CAPE CORAL, Fla. - TelAve -- The Gulf Coast Village Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Cape Coral's only life plan community, recently awarded a record $19,000 in scholarships to six associates during its annual scholarship awards ceremony on Sunday, June 7, recognizing team members pursuing higher education while continuing to serve residents across the life plan community.

This year's scholarship recipients included Ashanza Paul, Victor Chavez, Edwin Santiago Baron Crus, Tanisha Joseph, Shernelle Gerson and Carlos Gonzalez Pena. The six recipients are set to pursue educational goals in several fields, including nursing, psychology and aviation, while balancing their careers, school and caregiving responsibilities.

Hosted in Gulf Coast Village's auditorium, the ceremony featured recipients reading personal essays about their educational journeys and future goals. Resident scholarship committee members introduced recipients, while Foundation and Outreach Coordinator Rachel Byrd and Pastor Cheryl Leftwich shared remarks about this year's applicants, the scholarship selection process and the continued impact of the program.

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The scholarship program reflects the Gulf Coast Village Foundation's broader mission of investing in people and strengthening the future of care in Southwest Florida. Scholarship funding helps associates pursue educational opportunities that may otherwise feel financially out of reach, while continuing to make an impact on the lives of Gulf Coast Village residents each day.

The ceremony also reflected the lasting connection between Gulf Coast Village Foundation and the employees it supports. Byrd, who received a scholarship through the program in 2014 while working as a dietary aide at Gulf Coast Village during high school, now helps oversee the foundation supporting the next generation of recipients. Her grandfather, Pastor Richard "Dick" Hafer, a founding member of Gulf Coast Village, currently serves as president of the foundation board, while her grandmother, Marianne Hafer, serves on the scholarship committee.

Applicants submitted a personal essay that was anonymously scored by a third party, participated in an interview with the foundation's education committee, which was then scored privately by each committee member, and supervisors evaluated their performance based on qualities such as integrity, responsibility, quality of work, discipline and teamwork. These three scores were combined and averaged to create a final ranking, helping the foundation committee select the final scholarship recipients.

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During the ceremony, Margaret "Peggy" Young was honored with an award in recognition of her decade-long support of the Gulf Coast Village Foundation scholarship initiative. In her role, she and her late husband Dr. Walter Byron Young anonymously reviewed student scholarship essays, providing an imperative service to the committee and its selection process.

The six scholarships were made possible by the contributions of Gulf Coast Village's residents, families, associates and supporters.

For more information about the Gulf Coast Village Foundation's scholarship program or how to contribute, contact Rachel Byrd at 239-999-3989, rbyrd@voa.org or visit GulfCoastVillage.org/Foundation.