2015 SUCCESS STORIES

Chloe Nelson

Personal Achievement Award Honorable Mention

I was truly honored to be one of the Charity of Champions Scholarship  recipients. In my heart I will forever be a Cypress Bay lightning girl and am thankful for the amazing education, SGA experience and being a part of the Varsity Girls Golf team. Lots of love, laughter & memories I will never forget. I am excited to be attending The University of Central Florida & seeking a degree in Hospitality. Thank you again Dr. and Mrs. DeSimone for this honor. Go Knights & Charge On!!! 

Anthony DiFede

Most Improved Athlete Award Honorable Mention

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. DeSimone and Mrs. DeSimone for their generosity in awarding me an Honorable Mention for the Most Improved Athlete Award.  This validates for me all the hard work I put into playing baseball as well as my efforts in the classroom.  I will be studying Computer Engineering at Nova Southeastern University while I continue to play baseball.  I am excited about this opportunity and thank Charity of Champions for their support.

Anthony Bennett

Personal Achievement Award Winner

Dr. D, words cannot describe how excited, proud, and ready for my future. I have overcame a lot throughout high school to be the man that I am today but I am only pushing forward. You have taught me a lot throughout these years on how to never give up on my goal and with this scholarship it puts me one step closer. My future plans are to play football and graduate from university with a degree. After that I plan on playing for the National Football League. It’s been a dream of mine ever since I was a child. Then after I do all the time I can I planned on owning a Parks and Recreation Service in Florida train young kids to become skilled in whatever they desire. You have truly have been a blessing to me and my family and I wanted to show my appreciation to you. Thank You So Much and You Will Forever Be In My Heart Dr. DeSimone.

Natalia Beristain-Maylor

Goodwill Scholarship Award Honorable Mention

First off, special thanks to Dr. Al DeSimone for recognizing me for this award as a part of “Charity for Champions.” Since graduating from Cypress Bay High School in May 2015, I am currently attending the University of Tampa. I am majoring in Biology with a pre-veterinary science concentration, with plans on becoming a veterinarian. The goodwill scholarship means that my hard work and dedication to the team has not gone unnoticed. Many who know me, know I have tremendous school spirit and that will always continue as I am a proud lightning alumni. Thank you, once again, to Dr. Al DeSimone and his team for acknowledging my story and performance on the field. GO LIGHTNING!

Miguel Prenso

Merit Grant Winner

I am honored to be a recipient of the Charity for Champions Merit Grant.  This award will help me further my education at the college level.  I will be attending Flagler College on a baseball scholarship and studying Foreign Language and Criminology.  I want to thank Dr. DeSimone and this great organization on helping me chase my dreams and to grow more as an individual.

Cale Berger

Team Fellowship Award Honorable Mention

Thank you for naming me the 2014-15 Lightning Award winner. Dr. DeSimone’s Charity for Champions’ recognition is both gratifying as validation of my commitment to training, teammates and schoolwork and inspiring to push myself toward future achievement and reward.  My parents and I are grateful your organization cares enough to support Cypress Bay athletes in this way. Following my graduation from Cypress Bay, I will be attending the University of Pittsburgh in the Fall, majoring in business and minoring in broadcast journalism.  I plan to either remain in the area to attend graduate school or launch my career in the front office of one of the Pittsburgh professional sports teams.

Dalton Brockman

Most Improved Athlete Award

I am honored to have received Al DeSimone’s Charity for Champions Most Improved Athlete Award Scholarship. I can’t thank Dr and Mrs. DeSimone enough for this wonderful opportunity. My Future plans will be to continue playing baseball at the collegiate level. I will be majoring in Aviation , with the plans on becoming a Airline Pilot.

Misha Chavez-Schmid

Artistic Achievement Award Honorable Mention

I plan on going to school for the next five years. At UCF, there’s an academic track that allows students in mechanical engineering and other majors to obtain a master’s degree in just five years, as opposed to the traditional six. Either way, more school means more tuition, and the Charity for Champions money is certainly going to help with paying for that. After school, I am hoping to go on to build animatronics for theme parks. It’s a really cool way to combine my love for metal, machines, and building with my love for three dimensional art and my creative talents. Charity for Champions has given me one more reason to work hard and not give up because the great people that fund the charity seem to believe in me, and I don’t want to let them down. I also think that just the idea that there are those who are willing to just give away money is really wonderful, and that gives me hope for the future.

