Island fifth grade student awarded college scholarship
Pine Island Elementary fifth grade student Kaylee Brillhart was among 48 Lee County students to be awarded at $1,000 college scholarship. The Carson Scholars Foundation was designed to reward academic excellence for the youngest and brightest students in the area.
According to Pine Island Elementary Principal Rob Mazzoli, the award was named for the renowned neurosurgeon famous for the first successful separation of Siamese twins. This award is considered by those in the academic field to be among the most prestigious awards granted to students. Each of the students nominated for the scholarship must have a 3.57 GPA and demonstrate community service both in and out of school.
Mazzoli said the nomination process conducted at his school involved participation from most of his staff.
“When I first learned about the scholarship, I was told that each school could nominate three students to be presented to the Carson Fund committee. I then went to each of my fourth and fifth grade teachers and asked them to select students for consideration. After receiving the names of the kids, I met with the guidance counselor and other staff members and narrowed the nominations down to three students,” said Mazzoli.
“Each of the students were then instructed to write a bio and an essay on an assigned topic,” he continued. “These, along with photographs and report cards, were sent to the members of the Carson selection committee and Kaylee was named our first recipient.”
First brought to the area by Sanibel resident Dr. Bill Frey, the Carson Scholars Foundation is a national program that is administered locally by the Foundation of Lee County Public Schools to recognize students with exceptional promise and to provide academic role models for other students. Frey contributed the initial $500,000 to the Carson Scholarship Fund last fall to endow 15 Lee County elementary schools so school principals can offer a college scholarship to one student in perpetuity. Frey’s donation is the largest single gift in the Carson Scholarship program since inception. Other donations supported the program as well with the ultimate goal of recruiting donors to endow all 47 elementary schools within the next five years.
“I was overwhelmed to learn at the award ceremony that Pine Island Elementary School had been endowed by Mr. Frey, so every year we’ll have the opportunity to nominate students for an academic scholarship,” Mazzoli said.
Brillhart is well known at Pine Island Elementary because of her understanding of the importance of education when working toward achieving one’s dreams in life. Not only is this evident through her own excellent academic performance, she also offers to read to kindergarten students during her recess time.
The scholarship recipients were honored at the Inaugural Lee County Awards Banquet March 21 at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point in Estero. In addition to the scholarships, each of the students was presented with a medal of honor and received a perpetual trophy engraved with the winners’ names.
“The award ceremony and reception was very elegant and the guest speaker was Dr. Carson, who, in my opinion, is an amazing man and it was an honor to meet him,” said Mazzoli. “It was certainly a privilege to be there and it has been amazing to learn about Dr. Carson and his achievements.”
In addition to Brillhart’s scholarship, the school was also presented with a large trophy with her name engraved on it marking her as the school’s first Carson Scholarship recipient.
The scholarship was founded in 1994 by Carson, a Johns Hopkins pediatric neurosurgeon, and his wife, Candy, to reward elementary school students with scholarships for their academic and humanitarian qualities. The scholarship is invested for college education until graduation from high school.
The Carson Scholarship Fund, in partnership with the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools, will monitor the students’ academics to assure they are performing at the scholarship standards and annual statements will be sent to the students to show the growth of their scholarship over time.
For more information on the Carson Scholars Fund, visit carsonscholars.org.