2017 SUCCESS STORIES

Matthew Ulino

Extraordinary Community Service Award Winner

Thank you so much for awarding me the Extraordinary Community Service Award at my senior awards night at Cypress Bay High School. I am extremely honored to be recognized with this prestigious award. This scholarship will go a long way in helping me in my future endeavors at the University of Florida. It means so much to me, both emotionally and financially. I will be entering the University of Florida as an incoming freshman this summer as a business major. At this time, with the help of my AP credits from high school, I am hoping to double major and minor in sports management, accounting, and/or finance.  Thank you again!

Kyle Acosta

Sports Medicine Interest Award Honorable Mention

I’m currently attending Florida State University. I played baseball and football for Somerset Academy in 2017. I am currently majoring in Biology with a plan of being on a sports medicine track. This scholarship is going to help me become I can work less, and focus on my studies more.

Tracey Belizaire

Extraordinary Community Service Award Honorable Mention

I will be attending Florida A&M University in the fall. I aspire to become a PR Specialist so I will be majoring in Public Relations. This scholarship is truly a blessing for my family and I and I am very grateful to be a Charity for Champions scholarship recipient. Thank you so much.

Emily Flynt

Extraordinary Community Service Award Honorable Mention

I am very honored to receive the Extraordinary Community Service Award Honorable Mention Scholarship. I am grateful for this award because it recognizes the time and effort I have spent helping the community, and is assisting me in furthering my education so that I may accomplish my goals.  I will be attending UCF in the fall majoring in Biomedical Sciences, and then will attend medical school to pursue a career in Sports Medicine. I also plan to continue swimming in college on UCF’s club team. Thank you so much Dr. DeSimone for awarding me with this scholarship!

Samantha Susi

Excellence Achievement Award

I am very honored to have received the Athletic Achievement Award from the Charity of Champions. First and foremost, I would like to thank Dr. DeSimone for selecting me for this scholarship. Next year, I will be attending Wagner College to continue my athletic and academic career. I plan on majoring in pre-medicine next year and this scholarship will definitely help me pursue my dreams of becoming a surgeon. This award allows me to recognize that all my handwork on and off the field have paid off. Thank you so much for awarding me this scholarship and it will definitely help me in the long run.

Natalia Martinez

Most Improved Athlete Award Winner

My future plans will be taking place at Georgia State University, which is where I will be attending in the fall, on a soccer scholarship.  I will be pursuing a Biology Major in order to one day become a Sports Medicine Doctor with my very own practice.  I’m really looking forward to getting settled down in Georgia and start making my dreams reality!  I am the first in my immigrant family to go to college on an Athletic scholarship to continue my soccer career.  I have achieved an amazing personal goal and have made my family very proud!

Justin Shiao

Excellence Achievement Award

I would like to thank Charity of Champions for so graciously selecting me as a recipient of their scholarship. The scholarship tells me that both my academic and athletic pursuits are valued and encourages me to keep on striving to be the best in all I do. Over this summer, I plan to compete in junior golf tournaments within the state; Florida Junior Tour and South Florida PGA Tour events will make up most of my schedule, but I will also spend additional time strengthening my practice habits. The transition to college is sure to be an impactful one, and I know with university life comes additional responsibilities and privileges. Before college, I want to spend my months truly preparing for adulthood. I will apply for a job or internship and continue to contribute to the fantastic community around me. I declared my major at Georgia Tech as aerospace engineering because it has always been my quest to push forward the frontier of human knowledge and capability. Even if I do change majors as I encounter new opportunities in college, I will use my internal motivation to diligently and continuously push for success in my future career. The Charity for Champions scholarship serves as a tribute to the importance of dedication and reminds me that people who develop exceptional capabilities are usually those who change the world.

Greyson Fletcher

Most Improved Athlete Award Honorable Mention

I am extremely honored to be a recipient of the Most Improved Athlete Award.  With this scholarship, Dr. DeSimone will help me further my education and fulfill my dream of playing Major League Baseball.  I will be attending Florida International University as a baseball pitcher and will major in Business with a minor in Sports Management.  Thanks to your generosity and lots of hard work, I know I can achieve my goals, whether as a player or in the sports management field.  I would like to thank Dr. and Mrs. DeSimone for this scholarship.

Eduardo Reyna

Excellence Achievement Award

I graduate of North Broward Prep School Class of 2017. My future plans are to commute to Florida Atlantic University for 2 years. I will be commuting to FAU to save up money to later attend either UCF or UF. I will be majoring in Mathematical science. The reason I will be majoring in this field is because math has always been my strong area. I’ve always found math my thing. Searching for jobs involving math, I came across an interesting one. After reading about it, I decided I wanted to become an actuary. Their job seems very interesting and something I wouldn’t mind doing for the rest of my life. What this scholarship represents for me is that I was given recognition for my hard work and determination on and off the field. This scholarship helps me further my hard work in the college level and I couldn’t be more thankful and blessed. Thank you again!

