GIVING

Maria (not her real name) hopes to get her Master's Degree as a family nurse practitioner sometime next year.

She's a mother of two, but she's a fulltime graduate student as well.

What a daunting task for a young mother.

You and your family can help promising young people like Maria by starting a scholarship fund at the Southwest Florida Community Foundation.

Maria's story gets even better when you go back a few years.

Maria wanted to be the first member of her family to graduate from college. The family had worked hard to pull themselves out of poverty, and Maria had finished at the top of her class.

She had the credentials to go to college.

But Maria didn't have the money.

So she applied for a John and Mary Shanley Memorial Scholarship, offered through the Southwest Florida Community Foundation.

She was interviewed by a committee of the Foundation Trustees, and amazed the group with her intelligence and potential.

She won a $20,000 scholarship ($5000 for 4 years) and was able to go to a local college.

Thanks to that scholarship, this bright, energetic lady is poised to become a professional in the health care industry that badly needs nurse practitioners. Without it, she faced a lifetime of working for a low wage in a service industry.

Several years ago, Mrs. Shanley, a quiet humble lady living in a modest neighborhood died and left funds in her will to provide scholarships to young people.

In the last few weeks, the Southwest Florida Community Foundation has awarded more than $543,000 in scholarships to 192 high school graduates.

Many of the successful candidates appeared before a committee of Trustees, all of them prominent community members. These leaders spent hours over three days interviewing candidates.

Members of the committee included:

+ Mrs. Susan Fersner, chaired the committee.

+ Audrea Anderson, vice president, Florida Gulf Coast University;

+ Robert daFrota, president, RDF Financial Services;

+ Chris A. Gair, executive vice president, Investor's Security Trust Company;

+ Jane L. Goble, estate planning and trust officer;

+ Dr. Francis L. Howington, retired Fort Myers physician;

+ Mrs. Donna Kaye, civic leader and businesswoman;

+ Mrs. Melvin Morgan, retired educator, Lee County School System;

+ J. Tom Smoot, Jr., retired attorney and historian.

They all volunteered their time and helped almost 200 young people earn funds for college and technical school education.

That's the good news.

The bad news is that we had more than 1000 applicants, meaning more than 800 young people who needed funds didn't get them.

You can help provide more scholarship opportunities for future generations of young people by starting a scholarship fund at the Southwest Florida Community Foundation.

The Foundation pools your donation with more than $45 million already invested by nationally-known money managers. As the funds grow, so does the amount we can award each year.

Find out how your scholarship will provide hope for more students than ever. Call Dr. Julia East, Community Foundation President & CEO, at (239)274-5900.

The Southwest Florida Community Foundation has been supporting the communities of Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Glades and Hendry Counties through endowed funds for 30 years. With assets of more than $54 million and 310 endowed funds, the Community Foundation has provided more than $24.5 million in grants and scholarships to the communities it serves.