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Charlotte Community Foundation’s
Endowed Scholarship Programs
The CCF, since its inception in
1995, has focused on the reason for
its existence—to improve the quality
of life for residents in Charlotte
County. What better way to help
improve the community’s quality of
life than to support residents in
their desire to improve
themselves—to fulfill their
dreams—through higher education.
In 1997, as Edison College—then
Edison Community College—was just
beginning its second year in
Charlotte County, the CCF Board made
a commitment to establish an endowed
scholarship fund for residents of
Charlotte County. Then, in 2000,
when Florida Gulf Coast University
was in its early development, the
CCF Board again made the decision to
establish an endowed scholarship
fund at the new university—strictly
for residents of Charlotte County.
You’ll note the word “residents.”
These endowed funds are not just for
students finishing high school in
Charlotte County, but rather for any
“residents,” no matter their ages,
who wish to expand their skills and
competencies at one or both of these
fine institutions. In the beginning
years, the Foundation held annual
golf tournaments to provide revenues
to add to these two special endowed
funds. More recently, Charlotte
County residents have contributed to
these funds.
Since the funds were established,
they have grown significantly: at
Edison, CCF’s endowment is now at
$355,275; at FGCU, it’s
$316,117—that’s over $670,000 held
at these institutions—again,
strictly for Charlotte County
residents. Since inception, 175
individuals have been able to pursue
their educational dreams through
these two CCF endowed scholarships,
with grants totaling over $138,000!
Applicants can apply for these
scholarships through the following
links:
Edison
College – Student Financial Aid
Office at any campus, or
www.edison.edu will provide a
direct link to the Student Financial
Aid Office, scholarship
applications, registration forms,
etc.
Florida
Gulf Coast University – Contact
Carolyn Greene, Sr.
Scholarship Information Specialist,
phone 239-590-1060 or email
cgreene@fgcu.edu. Also, check
out FGCU’s website:
www.fgcu.edu and go to
“Admissions.”
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LEO WOTITZKY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM 2008
The
Charlotte Community Foundation is
accepting applications for the Leo
Wotitzky Scholarship Fund. The
purpose of the program is to fund
scholarships for deserving high
school graduates of Charlotte County
Schools.
Application deadline date is:
April 1, 2008.
Scholarships will be awarded to
applicants who meet the following
criteria:
Ÿ
Graduate of a public high school in
Charlotte County, Florida
Ÿ
Accepted to (or already attending
and in good standing at) an
accredited post-secondary education
institution.
Ÿ
Exhibits leadership skills
Ÿ
Exhibits service to the community
Contact the Charlotte Community
Foundation for an application form
via email at
ccf@charlottecommunityfoundation.org
or call 941-637-0077.
About Leo Wotitzky
Leo
Wotitzky was born in Punta Gorda in
1912 and resided here until his
death in 2005. He was a school
teacher, newspaper editor, state
legislator, and attorney at law.
Because of his intellect,
personality and sense of humor he
was a leader in every activity he
ever undertook. As a teacher he was
able to inspire the best from the
gifted and the not so gifted, not
just in the subject material, but in
life; as a newspaper editor he
consistently advocated and promoted
the community concerns; as a
legislator he was a leader in
addressing the needs of public
education, elevating the standards
and providing the funding so that
every child in Florida would have a
quality educational opportunity; as
an attorney he represented both the
rich and the poor and provided free
legal services to many private
nonprofit organizations.
Leo's
education was almost interrupted by
the economic depression of the
1930's. If it had not been for a
teaching scholarship, he would have
been forced to drop out of college.
In both his personal and
professional life, he always
identified with people who might
have been economically
disadvantaged, but had the
intellect, the inner strength and
motivation to reach their life
goals.
His
friends and former students have
contributed to create the Leo
Wotitzky Scholarship Fund to
perpetuate the memory of one of
Florida's finest citizens because he
did more for them than they could
possibly reciprocate.
Application Process:
Submit the following documentation
to the Charlotte Community
Foundation, Inc., 1675 West
Marion Avenue, Suite 111, Punta
Gorda, Florida, by April 1, 2008.
