At its Spring Luncheon on June 8, the GFWC Brandon Service League presented two annual scholarships.
The Pat and Lee Elam Scholarship for the Renaissance Woman was presented to Dalexys Dixon. This scholarship is given to adult women who, due to life or family changes, finds herself in need of further training or education.
Dixon, a resident of Brandon, is a graduate of Jefferson High School and now works as a manicurist. Dixon is enrolled in Aveda’s Full Specialist Program.
Judy Darsey, scholarship chair of the GFWC Brandon Service League, said, “Her goal is to become licensed to provide mani-pedis and massage therapy to patients in assisted living and hospice. Her passion is giving back to the community. Our Renaissance Woman Scholarship will help in paying the more than $5,000 tuition costs and the purchase of required attire and course material that is necessary to successfully complete the program.”
Dixon came with high recommendations from her lead massage educator, transitional coordinator and massage educator.
The Reynolds and Claire Bryan Scholarship is given to high school seniors. This year’s recipient was Ryleigh Butz, a graduate of Durant High School. Butz graduated with a weighted GPA of 6.2 and will attend Auburn University, where she will work to receive a B.A. degree with a goal to become a physician assistant.
Butz was ranked 10th out of 541 students in her graduating class.
Darsey said, “Her goal is to become a PA in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), a place that is very near and dear to her since she herself was a premature baby who weighed less than 3 pounds at birth. She spent two months in the NICU. Thanks to the health care team who took care of her, she now wants to be able to make a difference in the lives of others that start off as she did.”
Butz is an athlete (gymnastics, cross country and track) and has spent hundreds of hours volunteering with March of Dimes, Feeding Tampa Bay, Hillsborough County Public Schools, Lakeland Regional Medical Center and Angels in Charge.
Joanne Baxter, president of the GFWC Brandon Service League, said, “I am gratified to see these remarkable people with their many accomplishments and to know we have affected the lives of students and career women since the inception of the scholarships in 1996.”
For more information, please visit https://gfwcbrandonserviceleague.org/.
