Zoe Horwitz

Personal Achievement Award Winner

I am so grateful to have received the Team Fellowship Award and am honored to be recognized not only for my dedication to athletics, but also for my commitment to teamwork, leadership, and character. I would like to give the biggest thank you to Dr. DeSimone and the entire Charity for Champions team for this scholarship and recognition. As I head to the University of Michigan this fall, I’m excited to bring these same values with me and to continue growing through new challenges and opportunities.

Alexi Arocho

Artistic Achievement Award Winner

As a recipient of the Al DeSimone’s Charity for Champions Artistic Achievement Award, I am very honored to be recognized for my dedication to the arts! This scholarship not only reflects the years I’ve devoted to storytelling through performance alongside my commitment to Track and Field, but also empowers me as I begin my next chapter at Columbia University, where I will be majoring in Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft in New York! This recognition fuels my commitment to using theatre as a force for connection and growth as I am grateful to carry this support with me as I grow both artistically and personally.

Gabrielle Meese

Leadership Award Winner

I’m truly honored to receive this award and want to sincerely thank the Charity for Champions team for this meaningful recognition. Being acknowledged for my impact in the community reinforces my belief that leadership means showing up, supporting others, and leading with integrity. This fall, I’ll be attending the University of Florida to major in Criminology, with the goal of becoming an agent or analyst in the intelligence community. This scholarship not only eases the financial burden of college but also deepens my commitment to leading through service. I’m driven to serve, protect, and be a voice for others, and I’m excited to continue growing as a leader by contributing to my new community. I’m deeply grateful for this honor and will carry it with me as I give back and work toward a meaningful career.

Caroline Walsh

Extraordinary Community Service Award Winner

I’m extremely grateful to be the recipient of the Extraordinary Community Service Award. I have dedicated a large part of my life to volunteering, and this award will act as a reminder to me about how important it is to serve in my community. I will continue my education at the University of Florida, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Journalism with a specialization in Sports Media. I am excited to grow my passion for sports media through my internship with the UF Hockey Media Team as a photographer. I also plan to continue my passion for volunteering while at UF. Thank you to Dr. DeSimone and the entire Charity for Champions organization for this incredible award.

Juan Rivera

Most Improved Athlete Award Winner

Receiving the “Most Improved Athlete” scholarship award means a lot to me and is truly an honor. It reflects my hard work, resilience, and dedication that I put towards both my athletic and academic performance. As I prepare to study in the medical field at Nova Southeastern University, the same skills I developed as an athlete will carry into my future career. My goal is to excel in the medical field, and understand the value of discipline and perseverance just like I did in high school.

Alexander Piedra

Team Fellowship Award Honorable Mention

I plan to attend Florida State University in the fall and plan to major in Biology with the intent of going to medical school after I graduate. As a career, I plan on going into Anesthesiology or Trauma Surgery. Being an Honorable mention for the Charity for Champions means so much to me. I feel this recognition proves to me that all my hard work in and out of school has paid off and this gives me so much more motivation to work even harder in the future.

Aggie Gordon

Personal Achievement Award Winner

First and foremost, I would like to thank Dr. Al DeSimone and the entire Charity for Champions committee for their extravagant generosity in awarding me this scholarship. Not only will this scholarship enable me to attend my dream school, Covenant College, but it will enable me to be a part of a community where I can continue to grow and flourish as an athlete, student, and follower of Christ. I will be attending Covenant College for the next four years, where I have the privilege of participating as a student athlete on the women’s soccer team. I look forward to contributing to their program, both on and off the field. While at Covenant, I plan to major in Interdisciplinary Studies, with focuses in Business, Biology, and Ministry. Once again, thank you so much for this incredible honor and opportunity. Your generosity is deeply appreciated.

