catholic high school Archives - Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida

Catholic Community Foundation presents 23 scholarships

Posted on May 27, 2022May 27, 2022 by Kristin Jablon

Catholic Community Foundation presents 23 scholarships

Bob Reddy

Florida Catholic

Venice –

The Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida Inc. honored 23 scholarship winners during a luncheon on May 19, 2022, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center in Venice. This was the first in-person scholarship luncheon in three years.

The recipients of the Mary Fran Carroll, Coseglia, Schaerf, Toner, Schwarz and Carey Scholarships were recognized for their outstanding academic achievements and for their commitment of continuing their education in pursuit of wide-ranging career paths such as education, medicine, business, engineering and more. The Foundation Scholarship Committee carefully reviewed 142 applications before determining the winners. Many of the Foundation Board members were present for the luncheon.

Michael Morse, Executive Director of the Catholic Community Foundation, congratulated the new scholars, saying the young men and women are worthy to forever be known as Foundation Scholars. “This is the most exciting thing that we do. Being able to get to meet you as scholarship winners and hear your stories, for us, is a blessing.”

Foundation Scholarship Committee Chair Janet Beach expressed an appreciation for each of the scholarship recipients and expressed amazement in not just their academic achievements, but the activities all the applicants were involved in, including the number of volunteer hours they completed. “I see a bright future ahead for all of you.”

The Mary Fran Carroll Scholarship provides a total of 15 academic scholarships, each valued at $3,000, to residents of Sarasota County and is available for tuition, books and fees. This year there were 13 traditional scholarship winners (high school graduates pursuing an undergraduate degree) and two non-traditional winners (an adult learner seeking an advanced education after being away from school for a number of years). The scholarship is renewable annually up to a total of five academic years for students maintaining a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.2 or greater, while also making progress toward their career goal. In the past year, there were 31 students who had their scholarship renewed.

Mary Fran Carroll Scholar Milana Ivanenko, a graduate of Venice High School who will be studying chemical engineering at the University of Florida, thanked the Foundation for the scholarship and said her goal in life is to “help society fix problems and be able to create something that helps people other than me.”

The Frederick W. Schaerf, M.D., Ph.D. Neuroscience Scholarship provides a $4,000 one-time scholarship to a graduating senior from Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers interested in pursuing a career in neuroscience. This was the third year the scholarship was offered.

Schaerf Scholarship recipient Arielle Dicang will be attending the University of Florida with plans to be a pharmacist. “Thank you to the board. It means a lot to receive this scholarship; I met the son of Mr. Schaerf at a retreat, and heard his son tell his father’s story, so earning this has special meaning.”

The Frank and Florence Coseglia Scholarship provides a one-time scholarship of $1,167 to one graduating senior from each of the four Catholic High Schools within the Diocese of Venice. The winners were nominated by their high schools and approved by the Foundation Board.

The Foundation also presented the first-ever Barry L. Carey M.D. Scholarship, which provides a $400 renewable college scholarship for tuition, books, fees, and housing expenses to practicing Catholic High School seniors graduating this year from Catholic, private, home school, or public schools within the 10 counties of the Diocese of Venice in Florida. Scholarship recipients must be the first generation in their family to attend a college or university.

Also new this year, is the James and Margaret Schwarz Scholarship. This provides a one-time college scholarship to be awarded for tuition, books, fees, and housing expenses for a student graduating from Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School.

During the scholarship ceremony, the recipients shared their personal experiences as well as college and career goals. Each expressed their appreciation for the scholarship from the Foundation. Many specifically explained how the scholarship money will assist in lessening the financial burden of attending college and pursuing their career goals.

The Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida Inc. was established to provide philanthropic opportunities for individuals, such as Mary Fran Carroll, to create lasting gifts in support of Catholic programs and ministries within the Diocese of Venice. This year, the Foundation is on track to distribute $5.3 million in endowed support for Catholic schools, Parishes, Seminarian education, programs for the needy, college scholarships and more.

To learn more about the Catholic Community Foundation, please contact Michael Morse at 941-441-1124 or by email at Morse@dioceseofvenice.org. You can also visit the Foundation website at www.CCFDioceseofvenice.org.

