Cape Coral Mayor’s Scholarship Fund awards 21 scholarships
Scholarship, community achievement and family impact filled Wednesday evening at the 44th annual Cape Coral Mayor’s Scholarship Fund awards celebration at Palmetto-Pine Country Club.
A total of 21 high school graduating seniors, technical college and Southwest Public Service Academy students were honored and awarded a record $60,000 in scholarship money. The event also was declared “The Cape Coral Mayor’s Scholarship Fund Award Day” in a special city proclamation read by Cape Coral Mayor Pro Tem Bill Stienke.
“… the Cape Coral Mayor’s Scholarship Fund recognizes there are many deserving young scholars who wish to continue their post-secondary education, or pursue a career training program, and who have earned financial support through their hard work in school and community service …,” a section of the proclamation read.
Three named scholarships were awarded among the 21.
The second annual Lee Health Nursing Scholarship – in honor of Candace Smith – was awarded to Cape Coral High School graduating senior Keyla Castillo Ibes. The $5,000 award goes to a student who plans to major in nursing. Smith, who passed away in 2024, was a Lee Health executive and Cape Coral Mayor’s Scholarship Board Member.
“I want to thank everybody who made this opportunity for me, the mayor’s scholarship fund, the Collaboratory who made this helpful for me to achieve this scholarship; my school as well and my parents,” said Castillo Ibes, who will attend Florida SouthWestern State College and major in biology and nursing.
A new $4,000 award, the Karlen Family Achievement Scholarship, named for Palmetto-Pine Country Club owners Gerry and Denise Karlen, went to Oasis High School graduating senior Lexie Skorzak. Valedictorian of her class, Skorzak recently completed a two-year term on the Cape Coral Youth Council, this past year as chair. Currently, she will attend the University of Florida, but she also is on the waiting list for Columbia University. She plans to major in political science, law and international relations.
“I just moved to Florida four years ago, and I can truly say looking around the room that I have made Cape Coral a home,” Skorzak said. “There are so many amazing people I have met here. I would like to thank obviously my parents, my sister, Mrs. Corey (Oasis High School Principal Jackie Corey, Mrs. Collins (Oasis Charter Schools Superintendent Jacquelin Collins), all the people from Oasis, all the amazing (Cape Coral city) council members I have met – Miss Lastra (council member Jennifer Nelson-Lastra, who served as youth council liaison). I truly wouldn’t be here tonight without all your support.”
The sixth annual Mayor Joe Coviello Memorial Scholarship ($4,000 total) – named for the former Cape Coral mayor who passed away in January 2021 — was awarded to Maverick Bailey. The graduating senior from Cape Coral High School plans to major in engineering and biomedical engineering at the University of Florida.
“I want to say thank you to the Coviello family for recognizing me for this award,” Bailey said. “I greatly appreciate the financial aid they have given me.”
Additionally, eight other scholarships were given to graduating seniors who are Cape Coral residents attending area high schools. These awards are recurring $1,000 scholarships over four years ($4,000 total).
The winners were:
• Ava Bernhardt, North Fort Myers High School.
• Ayana Etim-Inyang, Ida Baker High School.
• Emily Feichthaler, Oasis High School.
• Ryan Hunter, Mariner High School.
• Brody Menna, Ida Baker High School.
• Alexis Morales, Ida Baker High School
• Grace Riley, Bishop Verot High School.
• Brandon Trinh, North Fort Myers High School
Earning the $1,500 technical college scholarships were:
• Spencer Barone, Cape Coral Technical College.
• Giancarlo Figueroa, Fort Myers Technical College.
• Jessica French, Cape Coral Technical College.
• Shanoa Howard, Fort Myers Technical College.
• Yoldie Kercelin Jean, Cape Coral Technical College.
• Lena Morfa, Cape Coral Technical College.
• Sebastian Pena, Fort Myers Technical College.
• Wilkievious “Kie” Jewett, Cape Coral Technical College.
No more of a fitting tribute about the impact of family on helping a student achieve goals came from Jewett about his grandmother.
“She has been there for me always,” Jewett said. “She has suffered. She has tried her hardest. She has even starved herself just so I could eat or that I could have anything that I wanted. And she does amazing work as a CNA; she cares for her patients more than anyone. I love you grandma.”
Two, $1,500 scholarships also were given to Southwest Florida Public Service Academy students Andrew Kibler and Sarah Valdivia. Kibler plans a career in the fire service, while Valdivia is pursuing a career in law enforcement.
For more on the Cape Coral Mayor’s Scholarship Fund, go to capecoralmayorscholarship.com.