BY CLIFF SMELLEY
The Kiwanis Club of Starke is awarding three Bradford High School seniors with Steve Denmark Memorial Scholarships and recognized each recipient at its April 22 meeting.
Carolyn Adams, Alissa Reddish and Amber Wynn will each receive $500.
The club annually budgets for two scholarships. A contribution from Kitten Denmark, the wife of the late Steve Denmark, allowed for the club to add a third recipient this year.
Steve Denmark, who was a charter member of the club, passed away at the age of 71 on April 28, 2019.
“This is one of my favorite times of year, when we give out scholarships in honor of Steve Denmark,” said club member Cheryl Canova, who serves as chair of the scholarship committee. “It’s hard to believe he’s been gone as long as he has. He would be very proud of and happy for you guys getting these today.”
Adams, who is a dual-enrolled student at Santa Fe College, was a student manager intern at VyStar’s BHS branch for two years and works as a cashier at Sonny’s. Adams has been a member of the BHS varsity cheer squad and marching band and a mentor teacher for Beginning Band. She also sings at community events.
“I am very excited,” Adams told the club. “I’m not graduating with my AA degree, but I am very close to it. I should, hopefully, graduate with my AA degree by next spring.
“I’m majoring in Health Sciences. At the end, I want to be a pediatric physical therapist. I enjoy working with children.
“I want to be able to do something where I know I’m helping others. That’s very important to me.”
Her educational path, after completing work on her AA degree, will include earning bachelor’s and Doctor of Physical Therapy degrees.
“I really appreciate you all considering me for the scholarship and choosing me as a recipient,” Adams said. “Clearly, I have a lot of school to go through, so it’s going to help me a lot.”
Reddish, who dual enrolls at Santa Fe, has been a member of Students Working Against Tobacco, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and has served in the greet and children’s ministries at Cross Church. Reddish creates chalkboard signs for the Cross Church children’s ministry and has also assisted with Bradford Middle School and BHS track-and-field events.
“I just want to say thank you for selecting me for this scholarship,” Reddish said.
Reddish said she’s had the desire to be a teacher for most of her life and said she’d like to substitute for Bradford schools while she continues work toward her AA degree. She described that as the chance “to kind of get my feet wet and get a little better of an idea of what being a teacher is like.”
She plans to pursue a degree in Elementary Education.
Wynn, who also dual enrolls at Santa Fe, has been an active leader for the BHS softball team and has served as a group leader in vacation Bible school activities.
“Thank you, for choosing me for this scholarship,” said Wynn, who added that she’d continue work toward her AA degree and then possibly pursue a career in the medical field.
“I’m not sure what my plans are, but that’s kind of what I’m leaning toward,” she said.
The Kiwanis Club received 11 applicants for this year’s scholarships. Canova said the committee had a tough time selecting the recipients.
“They were all good,” Canova said of the applicants. “They were all very good.”
