Ponte Vedra High School senior Tess Reiman has been selected as one of the 15 inaugural Cameron Impact Scholars – a national honor that will provide her with a four-year scholarship covering full tuition and all qualified expenses.
Awarded by the Bryan Cameron Education Foundation, the Cameron Impact Scholarship recognizes students who have not only demonstrated academic strength through a GPA of 3.7 or higher, but also exhibited strong leadership qualities and involvement in community service aimed at making a positive impact on the world around them.
Reiman will use the scholarship to support her studies at Davidson College, where she will play lacrosse.
“I am very humbled to be selected for this scholarship and I am grateful to the Bryan Cameron Education Foundation for this opportunity,” she said. “This scholarship allows me to pursue my goals to help people and make an impact. With the support of the Bryan Cameron Education Foundation, I will have the opportunity to meet other students from around the country who have made incredible impacts in their communities. I am excited to bounce ideas off of them, and I know they will encourage me to do my best in achieving my goals.”
Reiman has been recognized for her community service activities that began when she was just 13.
“I wanted to help Habitat for Humanity in Jacksonville Beach, but I was too young to build,” Reiman said. “I came up with Project Storybook, an idea to give new books to the kids who move into the Habitat homes. The program started with Beaches Habitat, then I expanded it to St. Johns County Habitat and Habijax. After a couple years, I spread it to various Habitat chapters along the East Coast and within college campuses.”
Reiman also started a club at her school to help Jacksonville Beach children who attend after-school programs at the Carver Center and Rhoda Martin Center. “We mentor the kids, help them with homework, play with them outside and hang out with them every Wednesday,” said Reiman, who in 2016 was honored as a “Local Hero” by the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach for her community service efforts.
According to the Bryan Cameron Education Foundation, more than 2,500 students from all 50 states applied for the inaugural year of the Cameron Impact Scholarship. Following an online application process, approximately 70 finalists were selected for in-person interviews.
“We were both honored and humbled at the caliber and volume of interest in our program’s initial year,” Executive Director Amie Lucas said. “The depth of passion, ingenuity and overall potential for this next generation is incredibly heartening.”
Founder Bryan Cameron agreed. “One of the most worthy and impactful investments which one can make is in a young person’s education,” he said. “We recognize and are grateful to the institutions, teachers, families and citizens which contribute their time, talent, and treasure to help educate our nation’s youth. It is our honor to invest in the lives of our nation’s next generation of leaders.”
