37 still in running for 4 Times college scholarships
By NANCY WACLAWEK
Published January 15, 2004
Thirty-seven high school seniors have been chosen as semifinalists for the 2004 St. Petersburg Times Scholarship. A total of 323 students from Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties applied.
The scholarship program, which was created by the newspaper in 1999, is for students who demonstrate academic achievement, financial need, participation in extracurricular activities and community service and who have succeeded in overcoming significant obstacles in their lives.
The scholarship is worth up to $15,000 per year for four years at an accredited U.S. college or university.
So far, the newspaper has awarded more than $220,000 in scholarships.
The 11 young men and 26 young women now must complete the second portion of the application, answering essay questions and supplying family financial information and letters of recommendation from a high school counselor and another adult.
That information will be reviewed in early February, and 10 finalists will be selected. The finalists will be interviewed in St. Petersburg in late February. The four winners will be announced in mid March.
The scholarships are funded by the St. Petersburg Times Fund Inc., formerly known as the St. Petersburg Times Scholarship Fund, which has been assisting students financially since 1953.
The previous 16 winners are enrolled at Duke; Cornell; Salem College in Winston-Salem, N.C.; Rice; Tulane; the University of Michigan; Washington University in St. Louis; the University of Florida; the University of Tampa; Florida A&M; Eckerd College; American University; Princeton; and Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio.
Here are the semifinalists and their schools:
CITRUS COUNTY
Jesse Berger, Citrus High School
Ashley Rhodes-Courter, Crystal River High School
HERNANDO COUNTY
Ashley Kuhn, Hernando High School
Takiyah Robinson, Central High School
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
Adam Bennett, Plant City High School
Shakira Carter, Berkeley Preparatory School
Florence Davis, Middleton High School
Antwaun Hall, Hillsborough High School
Tramaine Harvey, Robinson High School
Bruce James, Armwood High School
Jennifer Kimbrough, Riverview High School
Tho Mai, Alonso High School
Franchesca Morris, Middleton High School
Jessica Oliveros, Tampa Bay Technical High School
Chelsea Ottaway, Riverview High School
Nicholas Staszak, Riverview High School
Amanda Vega, Sickles High School
PASCO COUNTY
Sarah Brotko, Hudson High School
Michelle Eggers, Ridgewood High School
Christopher Hilty, Land O'Lakes High School
Sarah Roman, Ridgewood High School
Lauren Sommer, Wesley Chapel High School
PINELLAS COUNTY
Victoria Ackroyd, St. Petersburg High School
Alexandria Berry, Palm Harbor University High School
