 13, 2025) – Realizing the dream of attending college will now be significantly easier for nearly three dozen Collier County high school students.
This year, a total of 35 four-year college scholarships were awarded to area students by the Founders Scholarship Fund (FSF). The monetary value of these scholarships totals $840,000 over four years. Recipients this year include students from Aubrey Rogers High School, Community School of Naples, Donahue Academy, Golden Gate High School, Gulf Coast High School, Immokalee High School, Lely High School, Lorenzo Walker Technical High School, Mason Classical Academy, Naples High School, Palmetto Ridge High School and St. John Neumann Catholic High School.
The selected students, along with their parents and Founders Scholarship Fund Board members and mentors, gathered for the annual scholarship reception and
awards ceremony held at Club Pelican Bay on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.
Founders Scholarship Fund is a local 501(c)3 non-profit organization that awards renewable scholarships to local students who have shown determination, academic achievements, and financial need to pursue a college education. Each student received a $24,000 scholarship to be disbursed at $6,000 per year for four years.
At the celebration, incoming Board Chair Michael Balgord welcomed the students and their families and then presented the scholarships to each recipient.
“It is a great honor to introduce the Founders Scholarship Fund Class of 2025,” said Balgord, who took over the leadership role from outgoing Chair Pat Chadwick. “Each of these students exemplifies what it takes to succeed in college and in life. They have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership skills and commitment to helping others. We are proud to help them pursue their dreams through a college education.”
The generosity of Club Pelican Bay golf members has created this opportunity to support local students. Since the organization was founded in 1991, more than $8.1 million in scholarships have been awarded to approximately 900 local students.
Students receive the renewable scholarships with the agreement they maintain full-time student status and maintain a B average or better.
The 2025 Founders Scholarship Fund recipients are:
• Ali Amini - Audrey Rogers High School
• Mia Giglio, Addison Hauser, Kareen Smith-Clayton - Club Pelican Bay (Employees/Family)
• Annalisa Benedito - Community School of Naples
• Gianna Campuzano - Donahue Academy
• Leo Guerra and Olivia Eckman - Golden Gate High School
• Paula Angel, Maria Nerea and Aaron Pryear - Gulf Coast High School
• Vanessa Sales- Ramirez, Jennifer Trejo-Calmo, Christopher Chavez, Zayda Pedraza, Rubi Mijangos, Amy Olguin-Sanchez, Jennifer Arriaga, Heidi Chavez-Interiano and Faustina Franscisco - Immokalee High School
• Vania Antonio-Carrillo, Adan Hernandez and Ivan Cisneros - Lely High School
• Travis Michel, Wesmilka Louima, Jenny Dor, Lidney Augustin, Domonic Berec, Anthony Rivero, Brenda Rebelledo - Lorenzo Walker Technical High School
• Erick Camacho - Mason Classical Academy
• Brooke Hyde - Naples High School
• Jaydon Soto - Palmetto Ridge High School
• Mariana Pelissier and Steven Leedom - St. John Neumann Catholic High School
For additional information about scholarships or available sponsorships, please visit the Founders Scholarship Fund online at www.TheFoundersScholarshipFund.org.
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