ORLANDO, FL – April 30, 2010 – (RealEstateRama) — Thirteen talented seniors from public and private high schools across the state each have been awarded a $1,000 scholarship as district winners of the Florida Realtors® 2009-2010 Scholarship Essay Contest for High School Seniors.
The scholarship program helps deserving young people achieve their goals in college, and all seniors are eligible except for immediate family members of a Realtor, of a person with a real estate license or of a Realtor association’s staff. The top winning essays from the state association’s 13 districts across Florida now compete to win one of three $5,000 state-level scholarships. Scholarships from Florida Realtors this year total $28,000.
First-place winners of Florida Realtors $1,000 scholarship
| District 1 | Alyssa Green of Jacksonville, Sandalwood High School |
| District 2 | Matthew Olin of Daytona Beach, SeaBreeze High School |
| District 3 | Ryan Terrence Barows of Palm Beach Gardens, William T. Dwyer High School |
| District 4 | Jonathan D. Sattele of Ramrod Key, Key West High School |
| District 5 | Paris Wheeler of Lehigh Acres, Riverdale High School |
| District 6 | Sarah Realbuto of St. Petersburg, Canterbury School of Florida |
| District 7 | Justin Kocak of Ocala, Vanguard High School |
| District 8 | Jacob Ian Cunningham of Tallahassee, Lincoln High School |
| District 9 | Dominic S. DeLucchi of Pensacola, Escambia High School |
| District 10 | Kelly Haskins of Lakeland, George Jenkins High School |
| District 11 | Hillary Michelle Marshall of Deerfield Beach, Deerfield Beach High School |
| District 12 | Jordan Bender of Lake Mary, Seminole High School |
| District 13 | Megan A. Sanders of Venice, Pine View School |
“Our successful scholarship essay contest is just one example of how Florida Realtors looks to the future,” says 2010 Florida Realtors President Wendell Davis, a broker with Watson Realty Corp. in Jacksonville. “We are privileged to help these deserving young people continue their education and fulfill their dreams for the future. There is no better way to strengthen our communities and invest in the future of our great state.”
A number of community leaders, media representatives, educators, business executives and Realtors from across the state volunteered their time and expertise to serve as judges for the district-level essay competition. The first-place district-winning essays — written on the topic, “How Does a Realtor Professional Benefit the Community?” — will be reviewed by a state panel of judges, who will select the top three state-level or grand prize winners. State scholarship winners may be announced either prior to, or as part of, Florida Realtors 2010 Convention & Trade Expo held Aug. 25-29 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando.
Florida Realtors®, formerly known as the Florida Association of Realtors®, serves as the voice for real estate in Florida. It provides programs, services, continuing education, research and legislative representation to its 115,000 members in 67 boards/associations. Florida Realtors® Media Center website is available at http://media.floridarealtors.org.
Contact:
Marla Martin, Communications Manager, or Jeff Zipper, Vice President of Communications 407/438-1400, ext. 2326 or 2314
