By Suzy Wiesenhart
The Riverview Woman’s Club was happy to once again be able to give $500-$1,000 scholarships to deserving high school students at its last meeting. The club is a non-profit 501(C)(7) organization founded in April 2012 by Donna Lee Fore and Jeanne R. Burkeson, with a vision to provide scholarships to Riverview students, to support various education needs and to identify and support community outreach. The club raised enough to give five scholarships.
The winners included Michelle Do from East Bay High School who held leadership roles in Science National Honor Society, Enviro-thon, band and Junior Steering. She will be a freshman at the University of Florida studying Microbiology with a goal of attending medical school. Dad, Kevin Do said, “We emigrated from Vietnam and she is the first to go to college.”
Rachael Belussi, also from East Bay High School, has received numerous honors and was a member of the National Honor Society, Avid Club and Psychology Club among others. With dual enrollment at University of Florida with a 4.0, she was able to skip her freshman year, starting at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville studying International Business with a goal of learning five or more languages. Mom, Marvel Stewart said, “We are just ecstatic with all of her achievements and a 6.4 grade average.”
Alondra Soto from Riverview High School, ranked first in her class, was Homecoming Queen and won honors in National Honor Society, Science, Math and Spanish Honor Societies and many more accolades. She was also Valedictorian and will be attending the University of South Florida studying Chemical Engineering with a goal of completing an internship abroad and earning a Masters as an oil expert. Her mother, Cecilia Soto said, “I feel very blessed.”
Winners not in attendance were Sasha Knight, Lennard High School, who had to overcome 12 surgeries having both hips replaced. She received High Honor Roll all four years and is planning to go to the University of Central Florida to study Architecture. Also not in attendance was Melanie Canizares from East Bay High School. She was on Principal’s Honor Roll, first place FBLA District 12, Science and Math Honor Society. She will pursue a career in Pediatric Oncology.
For more information about the club, visit www.riverviewwomansclub.org.
