Valerie’s House awarded $37,000 in college scholarships to 14 local students who participated in its grief support program. Now in its fourth year, the scholarship awards range from $1,000 to $2,500 and are renewable for up to three years based on academic performance. Recipients, all high school graduates from Southwest Florida, wrote essays on how personal loss has shaped their lives. The scholarship fund is supported by private and community donations. Valerie’s House, founded in 2016, has helped more than 6,000 grieving children and families across five counties. 

The first $2,500 scholarship recipients are:

● Brooke Burg of Fort Myers, who graduated from Fort Myers High School and plans to attend Florida Gulf Coast University;

● Emily Calderon of Fort Myers graduated from Dunbar High School and plans to attend Florida Gulf Coast University;

● Kealey Calderon of Fort Myers, who graduated from Dunbar High School and plans to attend Florida SouthWestern State College;

● Catherine “Kitty” Hughes of Fort Myers, who graduated from Hibernian Private School and plans to attend Florida SouthWestern State College and then University of North Florida;

● Carter Koehler of Fort Myers, who graduated from Cypress Lake High School and plans to attend Florida SouthWestern State College;

● Jordan McKee of Fort Myers, who is dually enrolled at Fort Myers Technical College and Fort Myers High School;

● Haley McKinnon of Cape Coral, who graduated from North Fort Myers High School and plans to attend Florida Gulf Coast University;

. ● Caleb “Cal” Rimes of Fort Myers, who graduated from Gateway High School and plans to attend Fort Myers Technical College; and

. ● Emma Schulte of Cape Coral, who graduated from Island Coast High School and plans to attend Florida SouthWestern State College.

Other first-time recipients are:

. ● Molly Flynn of Fort Myers, who graduated from Fort Myers High School and plans to attend Florida SouthWestern State College, $2,000 scholarship winner;

. ● Samira Ali of North Fort Myers, who graduated from Riverdale High School and plans to attend University of South Florida, $1,000 scholarship winner;

. ● Parker Eyre of Fort Myers, who graduated from South Fort Myers High School and plans to attend Florida Gulf Coast University, $1,000 scholarship winner;

. ● Alia Mercado-Lues of Fort Myers, who graduated from Ida S. Baker High School and plans to attend Hillsborough Community College, $1,000 scholarship winner; and

. ● Joseph Aaron Stenza of Naples, who graduated from Barron Collier High School and plans to attend Flight School, $1,000 scholarship winner.