Jorge Medrano Alexander Hernandez
FORT MYERS, Fla. (June 4, 2013) – The Southwest Florida Community Foundation recently granted scholarships to Jorge Medrano and Alexander Hernandez of Hendry County.
During the 2013 scholarship season, nearly 700 applications were received from high school and college students in the five-county area the foundation serves. According to Anne Douglas, director of programs for the foundation, a total of $266,800 was awarded in competitive scholarships and another $177,000 awarded in designated and outside committee scholarships, for a grand total of $443,800. Of that amount, Medrano and Hernandez were awarded $26,000 total.
Originally from the Dominican Republic, Medrano moved to Hendry County in 2009 hoping for better opportunities while having to make new friends and learn a new language.
“I can proudly say that I have mastered the language and the new culture,” said Medrano, recent graduate of Clewiston High School. “Four years later, I thank God and the board of trustees at the Community Foundation for honoring me with the John M. and Mary A. Shanley Scholarship. This $20,000 award has definitely increased my chances of succeeding in college, and I am truly grateful and more inspired than ever to keep working hard.”
Medrano will be attending the University of South Florida in the fall to study computer engineering.
Recent graduate of LaBelle High School, Hernandez is the 2013 recipient of the Doc Keen Memorial Scholarship and will be attending Texas A&M in Galveston in the fall to study Maritime Systems Engineering.
Community Foundation scholarships were awarded to local high school seniors who will continue their education at the university, community college or vocational/technical school level, as well as to undergraduate and graduate students from Lee, Charlotte, Glades, Hendry and Collier counties continuing a post-secondary education.
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation is celebrating its 36th year of supporting the communities of Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Glades and Hendry counties by connecting donors and their philanthropic aspirations with evolving community needs. With assets of more than $69 million, the Community Foundation has provided more than $55 million in grants and scholarships to the communities it serves. During its 2012 fiscal year, the SWFLCF granted more than $3 million to more than 100 different organizations supporting education, animal welfare, arts and human services.
For more information, visit the Community Foundation’s website at www.floridacommunity.com or call 239-274-5900.
