Pictured: Abigail Koester: (from L-R) Christina Bowman, SMA-COL, Chief Executive Officer, Abigail Koester, Sarasota Military Academy, Heather Koester, Heather Ferrigno, Scholarships Manager, Education Foundation of Sarasota County.

The Education Foundation of Sarasota County has announced two Suncoast Credit Union Scholars Scholarship recipients. The $2,000 one-time scholarships are awarded each year to high school seniors planning to attend a four-year or two-year college, university, or technical school in Florida. The scholarship recipients are Abigail Koester and Diana “Nicole” Valero. Abigail Koester graduated from Sarasota Military Academy this spring and in the fall plans to study mechanical engineering at the University of Florida. Her long-term goal is to work in urban planning and development to help underprivileged communities. Diana “Nicole” Valero, a graduate of Sarasota High School, will begin at the University of South Florida in the fall, where she plans to study biology with the intention of going to medical school and eventually becoming an anesthesiologist in a children’s hospital. Of the two recipients, Jennifer Vigne, president and CEO of the Education Foundation, said, “These two young women are tremendous students and individuals. They are deserving of the financial assistance these scholarships will provide—and the votes of confidence they reflect.” The Education Foundation partnered with Suncoast Credit Union Foundation in 2019 to create these scholarships. Said Cindy Helton, executive director of the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation, “We believe the best way we can build better communities is by investing in education and health-related initiatives for children.”

Pictured: Abigail Koester: (from L-R) Christina Bowman, SMA-COL, Chief Executive Officer, Abigail Koester, Sarasota Military Academy, Heather Koester, Heather Ferrigno, Scholarships Manager, Education Foundation of Sarasota County.

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