Image provided by The Community Foundation of Sarasota County

“On top of having an unforgettable experience meeting the speakers, one of the special aspects of the 2018 RCLA Town Hall Scholars Program is that the students who attend a lecture are eligible to apply for an RCLA Town Hall Scholarship,” says Earl Young, Manager of Scholarships and Special Initiatives at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. “Each year, thanks to a partnership with donors Lou and Rosemary Oberndorf, the Community Foundation awards $30,000 in college scholarships to fifteen Town Hall Scholars a year. The competitive scholarship is judged by an essay each student writes about their experience meeting and hearing from the lecturers.”

Since the program began in 2010, more than 900 local high school seniors have had the opportunity to attend the lecture series, and 104 of those have been awarded scholarships.

Katherine Herbert, a Booker High School senior, was recently able to see actress and author Ali Wentworth at the closing lecture of the 2018 series on Monday. “It ended up being so much more than I expected,” says Herbert. “I went in expecting a typical, dry educational session, but the opportunity to meet Ali was such an extremely positive experience and she was so much fun. I felt like I got to learn a
lot.” When prompted about whether she’d compete for the essay scholarship, Herbert says “I got into the Juilliard School. Juilliard is really expensive. I’m definitely looking forward to the essay prompts.”

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is proud to partner with SRQ Media Group to highlight stories about community impact powered by philanthropy in our region, thanks to the support of donors and our local nonprofit partners. The Community Foundation is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. For more information, visit www.CFSarasota.org 

Image provided by The Community Foundation of Sarasota County

RCLA Town Hall Scholars Program Creates New Leaders