Points of Pride – Find Out What Recent News is Making #SCFProud
Bradenton, Fla. Apr. 7, 2022
- SCFCS junior Gabriella Cortes-Alban was awarded the Young Spirit Award at the annual Spirit of Manatee Awards presented by the Manatee Community Foundation. Gabriella was nominated by Healthy Teens Coalition of Manatee County. She is an active member of the Youth in Action Club, has performed more than 100 hours of community service. She is also participating in Junior Leadership Manatee during the 2021-2022 school year.
- Joe and Barbara Najmy were recognized with the Lifetime Spirit Award by the Manatee Community Foundation at the annual Spirit of Manatee Awards. The SCF Foundation was one of three organizations nominating the Najmys. Barbara is a 1986 alumna of MCC and is on the SCF Foundation Board of Directors, having previously served as its president. As president she was instrumental in the restructuring the Annual Scholarship Luncheon.
- April Caldwell, who won $1,500 at SCF’s Veterans’ Business Incubator in the pitch contest in 2020, won a $50,000 prize for her business FayVen on Bloomberg’s “2 Minute Drill” pitch show.
- 2020 SCF Collegiate School graduate Skyler Vargas is completing her bachelor’s degree at FGCU at age 18 and is preparing to attend law school at Stetson Law.
- SCF’s newest varsity sport, beach volleyball, competed in the Mercer Beach Bash against NCAA D1 and D2 teams, even appearing on ESPN+ while facing Mercer.
- Five SCF students in Phi Beta Lambda combined to win nine prizes at the state conference. The students are Liana Harvilla, Taylor Howell, Priscilla Kuhar, Nikki Francisco, and Samantha Asselin-Cazares. Four of the students are advancing to national competition. An additional student, Amanda Foster, was elected as state PBL VP of Communications.
- CAM won 11 awards at the 35th Annual Educational Advertising Award. SCF was recognized in every category for which it entered, including earning one gold, three silvers, three bronzes, and four merit recognitions.
- 12th Circuit Court Judge Debra Johnes Riva, an MJC alumna, announced her retirement after 15 years on the bench, effective July 1, 2022.
- SCF basketball player James “Pop” Weathers was named to the Region VIII all-region team on March 4 and later in the month announced his commitment to continue his career at Division I Bradley University.
- History instructor Mike “Mig” Gallagher published his first novel, “California Blood at Gettysburg: From Antebellum California to a Bloody Pennsylvania Ridge.”
- The SCF Coding Academy hosted the First Lego League West Florida Robotics Championship at the 26 West Center at SCF Bradenton.
- Former SCF math adjunct Donna Clarke, who previously served as a Florida State Representative, was named Chair Board of Directors of Lee Health. She has served on the board since 2014.