Marianne Paton During the May meeting of the Matlacha Hookers, five scholarships were presented to deserving students seeking a higher education. Shown are award winners John Sickels, Brandi Schulte, Sabrina Long, John Ashbrook and Caleb Davis.

Several organizations on Pine Island offer scholarships each year to deserving students seeking a higher education. Among them is the Matlacha Hookers. an organization that dedicates volunteer hours to raise money for its annual scholarship fund. This year the Hookers presented five scholarships to island students. This year’s recipients are John Ashbrook, Caleb Davis, Sabrina Long, Brandi Schulte and John Sickels.

John Ashbrook is a resident of St. James City and is currently attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He has accomplished many goals since enrolling at Embry-Riddle including obtaining a certificate of completion in Avionics Line Maintenance, specialization curriculum for the Aviation Maintenance Science Department, received his Airframe license and is a NCATT Aircraft Electronics Technician. Ashbrook is currently taking upper level management classes.

“I have been fortunate to have won this award in the past where the money was spent on mostly textbooks since a lot of them are over $100 per class and the remainder going toward my tuition costs,” said Ashbrook. “Needless to say, this year will be more expensive. As an example, for my previous semester, I was taking a management course and the main book for the class was $201.50. That was just one book, not to mention the other three I also had to purchase. I am forever grateful for the assistance the Matlacha Hookers have given me over the years.”

Caleb Davis is a resident of Pineland and is currently enrolled in both Ida S. Baker High School and Edison State College. He is involved in varsity tennis, varsity cross country, varsity swimming and is a member of the National Honor Society, Health Occupation and Students of America. He enjoys archery and martial arts and is a volunteer at his church. This fall, Davis will attend Edison as a full-time student and his course of study will include pre-medicine and biology and plans to work toward being a nurse anesthesiologist or operating room nurse.

“The scholarship will be used to fund all college life expenses, such as tuition, class expenses and text books, lab fees and other facets of my education that will further advance me to my career goals,” said Davis. “I will continue to make a difference in my community by helping others and also the ones that are in need. With the help from the Matlacha Hookers scholarship, it will help me to have more free time to help out even further in the area.”

Sabrina Long is a graduate of Pine Island Elementary School and is attending Edison State College. She was in the Teacher Cadet program while in high school and currently is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa, a National Honor Society member and was the organizer of a school-wide collection for the homeless and needy. At Edison, Long has earned an Associates in Arts degree and recently achieved employee of the month at Around the Clock Fitness. Long is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education.

“I believe that my chosen career will enable me to fulfill my desire to teach others and learn and grow with my students. It’s definitely my passion,” said Long. “I have always striven for academic excellence and always strive to make the most of my education. This scholarship will help me tremendously and would provide the funds for one summer semester of school, and with some of my books. I am taking three summer classes this year and financial aid does not supply funds for summer classes.”

Brandi Schulte resides in Bokeelia and will graduate from Mariner High School this year. While at Mariner, Schulte has served in student government and was a member of Key Club, Book Club, Environmental Club, Odyssey of the Mind. She is a member of the National Honor Society and serves as a volunteer tutor and teacher assistant for Pine Island Elementary School. She also has volunteered at the Soup Kitchen, as a Salvation Army bell ringer and Habitat for Humanity. Schulte plans to attend the University of South Florida to major in criminology and minor in law. Schulte aspires to be a criminal profiler.

“Unlike many other aspiring students, I had never watched the plethora of modern federal agency television shows portraying a crime being solved within the non-realistic 45-minute time frame. I chose this profession based based on basic interest and not the glamour shown on network television. I want to be able to make a difference and let the difference better the lives of people who are now safe, in part, due to the criminal being detained,” said Schulte. “I am a promising, diligent, determined young individual that will use this grant to not only benefit me to afford my future education, but in turn, it will serve to help others through my future work in my career.”

John Sickels is the son of Ann Sickels, an active member of the Matlacha Hookers. He is currently attending North Fort Myers High School and plans to attend Embry-Riddle to study aerospace engineering. While at North, Sickels has been a member of Key Club, Interact Club, Physics Club and served as an aid at a youth art camp, helps with roadside clean-up and is vice president of Students Against Destructive Decisions.

“I plan to use my passion for engineering as a medium to contribute to tangible advancements for our society and way of life. My academic achievements and test scores are the quantifiable benchmarks of my mathematical talents to date. However, it is my intangible potential in this arena of numbers that cannot be measured,” said Sickels. “I plan to graduate with a masters degree in aerospace engineering. Embry-Riddle is reputable for its challenging and difficult classes. Not only am I aware of their difficulty, but I am completely prepared, eager if you must, to undertake these intricate courses. Attending Embry-Riddle will provide me with the means to achieve what I have been dreaming of since I was a child.”

The Matlacha Hookers, a non-profit charitable organization, is well- known for its support of education and host several fund raisers to benefit the students of Pine Island. Each of this year’s scholarship winners received $1,000 toward education expenses. For more information about the Hookers, visit matlachahookers.org