May 12, 2026 News Article
Summer 2026 Scholarship Recipients
Bascom Grooms, Rotarian and donor chatting with Fabiola Rodriguez Vazquez, a junior at Key West High and scholarship recipient, attending New York Film School for six weeks.
Gerald Adams Elementary Steel Drum Band gave us a fantastic concert!
Superintendent Ed Tierney congratulating the recipients.
Reach for Greatness Awards $50,000 in Scholarships to 14 Monroe County Students
For Immediate Release
May 11, 2026, Key West, Florida
Reach for Greatness, a student-founded nonprofit based in Key West, will award $50,000 in scholarships to 14 local students during a public scholarship ceremony on Wednesday, May 21, at Walk on White in the Fausto’s Food Palace parking lot on White Street. The ceremony will begin at 5:30pm and will kick off with a 15 minute performance by the Gerald Adams Steel Band followed by remarks from Mr. Ed Tierney, superintendent of Monroe County Schools, and individual recognition of each scholarship recipient and the programs they will attend this summer.
Founded last year by Key West High School junior Violet Jangraw, Reach for Greatness was created to help ambitious students access life-changing educational, leadership, STEM, arts, and service opportunities that are often financially out of reach.
“Most scholarships are focused on graduating seniors, but there are incredible students doing extraordinary things long before that,” said Jangraw. “We wanted to create opportunities for students now, while they are building confidence, leadership, and discovering what they’re capable of.”
This year’s scholarship recipients represent schools across Monroe County including Key West High School, Marathon High School, The Basilica School of St. Mary Star of the Sea, and Horace O'Bryant School. Students will attend prestigious summer programs across the country including Harvard University, Howard University, New York Film Academy, United States Naval Academy, North Carolina State University, and leadership programs at Georgetown University.
Among the awardees is aspiring filmmaker Fabiola Rodriguez Vazquez, who wrote in her application that “there truly isn't any other thing in the world that brings me as much joy as when I'm filming.” A passionate storyteller and aspiring director and actress, Fabiola hopes to attend a top film university and use film to “show more of my community and tell stories in more diverse ways.” She recently wrote, directed, and starred in her first short film and plans to continue pursuing opportunities in filmmaking, acting, and visual storytelling.
Another recipient, Lexi Finigan, hopes to expand diversity in STEM as a deaf student pursuing engineering, while Nathalie Ortiz Sanchez plans to pursue a future in law and government service. Several recipients will attend advanced leadership and training programs through the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps, while others will study filmmaking, engineering, Spanish immersion, business, politics, aviation, and environmental leadership.
The 2026 Reach for Greatness scholarship recipients are:
Alyssa Nicole De la Torre – CADCA Mid-Year Prevention Training, Orlando
David Gordillo Vera – Sea Cadet Recruit Training, Camp Blanding
Elizabeth Perez – Champions for Change Leadership Program
Fabiola Rodriguez Vazquez – New York Film Academy Summer Program
Gage Jangraw – Bold Earth California Leadership Expedition + Sea Cadet Recruit Training
Greggory Stone Turbeville – U.S. Naval Academy Summer Seminar + USNSCC Navy Shipboard Training
Hubert Konopka – Sea Cadet Recruit Training
Julian Turbeville – Sea Cadet Recruit Training + Culinary Training
Lexi Finigan – NC State Materials Discovery Academy
Meredith Barton – Spanish Immersion Program in Málaga, Spain
Nathalie Ortiz Sanchez – National Student Leadership Conference at Georgetown
Shyla Monae Waldon – Howard University Pre-Business Program
Violet Jangraw – Harvard Pre-College Program in Law and Philosophy
The public is invited to attend the ceremony and celebrate the achievements of Monroe County students pursuing ambitious educational opportunities across the country.