Seven high school seniors and nine college students are being awarded Grow Your Own Scholarships by the School District of Lee County to continue their education and become teachers. The scholarships pay for their tuition at Florida Gulf Coast University or Florida SouthWestern State College, as long as the students commit to teaching in the district for three years after graduation.

Estero High School Senior Alyssa Schwatzman found out on her 18th birthday she had been chosen for a scholarship to attend FGCU. Wiping away tears, “Thank you so much,” is all she could say.

The students were all notified in zoom meetings of their scholarships. District staff, school and college administrators, teachers, parents and siblings were all included.

Melissa Robery, principal at East Lee County High School, says of senior Brianda Camille, “We are so, so proud of you. She is an amazing student. She is an amazing representative of our school. I cannot speak highly enough of her.”

The Grow Your Own Teacher Scholar-ships were announced in December after the Florida State Legislature approved a School District request for the funding. State Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto and State Representative Spencer Roach sponsored the bill. Applications were accepted in January, February and March. The winners will start taking education classes in the fall.

“It’s been her passion since she was a little girl. She’s wanted to be a teacher,” Patricia Krupp says of her daughter Helen, a senior at Fort Myers High School. “I think she’s going to be wonderful.”

Awarded $30,000 to attend FGCU, major in education and teach for the District are:

* Taylor Carofano, Fort Myers High School

* Brianda Camille, East Lee County High School

* Alyssa Schatzman, Estero High School

Awarded $20,800 to attend FSW, major in education and teach for the District are:

* Donna Hull, Ida Baker High School

* Helen Krupp, Fort Myers High School

* Jules Nesby, Riverdale High School

* Katie Vachez-Castro, Lehigh Senior High School

The Grow Your Own Teacher Scholarship program also awards two-year scholarships to current students at FGCU and FSW who agree to change their majors to education and commit to teaching in the School District for three years after graduation.

Awarded $15,000 to attend FGCU and teach for the District are:

* Rachel Bledsoe-Bass, FSW student

* William Buchanan, FSW student

* Madison Dugas, FGCU student

* Kristin Sands, FSW student

Awarded $10,400 to attend FSW and teach for the District are:

* Colton Poling, FSW student

* Jennifer Rowan, FSW student

* Rebecca Torres, FSW student

* Kaitlyn Ulrich, FSW student

* Emily Winton, FSW student

The Grow Your Own Teacher Scholarship winners will receive support and internship opportunities from the District while studying to become teachers. Once they start teaching, the District will provide them a mentor, training, monitoring and evaluations to ensure they have successful career.

Any unused scholarships this year will be applied to next year. One, four-year scholarship remains for high school seniors who wish to attend FGCU or FSW and three, two-year scholarships remain for college students who change their major to study education. Applications will be accepted in the fall.

The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools and the School District of Lee County have been combining efforts to recruit and retain teachers from our greatest community asset, our own students. The goal is to keep interested students who want to seek a career as a teacher here in the School District of Lee County.

The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools also partners with The School District of Lee County on the Golden Futures Scholarship Program. The Golden Futures Scholarship Program provides four years of tuition to Florida Gulf Coast University and Florida SouthWestern State College and is awarded annually to deserving high school seniors attending a Lee County District School. The Foundation will be announcing the winners soon.