Celebrating Inclusion and Academic ExcellenceCelebrating Inclusion and Academic Excellence Recent high school graduates Jaylen Benony, Kennedy Flatch, and Melissa Graham, all members of their schools’ Coexistence Clubs, have received $1,000, four-year renewable scholarships from Embracing Our Differences. The scholarship recipients will pursue their higher education at prestigious universities: * Jaylen Benony will study Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Film and Screenwriting at the University of North Florida. * Kennedy Flatch will pursue Business Marketing at the University of Florida. * Melissa Graham will study Biology at the University of Florida. Additionally, Jay Murphy, who interned at Embracing Our Differences in 2023, received a second $1,000 scholarship to attend Ringling College of Art and Design. Embracing Our Differences Initiative The scholarships are part of Embracing Our Differences’ initiative to recognize and support students who actively promote inclusion and acceptance in their schools. Coexistence Club members serve as guides at the organization’s outdoor exhibits and lead student initiatives to foster a positive and welcoming environment. Awarding Academic Achievement Ben Jewell-Plocher, Embracing Our Differences’ Director of Learning and Engagement, emphasized the importance of honoring students who dedicate themselves to promoting inclusivity. The scholarship grants aim to support these students’ continued education and their continued advocacy for diversity and kindness. Congressional Art Competition In related news, Zachary Keshish of Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy won the 2024 Congressional Art Competition for Florida’s 16th District. His artwork, “Bored,” will be displayed in Washington, D.C. for a year. Ella Thompson of Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School and Brooke Malecki of Lennard High School were recognized for their exceptional submissions as well. Celebrating Student Success These scholarships and awards celebrate the academic excellence and commitment to inclusion of Sarasota and Manatee County’s high school students. The commitment to diversity and kindness ensures that the community fosters a welcoming and inclusive environment for all.
Recent high school graduates Jaylen Benony (Booker), Kennedy Flatch (Riverview) and Melissa Graham (Riverview), all members of their school’s Coexistence Club, received a $1,000, four-year renewable scholarship from Embracing Our Differences.
Flatch and Graham will attend the University of Florida in the fall, and Benony will attend the University of North Florida in the fall. Additionally, Jay Murphy, who interned at EOD in 2023, received a second $1,000 scholarship to attend Ringling College of Art and Design.
The students are part of an EOD initiative that awards annual, renewable $1,000 scholarships to students from regional high school Coexistence Clubs. Current Coexistence Club locations include Booker, North Port, Pine View, Riverview, Sarasota, Suncoast Polytech and Venice High Schools, in addition to Imagine Schools’ North Port Upper Campus.
Coexistence Club members serve as guides for thousands of students who visit EOD’s outdoor exhibits each year, in addition to leading student initiatives at their schools to promote inclusion and acceptance. The scholarships are made possible by the Jody Beresford and Robert Mayer Scholarship Fund, along with private donors.
“The dedication of Coexistence Club members to promoting inclusion, kindness and respect in their schools and at EOD’s annual exhibition inspires us to honor their efforts and support their continued education,” said Ben Jewell-Plocher, EOD’s director of learning and engagement. “As we enter our fifth year of awarding the grants, it is heartening to see past winners continue to advocate for inclusion within their university communities.”
Benony will study interdisciplinary studies with a focus in film and screenwriting, with a minor in entrepreneurship, at the University of North Florida; Flatch will study business marketing at the University of Florida; and Graham will study biology at the University of Florida.
For 21 years, Embracing Our Differences has inspired viewers with its annual outdoor exhibit of 50 billboard-sized works of art and accompanying quotes. The outdoor art show has attracted more than 4.8 million visitors since its inception and is the centerpiece of a year-round program of activities that promote diversity and kindness. Next year’s exhibit runs Jan. 19-April 13 at Bayfront Park in Sarasota and March 1-31 at Flora Wylie Park in St. Petersburg. For more information, call 941-404-5710 or visit EmbracingOurDifferences.org.
Congress art competition
Zachary Keshish, a rising junior at Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy, recently won the 2024 Congressional Art Competition, a district-wide showcase for high school artists. This year, Congressman Vern Buchanan’s office received 41 entries from Florida’s 16th District.
Keshish’s artwork, “Bored,” will be on display in Washington, D.C. for a year in the hallway between the U.S. Capitol and the Cannon House Office Building. Ella Thompson of Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School in Bradenton came in second with her piece “Orange” and Brooke Malecki of Lennard High in Ruskin came in third with “Peace Is Just Around The Corner.”
The “Facebook Fan Favorite” Awards went to Betsy Neal for “Dancing With The Waves,” Ella Thompson for “Orange,” and Madison McAvoy for “Bus Mirror,” all of Saint Stephen’s. The judging was made up of curators from the Ringling Museum of Art. For more information, visit buchanan.house.gov/congressional-art-competition.
Submissions by Su Byron and Tara Poulton
The post Booker and Riverview High School Graduates Receive ‘Coexistence’ Scholarships first appeared on Frugals ca.
