Marking the enduring legacy of Earl J. Lennard of Riverview, another round of scholarships in his memory was presented at the Riverview Woman’s Club (RWC) luncheon in June.
Twenty-one Lennard scholarships have been awarded since 2020, when the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce, now the Central Hillsborough County Chamber of Commerce, launched the scholarship program for the man who entered the Hillsborough County school system as a Palm Elementary School first grader and retired 57 years later as its superintendent of schools. A graduate of Brandon High and the University of South Florida (USF), Lennard is the namesake of the high school in Ruskin. He died in 2019.
The RWC, called upon to manage the Lennard scholarships, presents the Lennard scholarships along with its own on June 19 in the Sweet Water Club at Sweet Water Grand The Bridges in Riverview.
“Dr. Lennard dedicated his life to the service of his community and the people in it,” said Sheri D’Avello, the chamber’s director of membership services. “During an interview, when asked what he would like his legacy to be, Dr. Lennard replied, ‘I just hope that they remember I worked hard to make a difference, to make things better for people who came after me.’”
Since its launch, Lennard scholarships have been awarded seven times to Lennard High School seniors, six times to Riverview High School seniors, four times to East Bay High School seniors and two times each to seniors at Spoto and Sumner high schools. One scholarship was awarded to a senior at Blake High School in Tampa.
A graduate of Lennard High’s collegiate academy, David Frazier earned both a diploma and an Associate of Arts degree from Hillsborough Community College (HCC). He logged 120 community service hours and was a drum major for the Lennard Longhorn Marching Band. At Florida State University, he aims to major in political science and economics.
Set to attend HCC, Riverview High’s Anais Degnan had leadership roles and prioritized education and community service. She aims to pursue a degree in agriculture and “to help teach the next generation to become more knowledgeable consumers.”
Valerie Dominguez ranked ninth in her graduating class at Sumner High and participated in the school’s Cambridge AICE program, with dual enrollment studies at HCC. Club membership included Latinos in Action, FFA, Key Club and the National Honor Society. She plans to major in medical technology at the University of South Florida.
