Health Science Students Receive Scholarships through the FCS Foundation and Florida Blue
During the January meeting of SFSC’s District Board of Trustees, 33 students studying for careers in the health sciences at SFSC received approximately $28,704 in scholarships.
The Florida College System Foundation (FCSF) and Florida Blue awarded Nursing and Allied Health scholarships to SFSC students in Nursing, Surgical Services, Dental Education, Radiography, Paramedic, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), and Health Services Management programs. The students may use the scholarships for tuition, textbooks, lab fees, and childcare.
Students receiving the scholarships are studying within three health science disciplines:
- Nursing: Guillermo Garcia Mulero, Sabrina Villegas, Andrea Vasquez, Reyna Quintero, Esther Smith, Trinity Vansickle, Mikayla Wesley, Alysia Mayer, Zareana Fogel-Thomas, Dominique Morales, Letisha Romero, Alexis Franklin, Denija Rochester, Rodrick Rivers, Noemi Secundino, Kaley Piggott, and Cristina Lopez-Rojas
- Surgical Services – Tabitha Trevelyan and Sierra Bullard
- Dental Education: Nereida Flores Becerra, Stephany Palafox, and Blanca Solis
- Radiography: Angela Salazar, Valerie Martinez, and Brisa Luevano
- Paramedic: Ashley Leppe and Ismael Mejia
- EMT: DaNayja Sturn, Kearsta Danser, Casey McLaughlin, and Savannah Mullins
- Health Services Management: Lorena Martinez-Bautista and Denise Blaine
The scholarships are the result of a partnership between the FSCF and Florida Blue. The Florida Blue Nursing and Allied Health Scholarship was created to sustain a source of funding for student scholarships at Florida colleges to meet the growing need for skilled nurses and allied health professionals who serve the state’s diverse population. The FCSF and Florida Blue award to SFSC students totaled $14,352. The SFSC Foundation, Inc. provided a 50% match of the original award from the FCSF and Florida Blue, as the funds must be matched dollar for dollar by private donors at the local level.
“These scholarship recipients represent the future of healthcare in our region,” said Emily Dabolt, SFSC executive director of institutional advancement. “Florida Blue’s investment goes beyond supporting individual students — it strengthens the entire healthcare infrastructure of our community. By removing financial barriers for students in high-demand fields, Florida Blue is helping ensure that families across our region have access to skilled, dedicated healthcare professionals when they need them most. We are deeply grateful for this partnership.”
The FCSF, based in Tallahassee, is a nonprofit organization that solicits gifts and donations from corporations and individuals for distribution to Florida’s 28 community and state colleges. SFSC has received scholarships for health sciences students since 2006. Florida Blue, previously known as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, provides individual and group health insurance to millions of Floridians.
