Northwest Florida’s top STEM students celebrated in Orlando

Northwest Florida’s highest achieving science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students and their peers from around the state were honored recently during the 2012 Sunshine State Scholars program.

This is the second year Gulf Power Company has sponsored the two-day awards and recruitment event that provides a unique opportunity for Florida’s colleges and universities to recruit the talents of top students.

 

The event was held on Feb. 16 and 17 and included an awards lunch, recruitment fair and workshops. The recruitment fair allowed the students to talk with officials representing more than 40 public and private higher education institutions about the opportunities that are available at Florida’s colleges and universities.  

 

“These students are our future, and Gulf Power is proud to support this program that recognizes their efforts in the STEM areas and offers them opportunities to continue their higher education,” said Jennifer Grove, Gulf Power’s Workforce Development coordinator.


The Florida Energy Workforce Consortium also sponsors the event and partnered with Gulf Power to recruit students in to the energy industry.

 

“Because science, technology, engineering and mathematics are the foundation for the majority of our careers in the energy industry, we want our best and brightest in these areas to know about and consider careers in this industry and at Gulf Power,” Grove said.  

 

The Scholars event started as a simple science and math competition in 1997 and has evolved into a program designed to recognize Florida’s top high school STEM students. The program also recruits them to pursue their post secondary education in Florida — increasing the likelihood that they will join Florida’s future workforce. Each school district selects and names one 11th grade scholar based on established criteria.

 

The Sunshine State Scholars program is a collaborative effort between the Florida Education Foundation, the Division of Florida Colleges, the State University System and the Florida Department of Education. Event sponsors of this year’s program included Gulf Power, Helios Education Foundation, Atkins, Universal Orlando Resort, Florida Trend Magazine, and the Florida Lottery.

 

A list of the Sunshine State Scholars from Northwest Florida is below.
 

 

District

Scholar Name:

High School:

Bay

Samantha Nicole Brooks

J R Arnold High School

Escambia

Preeyal Gupta

Pensacola High School

Holmes

Zachary Cooley

Holmes County High School

Jackson

Blake Benton

Marianna High School

Okaloosa

Kyle Saleeby

Niceville High School

Santa Rosa

Roman Vena

Pace High School

Walton

Elizabeth Evans

Walton High School

Washington

Alana Hearn

Vernon High School

For more information about the Sunshine State Scholars program, visit www.floridaeducationfoundation.org.