The School District of Lee County is excited to announce 29 students have been honored as 2021 Carson Scholars. The Carson Scholars Fund will provide each student with a $1,000 College Scholarship.
The Carson Scholars Fund awards $1,000 college scholarships to students in grades 4-11 who excel academically and are dedicated to serving their communities. Each school is able to nominate one student to apply. Carson Scholars must have a minimum GPA of 3.75 and display humanitarian qualities through community service.
The 29 students honored as Carson Scholars this year are:
| Scholar | School | Grade |
| Magdalena Abella | Oak Hammock Middle School | 8 |
| Delaney Beougher | Dr. Carrie D. Robinson Littleton Elementary School | 5 |
| Issac Cirilo | Colonial Elementary School | 5 |
| Austin Couly | Caloosa Elementary School | 5 |
| Alivia Davis | Ray V. Pottorf Elementary School | 5 |
| Sebastian Diaz | Lee Virtual School | 7 |
| Gladys Gonzalez | Lehigh Elementary School | 4 |
| Hendrix Kohn | Edison Park Elementary School | 5 |
| Valkyrie McClellan | Mirror Lakes Elementary School | 5 |
| Brody Meyer | Skyline Elementary School | 5 |
| Matthew Miller | Heights Elementary School | 5 |
| Janaiya Montrond | J. Colin English Elementary School | 5 |
| Karime Morales Diaz | Orange River Elementary School | 5 |
| Marissa Morgan | Gateway Elementary School | 5 |
| Elisha Nicholson | Tanglewood Elementary School | 5 |
| Leslie Nicles | Tropic Isles Elementary School | 5 |
| Christopher Ottolini | Riverdale High School | 11 |
| Maxon Palomba | Pinewoods Elementary School | 5 |
| Mason Pequigney | Villas Elementary School | 5 |
| Katherine Reid | Allen Park Elementary School | 5 |
| Kaitlyn Rider | Diplomat Elementary School | 5 |
| Geoffrey Selby | The Sanibel School | 5 |
| Keira Singer | Pine Island Elementary School | 5 |
| Jayden Smith | North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts | 5 |
| Leah Swanson | The Alva School | 5 |
| Adelle Thomas | San Carlos Park Elementary School | 5 |
| Levi Townsend | Bayshore Elementary School | 5 |
| Gwendolyn Wallace | Orangewood Elementary School | 5 |
| Ethan Zigrand | Edgewood Academy School | 5 |
80 students in the School District of Lee County are earning Carson Scholar Recognition in 2021. Carson Scholar Recognition is an elite honor that affirms the prestigious status of Carson Scholars in their pursuit of academic and career goals. Eight of those 80 have earned Carson Scholar status every year of eligibility:
| 2021 Recognized Carson Scholars | ||
| Scholar | School | City |
| Isabella Acosta | Fort Myers High School | Fort Myers |
| Hunter Bailey | Mariner Middle School | Cape Coral |
| Aubrey Beougher | Mariner Middle School | Cape Coral |
| Kaelyn Bernaldo | Cypress Lake High School | Fort Myers |
| Katie Blackwell | North Fort Myers High School | North Fort Myers |
| Hannah Blasetti | North Fort Myers High School | North Fort Myers |
| Kayah Bonilla-Mas | Cypress Lake High School | Fort Myers |
| Lily Boutelle | Fort Myers High School | Fort Myers |
ABOUT THE CARSON SCHOLARS FUND
The Carson Scholars Fund, Inc. was founded in 1994 by now retired world-renowned Johns Hopkins Pediatric Neurosurgeon Benjamin S. Carson, M.D. and his wife, Candy to address the education crisis in the United States. They believed that if children could be taught early to excel, they would stay motivated and have a higher chance of educational success later in life. The 10,000th scholarship was just awarded this year.
