The Business and Professional Women of Englewood and Venice are accepting applications through April 30, 2012 for three $1000 three adult learner scholarships for the 2012-13 academic years.

This year, the BPW Scholarship committee has decided to focus completely on the adult learner.   (There will be no scholarships to graduating high school students.  Due to the extreme need and the lack of available scholarships for the Adult Learner, BPW will devote all of its resources to this need.)

Each scholarship is intended for a person who has had an interruption in their education and is now returning to school.  Three $1000.00 scholarships will be awarded.  BPWEV encourages Women Veterans and Military Spouses to apply.

For instructions - click here          For 2012 application - click here

Please consider donating to the BPW/EV Scholarship Fund

Pictured are Terri Reed, scholarship committee; Karin Drury, scholarship chair; Massa and Hafeli, scholarship recipients; Carol Kouba, scholarship committee, and Bobbie Marquis, president.

The Business and Professional Women of Englewood and Venice funded five scholarships and honored the recipients June 21 at Boca Royale Golf and Country Club.

Anna Russo of Lemon Bay High School and Brittany Morgan of Venice High School each received a $500 scholarship. Three adult learners returning to the workforce by continuing or expanding their education each received a $1,000 scholarship. They are Carolyn Giacinti, Melinda Hafeli and Christina Massa.

Christina Massa and Melinda Hafeli attended our June 21st dinner meeting, where members had a chance to meet them, and they had a chance to learn about BPW.

The Scholarship Committee received a total of 50 applications in 2011; 20 from Adult Learners, 24 from Lemon Bay High School Students and 6 from Venice High School Students.

This year the choosing of scholarship recipients was a particularly difficult one, as we had a record number of qualifying students and a record number of applications. Thanks to the new guidelines carefully put together by Terri Reed and Kathy Cellura last year to comply with our new 501(c)(3) status, the committee had clear directions in choosing the winners.

Scholarship Committee member Chris Davis will be "retiring" from the committee this year. I thank her for her dedication and hard work she has given to this committee, as chair and as member; her contributions were remarkable and greatly appreciated. New members on the committee as of July 2011 will be Esther Bird and Jim Chmielak. Kate Garber-Pirio will become the new committee chair.

As scholarship chair for the last 2 years I have great admiration for the members of the committee, not only did they spend many hours helping with the fundraisers(Wine Tasting and Little Black Dress), but they also attended Senior Award Nights, meetings at local high schools, and many committee meetings! Thank you so very
much!

My wish is that in the future we will be able to award more scholarships, as there are so many deserving students. That is a goal all of us at BPWEV will work hard to achieve!