JAGA announces 2023 scholarship recipients

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The Jacksonville Area Golf Association officially announced and honored its 18 new college scholarship recipients for 2023 at a banquet last evening at Deerwood Country Club.

Each recipient will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship for each semester of the 2022-2023 school year. Scholarships are renewable each semester based on scholars meeting certain criteria, including a minimum grade-point average, for up to eight semesters.

Since the JAGA Scholarship Trust was formed in 1974, JAGA has awarded approximately $2 million to approximately 400 deserving young students. The trust is JAGA’s 501 (c)(3) Not for Profit organization that manages the scholarship program.

“The JAGA scholarship program continues to get stronger every year and branch out in new ways,” said scholarship trust chairman Wayne St. Clair. “In recent years, this stability has allowed us to expand the number of college-bound students we are able to support, which is very gratifying. Currently, JAGA is providing grants to 46 who we are confident will become key contributors to the Jacksonville area community or wherever else they may wind up. We are greatly impressed and encouraged by the candidates who come before us for interviews. Many thanks to first-year scholarship chairman Joe Grippi for doing such a terrific job managing the scholarship process and banquet arrangements.”

The featured speaker was rear admiral Marty Evans (Retired, U.S. Navy), one of America’s most respected leaders having served nearly 30 years in the United States Navy, achieving the rank of rear admiral, one of the few females to do so.

After retiring from the Navy in 1998, the Springfield, Ill. native led two of the nation’s preeminent non-profit organizations, the Girl Scouts of America and the American Red Cross. In subsequent roles, she was a director of Lehman Brothers and was named to the LPGA’s board of directors and served as Acting Commissioner for nine months in 2009.

Current trustees of the Trust are St. Clair (chairman/Jacksonville G&CC), Michael McKenny (vice chairman/Timuquana CC), Allen Witham (treasurer/Hidden Hills GC), Grippi (scholarship committee chair/Deerwood CC), John Tancredi (Marsh Landing CC) and Susan Waite (Moore-Myers Children’s Fund).

Applicants for scholarships must be sons, daughters or grandchildren of a member of a JAGA member club or an employee of a member club who resides in JAGA’s Northeast Florida region. Applicants are screened and sponsored by JAGA Directors.

JAGA scholarship recipients have gone on to successful careers as golf course superintendents, golf club managers, PGA TOUR players, PGA golf professionals and other careers both inside and outside the golf industry.

Funds to support the Scholarship Trust are generated by JAGA member clubs and corporate/individual contributors to the scholarship fund.

Entities and individuals who are interested in making contributions to the Scholarship Trust may do so by emailing St. Clair at gwstclair@bellsouth.net or any JAGA director from a JAGA member club or visiting the website at www.jaxareagolf.org.