Wellington Regional Medical Center (WRMC) recently hosted the Friends of Wellington Regional Medical Center Volunteer Auxiliary and several local families as the Auxiliary awarded $10,000 in scholarships to five local students. Hospital administrators, physicians, nurses and staff joined the award ceremony and ice cream social to honor the students.
The scholarships are awards to graduating high school seniors pursuing careers in healthcare and medically related fields. Applicants are judged on the following criteria: academic competency, extracurricular activities, community service, financial need and acceptance by an accredited college or university.
This year’s recipients, each receiving $2,000, are: Victoria Estevez from Forest Hill High School, Annelise Exilus from Lake Worth Community High School, Austin Lent from Suncoast High School, James Matz from Seminole Ridge High School, and Dezary Perez also from Lake Worth Community High School.
“We are thrilled to recognize and invest in these promising students with an interest in a career in healthcare,” said Robbin Lee, CEO of WRMC. “They have each demonstrated that they go above and beyond through their volunteer work, grade point averages and extracurricular activities, which are traits we look for when people join our WRMC team. We look forward to the possibility that these scholarship recipients will return to our area as healthcare professionals and help to provide exceptional care and services for our patients.”
The Friends of Wellington Regional Medical Center Volunteer Auxiliary is a 501(c)3 volunteer organization with over 75 members. The scholarships are funded through year-round auxiliary fundraisers and gift shop sales, as well as through the support and generosity of the hospital’s medical staff.
About the recipients:
Annelise Exilus graduated from Lake Worth Community High School and ranked in the top 10 of her class. She has over 760 community service hours and was a member of the Key Club, Medical Honor Society, Yearbook Club, and Be the Change Club. She is active in tennis, track and field, and her church. Annelise will be attending the University of Central Florida in Orlando and hopes to continue her education at a medical school to become a sports medicine physician.
Victoria Estevez graduated from Forest Hill High School and is in the top five percent of her class. She volunteered over 600 hours at local hospitals, pharmacies and animal shelters. She was the president of the Health Occupation Students of America club and president and vice president of the Students Against Melanoma. She was also an Ambassador of the National Honor Society, captain of the varsity tennis club and played varsity volleyball. Victoria will attend the University of South Florida in Tampa, and will study biomedical science. She hopes to attend the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami after graduation to study to become a trauma surgeon.
Austin Lent graduated from Suncoast High School with a 5.21 GPA. He received a Pathfinder Award for Communication and was a National Merit Award finalist. He was in the National Honor Society, Jewish Student Union, and volunteered at Big Dog Ranch Rescue. Austin will be attending the University of Miami and hopes to study medicine and become a physician.
James Matz graduated from Seminole Ridge High School in the top 10 percent in his class. He was a member of the varsity debate team, varsity swim team, and a volunteer at his church. He volunteers in the summer WRMC in the ER and has many computer networking and security certifications. He will attend Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton and wants to study to be a nurse.
Dezary Perez graduated from Lake Worth Community High School second in her class. She has over 100 community service hours and was in the Key Club and the Medical Honor Society. She is an elementary school mentor and has multiple certifications through the school’s medical academy. She completed her Associates Degree prior to graduating from high school and will continue her studies at the University of Florida in Gainesville. She will study biology and hopes to continue on to medical school to become a dermatologist.