Kasey Galt

Goodwill Scholarship Winner

I would like to thank Dr. Al DeSimone along with Mrs. DeSimone for awarding me the Goodwill Scholarship. I am extremely grateful to receive this scholarship from the Charity for Champions organization that will help me to further my education at Florida State University beginning in the summer. Being recognized for this award shows that all my hard work during my 4 years of high school has paid off. I plan to major in Exercise Science and in the future hopefully become a Physical Therapist. This scholarship will allow me to pursue my passions at my dream school. Thanks to you I am one step closer to reaching my goal.

Christopher DeVito

Sports Medicine Interest Award Honorable Mention

I want to thank Dr. Al DeSimone and Mrs. Sasha DeSimone for awarding me with the Charity for Champions for the Sports Medicine Interest Award Honorable Mention. Since I was young, I have always been fascinated with injuries sustained while playing sports. Personally, I have endured many injuries ranging from a pulled hamstring to a broken arm all while on the field. These injuries only intrigued me to learn new ways to prevent these injuries from reoccurring. This scholarship will aid me to further my interest in the field of Sports Medicine and will help provide me with the knowledge to inform other athletes of ways to prevent sports injuries. As an undergraduate student attending Florida Gulf Coast University, I will be pursuing a major in Sports Medicine.  Earning my spot on the Men’s soccer team, I will study the trainers and look for new ways to extend my career playing the sport I love.

Madison Loeber

Goodwill Scholarship Honorable Mention

I am truly thankful and humbled for receiving this scholarship from “Charity for Champions”. It means the world to me because it will jump start my journey to follow my dreams and pursue a career in Physical Therapy. During my years at East Carolina University I hopefully will continue to play lacrosse by walking on to their new women’s team. Being recognized for something that I have worked so hard for and have committed myself entirely to feels amazing, making everything worthwhile. Through all the hard times this shows me to never give up and good things come to those who strive for success.  Thank you so much for this scholarship it has made a difference in my life immensely and I could never be more grateful.  

Adrian Moskowitz

Athletic Achievement Award Winner

First of all, I just want to say thank you to Dr. DeSimone and your team for this amazing gift. My future plans are to attend Jacksonville University, where I will be majoring in Biology. From there I hope to pursue a career in either Physical Therapy or become a Physician’s Assistance. I hope to work as hard as possible, both in the classroom and on the field, to be one of the top in my class, and a leader on my team. This scholarship means a tremendous amount to me. It shows me that there are people out there who believe in me and believe I can make this world a better place. When I heard my name called at the senior breakfast it blindsided me like a linebacker. The surprise of receiving the scholarship was amazing in itself, but to be the first name called made me feel proud that I had been recognized with such a great honor. However, with great honor comes great responsibility. I need to prove why I deserve to receive this scholarship by pushing myself day in and day out and with this extra motivation that comes with this scholarship I know I can do anything I set my mind to.

Thomas Crowley

Personal Achievement Award Winner

I plan on attending Broward College to pursue a career in Physical Therapy. I will begin this summer and look forward to putting the scholarship money towards books and classes. This scholarship was a complete surprise and honor, especially because Dr. DeSimone handed the award to me himself. Dr. D always puts student athletes first; he wants to know how we feel and how we are doing. He genuinely cares about young athletes and encourages us to do better. This scholarship has given me the incentive to go for and achieve my goal with confidence.  

Allison Frison

Academic Achievement Award Winner

I would like to extend my gratitude to Dr. and Mrs. DeSimone and their foundation for the Charity for Champions Scholarship I received.  Dr. DeSimone’s generosity and willingness to give back to the community are truly inspiring.  It was an honor to be selected and included in the group of high achieving student athletes who were recognized both in 2017 and in prior years as well. I am attending Williams College in the fall and will also be playing volleyball. Williams does not offer any merit or athletic scholarships, so the Charity for Champions Scholarship is particularly meaningful to me and my family. I plan on majoring in English at Williams and hope to attend law school after graduation. My ultimate goal is to be in a position to use my professional skills to help my community in the areas and issues that I am passionate about. Once again, I am so grateful for this chance to invest in my future!

Kasey Geddis

Academic Achievement Award Honorable Mention

I am currently enrolled as a student-athlete at Arizona State University. Being a Division I Women’s Lacrosse player while also studying in the Barrett Honors College, I am challenged every day. With each challenge, I plan to grow as a person. Studying Business Management & looking to get a sense of Event Management, I’m looking to hold a job in this industry. This scholarship will aid me as an out of state student to accomplish my goals without the financial worries.  

Jessica Napoles

Academic Achievement Award Winner

Thank you again for giving me this scholarship and for giving me the opportunity to represent the values of Charity for Champions. It is a truly special feeling to know that my years of hard work and balancing my academics and sports have paid off. I am truly honored to be recognized as someone who has excelled in their academics while being a dedicated athlete. This scholarship represents the time and effort I have put into ensuring that I can excel to my fullest potential, and it also represents the foundation for which I am building my future on. I am attending the University of Florida, and I plan on earning a Master’s degree in Accounting. I believe that this scholarship will not only help me reach my goal financially, but it will also serve as a reminder of motivation to keep striving and working hard for my goals as this determination will reap major benefits. As a wise woman once said “whatever you do, do with love,” I will continue to passionately represent the values that I have learned from my school, peers, and family.