2022 SUCCESS STORIES

Khalil Hunter

Personal Achievement Raider Award Winner

First and foremost I am truly grateful to receive this great scholarship award. I plan on attending Florida A&M University for the next four years of my life, while to continuing playing football and doing Track and field. With this scholarship I will be able to focus on the necessary things to elevate my game in my mind to the next level so that I can give out scholarships like this one one day. Being paid for the scholarship means so much to me I really feel thankful blessed to be recognized and honored for this scholarship and with it in my head I just plan to make the most out of it.

Jemima Mills

Medical Interest Award Winner

Thank you to the Charity for Champions Organization for taking the time out to ensure that I could have a smooth application and interview process. A special thanks to Dr. DeSimone and Ms. Santos for dedicating their resources to help student athletes. I plan on furthering my education at the University of Miami where I will be majoring in Global Health Studies on the pre-med track. My aspiration is to become a pediatrician so that I am able to care for all aspects of a child’s health including physical, emotional, behavioral etc. As the recipient of the Medical Interest Award, this recognition gave me an additional drive to continue pursuing a career in the medical field. I am honored to be chosen and acknowledged for my hard work. This scholarship will aid me in getting one step closer in my journey to become a doctor. Thanks again for the exceptional support.

Reese Block

Athletic Achievement Award Winner

Thank you so much for awarding me the Charity for Champions Athletic Achievement Scholarship.

This scholarship is extremely important to me because it represents another outcome of the hard work I have put in throughout high school to remain a student athlete. I took pride in holding the student athlete label as it proved my ability to balance aspects of my life and excel in them even when faced with a challenge. As for my future plans, I will be doing 4 years of undergraduate studies in psychology, and then getting into a graduate school where I will work towards a PHD in either criminal psychology or cognitive and behavioral therapy.

Lena Kalandjian

Academic Achievement Award Winner

Thank you so much for selecting me as an Academic Achievement Award winner! Please see below for a paragraph about my future plans and what this scholarship recognition means to me.

Next year, I will be attending Vanderbilt University as Chancellor’s Scholar. I plan to study Human Organizational Development while minoring in Chinese Language & Culture and Data Science. Having past experience working with several non-profit social justice organizations, I seek to be a leader and apply my studies to building better institutions wherever my path takes me. The Charity for Champions Academic Achievement Award has provided me with the support I need to pursue my passions and study at my university of choice. I am grateful to the office of Dr. DeSimone for encouraging student-athletes to continue our education beyond high school while supporting our overall well-being and health. I am greatly looking forward to attending Vanderbilt in the fall!

Emily Brennan

Athletic Achievement Award Winner

Throughout my athletic career, I have had multiple serious injuries that created obstacles in my ability to play. Earning this scholarship and recognition means the world to me because without the help from Dr. DeSimone, I would not of been able to continue swimming and playing water polo. The scholarship shows that overcoming injuries and obstacles to pursue what I love, is all worth it. The water polo and swim teams I have been on were always my top priority. Due to this, being recognized for my sportsmanship, leadership, and love for my teammates, creates a feeling of dedication and joy that I just cannot describe. I am so grateful for this scholarship and everything Dr.D has done for my athletic career throughout high school and into college.

Carmella Catalfino

Personal Achievement Award Winner

I just want to thank you for the opportunity that this scholarship has given me, for allowing me to continue my education without the weight that financial burdens can often leave. It means a lot to me that Charity for Champions has bestowed me the personal achievement award and has shown me that the time and energy that I have tried to put into everything I have done has paid off and will continue to guide me. I cannot wait to attend the University of Florida in the fall to pursue an education in biology with the hopes of curating my passion of medicine as well as furthering my sports career and extracurriculars. This is an amazing opportunity that Charity for Champions has given me and I couldn’t be more grateful.

Raymond Greene

Most Improved Athlete Award Honorable Mention

This August, I will be attending Florida International University where I will major in Accounting.

This scholarship and recognition mean a lot to me because it confirms that hard work and perseverance pay off. This past year has been a challenge with both my wrestling and cross country careers. I have definitely hit some roadblocks due to numerous line-up changes and a challenging weight cut, but I pushed through and persevered and it got me where I am today.

This scholarship will help afford my stay at F.I.U and I am so thankful to have been chosen for this award. This means so much to me and I am forever grateful that I was given this opportunity.

Kate Kaplan

Athletic Achievement Award Winner

I am beyond grateful for this award. It is amazing to be recognized for all the effort I put into my academics and athletics these past four years.

Over the next four years, I will be attending the University of Florida on a Pre-Med track and Public Health major. I am an Honors and University Research Scholars student. These programs will allow me to thrive within a smaller academic niche and begin research and fieldwork as early as my underclassmen years. After UF undergrad I hope to attend Medical School and become a physician. Receiving this scholarship means that I can utilize every opportunity placed in front of me to reach my goals. This award can help subsidize a study abroad, research work, or even a summer internship; financially, but also mentally. I can fully immerse myself in what my school has to offer by saying “yes” to all promising experiences that come my way. Thank you Charity for Champions for believing in me and granting me this award.

Ashlee Lenz

Most Improved Athlete Award Winner

Thank you to Charity for Champions and Dr. DeSimone for awarding me the Most Improved Athlete Award I greatly appreciate the recognition for my perseverance and determination throughout my high school experience as a track and cross country athlete. This scholarship is important to me as it will allow me to focus further on my academics rather than being concerned about how I will afford classes, textbooks, and housing. I will be attending Florida State University working for a degree in Exercise Physiology. My goal is to become a physical therapist which will require me to further my education by pursuing my Master’s degree. Thank you for your commitment to student-athletes and for motivating them to work hard on and off the field.

Brian Williams

Academic Achievement Award Winner

Thank you very much for this scholarship opportunity! I am super excited that I will be attending Florida State University in just one month and plan to major in Global Hospitality with a minor in International Business. I am also training for a spot on FSU’s track and field team! Post college, I hope to receive a job where I can travel the world to learn about different cultures and ways of life while staying in the hospitality/business industry! This scholarship and recognition means so much to me because it shows that my hard work throughout high school was noticed and any difficulties paid off!