Five scholarships awarded at packed luncheon.
By all accounts, the annual scholarship luncheon was a huge success. Our membership filled the dining room and the honorees accepted their awards graciously while complimenting us on our generosity and our cooking. As she has for the last 17 years, Dot Neenan chaired the event and the committee which this year raised more than $5,000 for scholarships. In her opening statements, Dot paid homage to Doris Dorr who was a lifelong friend of Dot’s and who chaired the committee with her through those years.
The five recipients, pictured from the left, are: Amanda Geil, Most Mahfuza Rahman, Kayla Bennett, Jessica Valceus and Sakaiya Jackson.
Sakaiya and her father Paul.
Doris’ commitment to youth was there to the end. She told Dot to please convey to her family and her friends that she’d like them to make donations to the scholarship fund rather than for flowers or other memorial items when she died.
Many did resulting in $1,000 for scholarships. The other scholarship
money was raised by membership events such as the Fashion Show.
In the end, the committee, composed of Dot, Connie Cestari, Alice Deyoe and Janet Hakala were able to present five scholarships to young women who live and are educated in Boynton Beach. They are: Kayla Bennett, Sakaiya Jackson and Jessica Valceus from Boynton Beach Community High School and Amanda Geil and Most Mahfuza Rahman from Atlantic Community High School. The girls were accompanied by family members and counselors from their high schools. In attendance were Jean Landaker of BBCHS, Amanda’s mother, Sandra, Nadilia Charles of ACHS, Kayla’s mother, Karen Grimes and her grandfather, Lee Grimes and Sakaiya’s father, Paul.
Family members of the other recipients were unable to attend.
Kayla is pictured with her grandfather, Lee.
First up to thank the BWC was Atlantic Community High School senior Amanda Geil who will attend the University of Florida. Amanda intends to study food science/nutrition with the intention, possibly of becoming a teacher. She has more than 250 hours of community service including Boca Raton Community Hospital and the Boynton Children’s Museum.
Also from Atlantic is Most Mahfuza Rahman who also is headed for the University of Florida. She will be a premed student who will study molecular biology. She has more than 160 hours of community service including Bethesda Hospital Pharmacy and the Boynton Library. Both girls were introduced by one of the ACHS counselors,
Jean Landaker who complimented then for being “two lovely ladies…and part of the [prestigious] international baccalaureate program.”
Introducing the three BBCHS students was counselor Nadilia Charles who commented that these three had so much interest in securing scholarships that they often photocopies the forms before she had even seen them.
Pictured from the left, are: Connie Cestari, Janet Hakala, Amanda Geil, Cyndie Sable, Most Mahfuza Rahman, Dot Neenan, Kayla Bennett, Jessica Valceus, Sakaiya Jackson and Alice Deyoe.
Jean Landaker and Most Mahfuza.
Jessica
Kayla Bennett has chosen Miami Dade Collage to study dentistry. She too has many hours of community service including the youth choir and your board of her church. She said she’d like to continue community service, perhaps with the BWC.
Jessica Valceus will be attending the University of South Florida to study biology leading to her becoming an obstetrician. She hopes eventually to open her own clinic for women and “have the government pay for it.” Her community service house includes being a Big Sister.
Amanda and mom, Sandra.
Last of the recipients to address the membership was Sakaiya Jackson. She too is interest in medicine: pediatric medicine. She will pursue her education of the University of Florida. She also has racked up numerous hours in community service – 182 at last count and she like her fellow recipients is also involved in sports and other school activities. She echoed the sentiments of all the scholarship winners when she said, “I want to thank the Boynton Woman’s Club for giving me this scholarship and allowing me to pursue my goals.”
All of the recipients and their counselors thanked the BWC for the scholarship and commented on the bountiful and delicious luncheon that the membership had provided…as Jean Landaker said, “This was a real treat.”