2024 STRIVE Awards celebrate Sarasota County Schools' exceptional student achievers

Sarasota Herald-Tribune
·2 min read
Venice High School senior Jenna Pack steps up as a Super STRIVER Award winner. The Education Foundation of Sarasota County honored 40 seniors and 39 juniors at eight high schools on April 18 at the the 26th annual STRIVE Awards.
Venice High School senior Jenna Pack steps up as a Super STRIVER Award winner. The Education Foundation of Sarasota County honored 40 seniors and 39 juniors at eight high schools on April 18 at the the 26th annual STRIVE Awards.

The Education Foundation of Sarasota County honored 40 seniors and 39 juniors at eight high schools on April 18 during the the 26th annual STRIVE Awards Celebration.

The STRIVE Awards represent the vision of H. Jack Hunkele, a philanthropist who believed in the value of recognizing and supporting students whose resilience and grit help them overcome significant challenges to succeed.

Today, the STRIVE Awards honor students at Booker High School, North Port High School, Pine View School, Riverview High School, Sarasota High School, Sarasota Military Academy, Suncoast Polytechnical High School, and Venice High School. School counselors, teachers, and principals nominate students for recognition.

Sarasota Military Academy's STRIVE Award recipients included Keyla Castillo Yoza, Tashaun Bryant, Diana Beltran, Maria Ospina Echeverry, and Anthony Neal.
Sarasota Military Academy's STRIVE Award recipients included Keyla Castillo Yoza, Tashaun Bryant, Diana Beltran, Maria Ospina Echeverry, and Anthony Neal.
Aryana Lovely, a senior STRIVE Award recipient at Venice High School, with Jenna Thiel, Student Success Coach.
Aryana Lovely, a senior STRIVE Award recipient at Venice High School, with Jenna Thiel, Student Success Coach.

For a list of the 2024 STRIVE Award recipients, visit edfoundationsrq.org/strive-awards.

“It is such an honor for the Education Foundation to shine a spotlight on these remarkable young people,” said Jennifer Vigne, president and CEO of the Education Foundation. “STRIVE Award recipients embody the power of resilience and the importance of persistence in the face of setbacks.

Celebration events were held at each school, with parents, teachers, administrators, friends, and community members in attendance to recognize the remarkable journeys of the students. Each senior STRIVE Award recipient received a cash gift of $1,000 to pay for items that many scholarships do not cover. One Super STRIVER, a senior from each high school, received a $2,500 gift.

North Port High School STRIVE Award winners Anastasiia Lezhanina, Alainie Rodriguez, Michael Sprague, and Savanna Maroney with assistant principal Linda Copeland, counselors Ashley Jennings and Jennica Thomas, and college/career coordinator Becky Halbert.
North Port High School STRIVE Award winners Anastasiia Lezhanina, Alainie Rodriguez, Michael Sprague, and Savanna Maroney with assistant principal Linda Copeland, counselors Ashley Jennings and Jennica Thomas, and college/career coordinator Becky Halbert.

Junior STRIVE Award recipients received $100 gifts as well as $50 stipends to cover expenses such as ACT/SAT test registration fees and college visits. Juniors were also invited to join the Education Foundation’s mentoring program.

In addition to these gifts, the Education Foundation highlighted the stories of STRIVE Award recipients to promote the power of resiliency, grit, and courage. One senior STRIVE Award recipient from each high school was profiled by the Education Foundation, and the profiles were published on Sundays in the Herald-Tribune.

Pine View School's STRIVE Award winners with Principal Stephen Covert, Sarasota County School Board Chair Karen Rose, Education Foundation board member Jenni Infanti, and Education Foundation staffer Kayla Bailey.
Pine View School's STRIVE Award winners with Principal Stephen Covert, Sarasota County School Board Chair Karen Rose, Education Foundation board member Jenni Infanti, and Education Foundation staffer Kayla Bailey.

“These students provide hope and inspiration to their peers, their teachers, and indeed the entire community,” Vigne said.

The 2024 STRIVE Awards were made possible through the support of the H. Jack Hunkele Charitable Foundation, the Harold & Jacqueline Bladel Charitable Trust, Florida Blue, the Bruce J. Heim Foundation, the McSweeney Family Foundation Inc., and Suncoast Credit Union.

The Education Foundation of Sarasota County has supported students and teachers for 35 years with a mission to enhance the potential of students, promote excellence in teaching, and inspire innovation in education, guided by strategic philanthropy. Visit edfoundationsrq.org.

Submitted by Sarah Glendening

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Education Foundation honors Sarasota students with 2024 STRIVE Awards