Shannon Poole

Extraordinary Community Service Award Winner

I’m extremely thankful for being a recipient of the Al DeSimone Extraordinary Community Service Award. This scholarship showed me that my hard work as a Canine Companions for Independence Puppy Raiser was recognized as well as my efforts in the classroom and on the court. Starting this summer, I will be attending Florida State University where I plan to earn my bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering. I hope to continue on to graduate school to ultimately achieve a career in this field.  Being awarded this scholarship was a true blessing and I am deeply thankful Dr. DeSimone’s generosity and recognition.

Kimberly Calderon

Extraordinary Community Service Award Honorable Mention

This scholarship impacts my future in so many ways.  This scholarship will help me go through school with a little bit less of a loan which will help me be less stress about paying my tuitions. I know how hard it is to work and go to school, and getting this scholarship is a hand up to my career. I am very passionate about the Veterinarian field and I know I have a long journey in front of me to reach this goal. This scholarship is a huge deal to me and it makes me focus on my future education to get my future dream career.  The scholarship can help me further my professional training and certification goals that I have set for myself and will in turn help me start a true career in Veterinarian. It will assist me to pay for my courses coming up. Overall, this scholarship will help me accomplish my current goal, move on to the next and eventfully become a successful professional in the veterinarian field, I believe my education and experience fits nicely with the scholarship requirements, and I am certain that this scholarship will make a significant contribution to my continuing education.

Caylee Pristas

Extraordinary Community Service Award Honorable Mention

It is such an honor to have received this scholarship from Charity for Champions. Starting this summer, I will be attending the University of Florida where I will continue to further my education. Community service is something I have always been passionate about, and I hope to continue giving back to the community throughout college and the rest of my life. I am so grateful to have been recognized for my hard work and accomplishments during high school. This scholarship will greatly help me accomplish my goals in the near future.

Falyn Marks

Goodwill Scholarship Winner

Being a recipient of the Charity for Champions Scholarship was an incredible honor. I believe my active involvement in student government and cheerleading in high school have set a strong path for myself to achieve greatness in the future. I am attending Florida State University starting Summer of 2015 and I couldn’t be more excited. This scholarship has provided me with the ability to get more involved in college and have opportunities I wouldn’t normally be able to have. Thank you so much Dr. DeSimone for seeing greatness in me. 

Clair Bailey

Goodwill Scholarship Award Honorable Mention

I am extremely honored to have been awarded the Goodwill Scholarship Honorable mention within my school, and the BCAA award for Broward County by Dr. Al DeSimone and his entire team.  Through this recognition it gives me an image to maintain, one that others can look at for how they want to lead their lives. Serving others and doing well in school is a big part of who I am. I appreciate Dr. Al DeSimone, for his generosity and giving high school students the ability to go to the university and schools they want to go to, with the funding he provides. This scholarship has helped my family, allow me to go to school where I want to go and I could never thank you enough for that opportunity.

Nicholas Milligan

Personal Achievement Award Winner

In the Fall of 2015, I will be attending Florida Atlantic University as a Geography Major. I aspire to a career in cartography or meteorology. I look forward to refining my interest in pursuing one of these careers. The scholarship from Charity For Champions is an acknowledgement of my hard work at the high school level and an encouragement to continue my committed efforts in college. I would like to express my appreciation to Charity For Champions and encourage you to continue your fine work.  

Julius Williams

Personal Achievement Award Winner

I would like to thank you for awarding me the Personal Achievement Award.  I was so excited to receive this award and it proved to me that hard work does pay off.  I feel as if I have worked twice as hard as any student to get where I am.  Because I was born weighing only 1 pound 14 ounces and was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at birth, school has also been a difficult path for me.  This did not stop me from working hard and giving 200% of myself to achieve what I have achieved.  I thank you for recognizing a student like me and I want you to know that this scholarship has motivated me even more to continue working hard. I will continue my studies at the Dan Marion College studying what I like and what I am really good at, computers and math. Again, thank you for recognizing me as one of your champions!