Mary Fran Carroll Scholars – traditional

Alexis Mendieta, Suncoast Polytechnical High School, Florida Gulf Coast University

Axia Salas, Sarasota High School, Florida State University

Peri LeBonte, Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School, Tufts University

Milana Ivanenko, Venice High School; University of Florida

Kassidy Saba, Sarasota High School, Florida State University

Chiaralis Brown, Riverview High School, University of South Florida

Mitch Laurone, Sarasota High School, University of South Florida

Napat Sammacheep, Venice High School, University of Florida

Dana Molina, Riverview High School, Columbia University

Charles Nye, Sarasota Christian School, Florida State University

Johanna Patino-Murillo, University of Tampa

Ericka Delva, North Port High School, University of South Florida

Shannon Dowdy, Venice High School, University of Florida

Mary Fran Carroll Scholars – non-traditional

Danielle Smyth, non-traditional, Keiser University

Alexa de Gannes, non-traditional, University of Florida

Coseglia Scholarship

Trinity Shipe, Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School, Florida Southern University

Jesse Herrera, St. John Neumann Catholic High School, University of South Florida

Mary Kinnick, Donahue Catholic Academy of Ave Maria Parish, Ave Maria University

Anna Latell, Bishop Verot Catholic High School, University of Florida

Barry L. Carey, M.D. Scholarship

Aaron Acevedo, LaBelle High School, University of South Florida

James and Margaret Schwarz Scholarship

McKayla Cantrell, Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School, St. John’s University, N.Y.

Frederick W. Schaerf, M.D., Ph.D. Neuroscience Scholarship

Arielle Dicang, Bishop Verot Catholic High School, University of Florida

Dr. Steve Toner Math Award

Ella Bartels, St. John Neumann Catholic High School, University of Florida.

Above – 2022-23 Scholarship Luncheon attendees on May 19th at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center in Venice

Written by Bob Reddy, Diocese of Venice Catholic Community Foundation presents 23 scholarships – Diocese of Venice

Catholic Community Foundation Presents New Scholarship

Posted on June 25, 2020June 25, 2020 by Kristin Jablon

Catholic Community Foundation Presents New Scholarship

Staff Report, Bob Reddy

Venice –

The Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida is proud to provide the Frederick W. Schaerf, M.D., Ph.D. Neuroscience Scholarship to a graduating senior from Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers who is interested in pursuing a career in neuroscience or a similar field.

The Schaerf Scholarship provides one $4,000 one-time scholarship. The first recipient is Andrew Taikas, a parishioner at St. Katharine Drexel Parish in Cape Coral who will be attending Duke University in North Carolina in the fall with a double major using biology and chemistry to focus on a career in neuroscience.

“This scholarship will help me to alleviate the financial debt for my family and allow me to have more opportunities,” Taikas said. “I want to learn and understand genetics and the environment influences and how certain mental illnesses, and diseases come about.”

The scholarship was presented virtually during a May 20, 2020 awards ceremony which included recognition for 15 other Catholic Community Foundation scholars.

Foundation Executive Director Michael Morse said the late Dr. Schaerf and his wife Melissa Schaerf, M.S., A.R.N.P., founded and managed the Neuropsychiatric Research Center of Southwest Florida, which has become a globally recognized clinical research site, specializing in Alzheimer’s disease and related memory disorders.

The family chose to create a scholarship with the Catholic Community Foundation to honor Dr. Schaerf and to reward and recognize a student interested in pursuing a career in the field that meant so much to them, Morse added.

“They chose the Catholic Community Foundation because they wanted to support a student graduating from their beloved Bishop Verot Catholic High School, and they wanted the scholarship to be managed by a Foundation dedicated to fulfilling the mission of Christ,” he said.

During the virtual ceremony, Morse told all of the scholars that they are already winners in life in what they have shown and that the Foundation is very proud to award the Schaerf Scholarship, and others, to worthy students.

“It is our privilege to share these scholarships,” Morse said. “This is individuals and families that believe very much in education and supporting education for our youth. They established these scholarships years ago to provide these dollars going forward.”

Bishop Frank J. Dewane, joined by members of the Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida Inc. Board, led the virtual presentation ceremony from the Catholic Center in Venice.

The recipients of the Schaerf, Mary Fran Carroll and Coseglia scholarships were recognized for their outstanding academic achievements and for their commitment of continuing their education. The ceremony is typically held in person, but the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the virtual ceremony.

The Foundation Scholarship Committee carefully reviewed applications before determining the worthiest applicant.

The Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida Inc. was established to provide philanthropic opportunities for individuals, such as Schaerf scholarship, to create lasting gifts in support of Catholic programs and ministries within the Diocese of Venice. Last year alone, the Foundation distributed $1.2 million in endowed support for Catholic Schools, Parishes, Seminarian education, programs for the needy, college scholarships and more.