-
Letter of Intent:
Provide a cover letter to your
application indicating why you
are applying for a Leo Wotitzky
Scholarship.
-
Completed Application:
A typed original application,
including all other
documentation, is due in the
Foundation office by 4 PM
on April 1, 2008.
-
Transcript:
Provide most recent transcript.
-
Two Letters of Recommendation:
One letter must be from a school
authority. The other may come
from an adult over the age of
18, that has known the Applicant
for at least two years. A
friend, neighbor or family
member is not an appropriate
reference. Please supply names,
addresses, and telephone numbers
for all references.
-
Essay:
Enclose an essay of no more than
500 words on what receiving this
scholarship will mean to you.
-
Interview:
Finalists for the scholarship
may be interviewed by the Leo
Wotitzky Scholarship Committee.
-
Awards:
Applicants will be notified by
May 15th of the
Committee's decision.
Scholarship awardees will be invited
to an award ceremony at the
Charlotte Community Foundation.
Please Note: All components of the
application must be typed,
double-spaced in 12 point.
SECTION I
A. Name:
B.
Parent/Guardian:
C. Permanent Address:
D.
Phone:
E. Date of Birth:
F. Citizenship:
SECTION II
A. High School Attended:
B. Graduation Date:
C. High School GPA:
D. College Classification, if
applicable (check appropriate
block):
___ I am a
first time student in a
post-secondary program
___ I am
transferring from a junior college
or technical
school to university
___ I am
entering a post-graduate program of
study
___ Other:
E. Month/year of planned
enrollment into college/technical
school:
F. College, Trade School or
Vocational School you attend or will
attend:
Name, City and State:
Course of study you will
pursue:
G. Scholastic Honors:
H. Other Honors and
Recognition:
I. Community Service and
Activities:
J. Hobbies and Interests:
K. Explain your education and
career goals:
L. How do you plan to
finance your higher education?
M. Essay: Enclose an
essay of no more than 500 words on
what receiving the Leo Wotitzky
Scholarship will mean to you.
N. Is there any other
information about you that is
important for the Scholarship
Committee to know?
SECTION III
I
certify that the information
contained in this application is
correct. I agree to provide timely
certified reports to the Charlotte
Community Foundation of my school
grades for each semester or school
session.
Applicant Signature
_____________________________
Date_______________
Parent/Guardian
Signature_________________________
Date_______________
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CCF Chairman Ron Monck, Christina Martin, Vanessa Attia, CCF Board Member Connie Kantor
2007
Wotitzky scholarship recipients announced
For the second year of its existence, the Leo Wotitzky
Scholarship Fund awarded grants to two Charlotte County students seeking to further their educational careers.
Vanessa Attia, who sustained her dreams of higher education after her home
was destroyed in Hurricane Charley
to attend University of Florida and
Cristina Martin, currently enrolled
at Florida Gulf Coast University,
whose goal is to teach in Charlotte
County, formally accepted their scholarships at a May 23 reception at the Charlotte Community Foundation headquarters in Punta Gorda.
The Leo Wotitzky Scholarship Fund was established in 2006 by the Charlotte Community Foundation (CCF) to honor the memory of the late Leo Wotitzky, a former Charlotte County legislator, newspaper editor and educator who was a founding member of the Foundation.
“The competition was great again
this year,” said Connie Kantor, a
CCF board member who chairs the
scholarship committee. The two
recipients, recognized for their
academic, service, and leadership
capabilities are among the
thirty-nine who applied. Each received $3,000 scholarships.
“The large number of applicants speaks to the desire for education among students here in Charlotte County,” Kantor said. “This year, one of our scholarships was made possible by a special contribution from the Punta Gorda Rotary Charity and Education Foundation.” The proceeds from their annual golf tournament are used to support the Leo Wotitzky
Scholarship Fund. This year’s
tournament was held on May 19.
“It’s our hope that other residents will step forward to help us grow the Wotitzky Scholarship Fund so that we will be able to help more deserving students in years to come.”
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