Education in Coral Gables Receives Major Investment as Coral Gables Community Foundation Awards Scholarships and Grants

Education is a top priority in Coral Gables, as proven by the Coral Gables Community Foundation. The Foundation and its Fundholders recently awarded over $100,000 in scholarships and education grants, bringing the organization's investment in education to $500,000 in just the past few years.

The Foundation, their donors and the scholarship recipients celebrated at the annual Scholarship Reception hosted jointly with the City of Coral Gables on Thursday, May 2nd at the Coral Gables Museum.

This year, the Foundation presented a record 36 scholarships from its various programs: the Coral Gables Community Foundation's Four-Year $10,000 Scholarship, Four-Year $5,000 Scholarship, Merit Scholarship and Culinary Arts Scholarship; the Islands of Cocoplum Scholarship; the Dave Ragan Jr. Memorial Scholarship; Ralph V. Moore Scholarship for Cavalier Excellence; the Lady Suzanna P. Tweed Scholarship; the Grant and Bridget Daugherty Nursing Scholarship; the Coral Gables Bar Association Scholarship and the Ponce Society of Young Professionals Scholarship as well as awards from the Slesnick Family.

"Each year, the Coral Gables Community Foundation has the privilege of honoring students who have excelled academically and shown outstanding service to their community," said Jack Lowell, Chairman of the Foundation's Board of Directors. "We're thrilled to be able to give more and more each year to these students who are our community's future."

This year's scholarship recipients are: Adriana Obeso (UNC - Chapel Hill), Andres Velasco (FIU), Carolina Alvarez (Mount Holyoke), Celina Lamey (MDC), Cristian Ochoa (Vanderbilt), Dominique Babin (Davidson), Emily Simon (University of Chicago), Fredrica Fountain (Miami Dade College Culinary School), Gabriela de la Vega (Wake Forest), Guiliana Garces (UF), Jaileen Idiaquez (Miami Dade College Culinary School), Julian Rego (Miami Dade College), Kelvis Colina (FIU), Keyshawn Felton (Princeton), Maria Estrada (Williams), Marina Torras (UNC - Chapel Hill), Mauricio Cervantes (Johns Hopkins), Natalia Torres (Yale), Pablo Hanono (UF), Thomas Harley (UNC - Chapel Hill) Trenise Frances (UCF), Victor Espinoza (Miami Dade College), Yohanet Perez (FIU) and Zoila Herrera (Wheeling Jesuit University).

"The generosity of our fund holders, donors and supporters has allowed us to invest nearly half a million dollars in our community's education over the last five years" said Matthew Meehan, Scholarship Committee Chair and Secretary of the Foundation's Board of Directors. "Together, we're able to give back in these impactful ways, which adds to the footprint of the Foundation and enhances the quality of life in Coral Gables."

The Foundation's fund holders have taken a strong interest in education, as proven in scholarship giving by funds like the Islands of Cocoplum fund and Dave Ragan Jr. Memorial fund as well as through the development of the Friends of Gables High fund, a fiscal sponsorship fund operated under the charitable umbrella of the Foundation and founded by dedicated alumni. The Friends of Gables High recently awarded $10,000 to Coral Gables High School to fund projects like renovating the Drama Department, repairing the school band's instruments, improving video production equipment and others.

For more information on the Coral Gables Community Foundation, please visit gablesfoundation.org.

Led by community leaders, the Coral Gables Community Foundation works to improve the quality of life for those who live, work, learn and play in the City Beautiful. For almost 30 years, the Foundation has been at the forefront of the evolving needs of Coral Gables by effectively bringing together beneficiaries and benefactors to fund programs with the greatest impact and benefit to "The City Beautiful." Established in September 1991, the Coral Gables Community Foundation, through its discretionary, donor-advised, and scholarship funds, awarded over $7 million to worthy causes. For more information, please visit gablesfoundation.org

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