Riverview High School Homecoming Queen 2003
Since its inception in 2007, the Katelyn Joy Derstine Scholarship Fund, Inc. has presented $37,000 to 30 aspiring young ladies from varied Sarasota County high schools. In 2010 we are pleased to announce the expansion of the scholarship foundation to include the newly formed mentoring club at Riverview High School, Papillon. Papillon will serve as a foundational platform for a mentoring program of select senior girls, nominated by their teachers, who will offer guidance, direction and support to incoming freshman students. We also welcome the addition of Papillon's advisors, Diane Bassett and Victoria Hughes along with Dr. Paul Gallagher our senior advisor of the foundation.
We accept and appreciate any donation amount to the Katelyn Joy Derstine Scholarship Fund, Inc., a 501(c) (3) not for profit organization. All donations will be used solely to benefit female Sarasota County high school seniors through an educational scholarship.
We thank you in advance for considering and supporting our efforts as we share one of the many testimonials from one of our 2008 “Fly High Award” recipients.
3 Generations:Nannie, Mom & G8rGirl Katelyn @ UF 2005
Testimonial from one of our 2008 "Fly High Award" Recipients
Hey Bambi!
This is Ashley Snyder, one of the 2008 Fly High recipients. I have been so extremely busy with school, and I apologize for not writing sooner. I saw you at Da Ru Ma (in August I think), but you looked pretty busy, so I did not say anything. I just wanted to thank you for choosing me to receive one of Katelyn's scholarships this past year. Financially, it has helped more than you will ever know. The Sheriff's Department has been making lots of cuts, and these added funds have helped relieve some of the stresses that paying for college has caused. You are always keeping busy with fundraisers and other things, and I just wanted to remind you that what you are doing is making a HUGE difference in the lives of the people you touch. I could never go through what you have had to endure these last few years. Yet through it all, you remain strong and give me and the other young ladies a role model to look up to. You are a remarkable woman, and I can only hope to impact as many lives and encourage as many people as you do on a daily basis. Katelyn's postcard is hanging in my dorm room. I look at it everyday- no joke! On the days that nothing seems to go the right way, I just read the poem and it gives me that little burst of energy; just enough so I can take a deep breath in and remind myself that I CAN do this.
And just a quick update: This is my second semester up here at UF (GO GATORS!). I love it and am happy to say that this is definitely where I was supposed to end up. I still want to be a doctor, but who knew that there could be like 150 different science classes?! I am the treasurer for my dorm, Jennings Hall. And I am also the director for the Winterball this December. But as great as that is, it's even GREATER to be a Florida Gator!
I hope everything is going well with you and your family. I cannot wait to see the pictures from this year's Fly High recipients! :) Thank you again for EVERYTHING you have done. I can not thank God enough for bringing the people like you into my life who encouraging me to be more than I ever thought possible. I hope you always stay the strong, determined, and life-changing woman that you are today.
Love from "The Swamp",
Ashley
