St. Andrew Society Scholarship Program for High School Seniors

Under the leadership of James Eliot, president of the St. Andrew Society of Sarasota in 1988-89, a scholarship program for qualified high school seniors in Sarasota and Manatee Counties was created. The officers of the Society felt that a charitable arm for the group was appropriate and would further advance the Scottish prominence in the area. The official name for the program, which charitable status (501 C-3) in 2003, is called the St. Andrew Scottish Society Scholarship Fund, Inc.

Starting with one $500 scholarship in 1990 to several at $1,500, the program has prospered over the 20 years of existence and has awarded 66 scholarships ($64,000) through the 2010 scholarship year. Scholarship applications are disseminated to the students through the two county public school systems. The competing students must submit convincing proof of their Scottish heritage, have a minimum GPA of 3.5, and demonstrate school/community involvement as well as needs and goals. Additionally, and many times the tiebreaker, is the requirement to submit a 500 word essay on their Scottish heritage. This historical journey by the student not only assists the scholarship judges but also inspires the student to probe and discover fascinating missing pieces to his/her Scottish roots.

Scholarship Chairpersons for 2009 were John and Dr. Linda Sue Williams assisted by committee members Dr. Edward and Roberta Hamilton and Joel and Jeanne Davis.

Scholarship Chairpersons for 2010 are Joel and Jeanne Davies.