St. Joe Community Foundation announces 2023 recipients of its No Ordinary Joe scholarships

Nathan Cobb, The News Herald
·2 min read

PANAMA CITY BEACH — The St. Joe Community Foundation on Monday announced the 2023 winners of its No Ordinary Joe scholarships, which it established in 2020.

The 15 selected students, split between Bay and Walton counties, each will receive $3,000 to help fund their college tuition, along with a new laptop computer.

According to a news release from the foundation, the students were chosen for exhibiting "leadership with a strong sense of community and service."

Veronika Wiggins of Deane Bozeman School is one of 15 winners of the St. Joe Community Foundation's No Ordinary Joe scholarships.
Veronika Wiggins of Deane Bozeman School is one of 15 winners of the St. Joe Community Foundation's No Ordinary Joe scholarships.

"We are proud to support the outstanding students who have demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and a strong commitment to serving their communities," April Wilkes, executive director of the foundation, said in the release. "We are thrilled to provide these scholarships to assist in furthering their educational pursuits and future success."

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The winning Bay County students are:

  • Rachael McFatter of Arnold High School.

  • Jordan Sikes of Bay High School.

  • Veronika Wiggins of Deane Bozeman School.

  • Grant Seymour of Mosley High School.

  • Dontevious Telfair of New Horizons Learning Center.

  • Han-Anh Vu of North Bay Haven Charter Academy.

  • Dominick Ian Augusto of Palm Bay Preparatory Academy.

  • Jeremiah Dawson of Rutherford High School.

The winning Walton County Students are:

  • Dixie Geralds of Walton Academy Charter School.

  • Kaylee Campbell of Walton High School.

  • Morrigan Burnham of Freeport High School.

  • Ellie Wilder of Paxton School.

  • Margaret Wallace of South Walton High School.

  • Mia Rhodes of Seacoast Collegiate High School.

  • Nicholas Petrino of the WISE Center.

The release says these 15 students will now compete for another No Ordinary Joe scholarship. An additional $10,000 scholarship will be given to one winner from each county.

The St. Joe Community Foundation was created in 1999 by the St. Joe Company, a large land-development company headquartered in Panama City Beach that mainly works in Bay and Walton counties. While the foundation is a separate entity than the company, it is funded by transfer fees on certain real estate sales by the St. Joe Company.

"The St. Joe Community Foundation believes that by participating in community projects benefitting others, students can build a multitude of skills, learn problem-solving abilities, boost self confidence and self esteem and develop overall better psychological, social and cognitive thinking," the release reads.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: 15 recipients of St. Joe Community Foundation scholarships named