Colin Tinder

Personal Achievement Award Winner

I’m grateful to Dr. DeSimone and the Charity for Champions team for selecting me for the Personal Achievement Award. I’ve always believed that success comes from showing up, doing the hard work, and leading by example—values I carried through my participation in varsity swimming and water polo, as an Eagle Scout, and now into my college career. This scholarship will help me pursue my passion in civil engineering at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, allowing me the opportunity to remain focused on my goals and to continue building towards my future. Thank you for recognizing my commitment and helping me take the next step.

Kimorah Pinard

Medical Interest Award Honorable Mention

The university I plan to attend is Louisiana State University. Receiving the Charity for Champions scholarship means a lot to me and supports my dream of working in the medical field. My goal is to one day work with professional sports teams, helping athletes stay healthy and recover from injuries. In the future, I also hope to open my own sports medicine practice so I can give back to my community and help people stay active and strong. This recognition motivates me to keep working hard and reminds me that I’m on the right path.

Luis Arias

Personal Achievement Award Winner

My future plans with this scholarship are to attend Broward College on Central Campus to earn my AA degree and expand my knowledge in political science. I plan to encourage youth participation in politics. This scholarship means a significant amount to me because I was able to share my achievements and how I overcame challenges in my life, I am very thankful to receive this award, and I look forward to my future and keeping you updated on my achievements.

Mia Layne

Goodwill Scholarship Winner

I am so grateful and humbled to be a recipient of the Charity for Champions Goodwill award. This award has served as an amazing reminder of many experiences that I have learned from and challenges I have faced in my high school career. Thank you so much, Dr. DeSimone for this recognition. With the scholarship, I will be continuing my athletic and academic journey at Fairleigh Dickinson University. I plan on majoring in health sciences Where I can pursue a role In healthcare. Thank you so much for this amazing recognition!

Lindsay Rogalla

Medical Interest Award Winner

I am extremely honored to be awarded with the Medical Interest Award from Al DeSimone’s Charity for Champions. I will be attending the University of Florida in the Fall and major in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology with intentions of becoming a physical therapist. During the 2024 club volleyball season I had a substantial injury to my knee that required surgery. The physical therapist made a huge impact on my recovery and inspired me to consider this career. I have always found it very rewarding to help others and in this field, I will have the ability to directly help patients regain strength and stability. I am very appreciative of this award and am excited to be able to pursue my ambitions further in college.

Domenica Jaramillo

Academic Achievement Award Winner

I’m incredibly honored and grateful to receive the Charity for Champions Academic Achievement Award! This recognition means so much to me as I prepare to begin my journey at Florida State University, where I’ll be majoring in Biochemistry, continuing to play water polo, and working toward my dream of becoming a physician-scientist. With the help of this scholarship, I’ll be able to better support my studies and eventually my path to medical school, bringing me closer to my goal of using medicine and research to improve healthcare access for underrepresented communities. Moments like this remind me how lucky I am to have such strong support from people and organizations who believe in me. Thank you to Charity for Champions for helping me take this next big step toward making a difference in the world of healthcare!

Anthony Cieza

Artistic Achievement Award Winner

Receiving the Artistic Achievement Award is a humbling reminder of the loving community here in South Florida. It serves as a symbol of what my community has done for me, and my goal of service to return the favor. I now go forward to study music at Florida State University and someday conduct orchestras on the biggest stages in the world. Al DeSimone’s Charity for Champions has endorsed my dreams, and for that—I am unequivocally grateful.

Alexa Schwartz

Athletic Achievement Award Winner

I am so thankful to Charity for Champions for selecting me as a recipient of the Athletic Achievement Award! I believe it recognizes my athletic success and journey through the last few years and it will help me continue to find success as I go to Florida State on the track and field team. This award means so much to me as I believe it shows all of the hours of hard work and time I have put in behind the curtain. Though I am not sure what I will be majoring in at Florida State, or what I want to do beyond college, I am looking to take a business route or go to law school. This scholarship will help me achieve those goals as I look into my future. Thank you Charity for Champions!