Marla Martin, Communications Manager, or Jeff Zipper, Vice President of Communications
407/438-1400, ext. 2326 or 2314
Florida Association of Realtors® Presents $5,000 Scholarships to College-bound Students
ORLANDO, Fla., October 2006 – Going to classes this fall with more money to pay for tuition and books is making college life a little easier for four recent Florida high school graduates, who have each won a $5,000 state scholarship award from the Florida Association of Realtors® (FAR). The students’ winning essays were written on the topic “How Does a Realtor Professional Benefit the Community?”
The state winners are Hannah Bunning of Navarre, a 2006 graduate of Gulf Breeze High School; Ashlee White of Milton, a 2006 graduate of Pace High School; Joshua Rosenauer of Bradenton, a 2006 graduate of Lakewood Ranch High School; and Alexandra Aldrich, formerly of Marathon and a current Celebration resident, a 2006 graduate of Marathon High School.
These students each had previously received a district-level scholarship of $5,000 for their winning essays in FAR’s 2005-2006 Scholarship/Essay Contest for High School Seniors, resulting in a total of $10,000 in scholarship money to help with their future college expenses. There were 14 district winners. FAR also recognized each student whose essay won second place in their respective districts with a $1,500 scholarship and, for the first time this year, each student winning third place in their district with a $500 scholarship -- for a total of $116,000 in scholarship funding given to Florida students this year. Rosenauer won the District 13 scholarship award; Aldrich received the District 4 scholarship award; and Bunning and White were named the District 9 scholarship co-winners.
2006 FAR President Mike Dooley announced the scholarship winners and presented them with their $5,000 grand prize awards during FAR’s 90th annual Convention & Trade Expo, held at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, Fla. About 350 members of FAR’s Board of Directors honored the students for their achievements.
The students’ families were also present to see them receive their scholarship checks and hear them read their winning essays to the appreciative Realtor audience. The winners and their families thanked Florida Realtors for establishing the scholarship/essay contest and helping to make their college dreams a reality.
This year, all of FAR's grand prize scholarship winners are continuing their education at a Florida university or college: Bunning is using the scholarship funding to attend the University of Florida where she plans to major in telecommunications. Also attending UF is Rosenauer, who is interested in the engineering school. Aldrich hopes to earn a double-major in international business and family business at Stetson University in DeLand, while White currently is enrolled at Pensacola Junior College, with future plans to study the conservation of natural resources at the University of Florida's Milton campus.
In her essay, Hannah Bunning wrote, "My family has witnessed firsthand the overwhelming kindness that Realtors possess. The military landed us in a coastal town, where our small community was battered by two devastating hurricanes in the past two years. People were so overwhelmed with despair that it was difficult to move past the initial shock. Realtors in our area were the first people to get the ball rolling. They immediately began finding homes for those who had lost everything. Realtors were also the first people to help raise money for the people most affected by the storms in my community. Their generosity was so astonishing because many of them had lost their homes as well. However, they put their own needs aside to help strengthen the community."
Ashley White also discussed how real estate professionals helped her community in the recovery process after Hurricane Ivan devastated the area in 2004. She wrote: " Hurricane Ivan struck a major blow to my family. My grandparents lost their home and many irreplaceable belongings. What was left standing has since been demolished and a "For Sale" sign stands in the vacant lot. Realtors in our community have been the shoulder to lean on and the source of peace of mind on the continuous road to recovery."
Joshua Rosenauer had this to say in his entry: "My neighbors are also an extension of my home. One couple in particular, has made a big difference in our neighborhood. Mr. C lives down the street and is a Realtor, with his wife being his business partner. They have become the model for me on how Realtors can benefit a community for they have enhanced my subdivision, and on a personal level, helped my family. They have set the example on what a good neighbor should be, by their friendly, courteous, and considerate behavior. … Additionally, Mr. and Mrs. C have also taken an interest in the neighborhood by getting involved. They help unite our little area. … They know that what they do is more than just making a sale. They want their customer to be truly happy with their new home. I think it helps that their customers, many times, become their new neighbors and it says a lot that they live the "life" they are selling. They are truly leading by example.
And Alexandra Aldrich summed up Realtors as professionals helping their community by writing: "If a person had to have surgery, wouldn't he or she want the advice and expertise of a surgeon? They would want someone to make sure everything runs smoothly. Realtors offer that same service. They assist people using their professional, investigative skills to find what they are looking for with up-to-date information about the areas in which they are interested. Without our Realtor's initiative to find the right listing for our family, we would have never found a business that allowed my dad to provide for our family and enabled us to remain in the Keys."
Business executives, educators, media representatives, Realtors and community leaders from across Florida volunteered their time and expertise to serve as judges for both the district- and state-level essay competition. In the sixth year for FAR’s scholarship program, more than 400 high school seniors from across the state sent in entries for the essay contest.
The Florida Association of Realtors, the voice for real estate in Florida, provides programs, services, continuing education, research and legislative representation to its more than 155,000 members in 68 boards/associations. FAR's Media Center Web site is available at http://media.living.net.
© 2006 FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
