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Schools

Scholarship keeps teen's wish alive

Before Ryan Wells died, he wanted a career in hospitality management or the culinary arts. Now, a foundation in his name will help others go after what he wanted.

By TIFFANI SHERMAN
Published December 23, 2005

PALM HARBOR - Usually, it's the parents encouraging their children to follow dreams. In this case, it's the parent looking to fulfill the child's dream.

The recently created Ryan Wells Foundation will provide scholarship money to a Tarpon Springs High School culinary arts student to attend culinary or hospitality school. The awards will be made in honor of Ryan Wells, a Palm Harbor 18-year-old who died in a June car accident in Naples while returning from a weekend culinary program.

"His plan was to go off to school and get both culinary and management degrees," said Ryan's father, Mike Wells, 46, a veteran pilot for Federal Express. "I'm sure he's up there in heaven looking down on us and saying, "Way to go, Dad, you're fulfilling my dream."'

Palm Harbor resident Steve Barber, father of one of Ryan's friends, had the idea of starting the foundation and scholarships.

"We want to give another child an opportunity to live their dreams through Ryan's dreams," said Barber, 48. "This is what Ryan would have wanted.' Barber knew Ryan through the Boy Scouts. Ryan was an Eagle Scout and inspired Barber's son, James, to earn his Eagle honor. "(Ryan) touched a lot of people," Barber said, "This is a way he can keep reaching out."

Barber approached the two chefs at Tarpon Springs High, Bob Wright and Jason Ranze, with the scholarship foundation idea. They agreed.

"He was all heart," said Wright, 47. "He had the passion and it takes that passion to make something of yourself in the restaurant business." Ryan dreamed of owning a four-star restaurant.

Winners of Ryan Wells scholarships must share that passion. A culinary arts student will receive the first scholarship this spring. A scholarship will be awarded each year.

Organizers also hope to expand the program. "Our hopes are as the foundation grows, we'll be able to do this from Tarpon to Pinellas County to the rest of the state," Barber said.

To qualify, students must plan to attend culinary or hospitality school, have a 3.0 GPA and participate in extracurricular activities. The scholarships will not be need-based.

So far, the foundation has raised about $85,000. That sounds like a lot, but foundation board members have big plans.

"(We want to) get the endowment up so eventually it will be self-sufficient," Wells said.

Once students are scholarship winners, they can apply for additional funding each year they are in school. It's possible several students could receive funding at the same time, Wells said.

"We have to have sufficient funds available in the foundation to grant current scholarships and maintain previous ones," said Cristin Conley, 33, legal counsel for the Ryan Wells Foundation. "You don't want to promise a kid a four-year scholarship and then in year four, not be able to fund it." Some money came from a Dec. 10 golf tournament at Westin Innisbrook's Island golf course. The Wells family has a membership there and Ryan worked in the kitchen at the resort's Packard's Steak House.

Ryan also was a top golfer on the Tarpon High team. Other foundation funding came from charity programs associated with the Chrysler Championship PGA tournament at Innisbrook in October. The foundation also received contributions from corporate and private sponsors.

"A lot of close friends gave a lot of support of time and money," Wells said.

But the foundation is about more than money. Its slogan is "fulfill my dreams."

"We want the students who receive our scholarships to go out there and fulfill what Ryan's dreams were," Wells said.

[Last modified December 23, 2005, 01:32:11]