Five outstanding, college-bound teens from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County were recognized on Tuesday, October 15, by ESPN Television sports analyst, author and philanthropist Dick Vitale for their commitment to their academic excellence and career goals. Vitale and his wife Lorraine awarded each recipient a $1,000 scholarship to help support their postsecondary education. The Vitales have been presenting college scholarships to deserving Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County members since 1997, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 110 and amount of scholarship support to $110,000.  

The 2019 Dick Vitale Scholarship recipients are: 

• Katherine Hernandez, a Sarasota Military Academy graduate who attended the Gene Matthews Boys & Girls Club for 12 years and is pursuing a degree in Nursing at Keiser University Flagship Campus in hopes of becoming a registered nurse;

• Alex Lam, a 2-year Lee Wetherington Boys & Girls Club member who recently graduated from Pine View School and is studying Biology & History at University of South Florida;

• Ian McLean,  a 4-year Lee Wetherington Boys & Girls Club member and graduate of Sarasota High School who is seeking a degree in Social Sciences from University of South Florida to ultimately work in the nonprofit sector;

• Jeremy Morales, a Business major at State College of Florida who graduated from North Port High School, attended the Gene Matthews Boys & Girls Club for 12 years and aspires to be an entrepreneur; 

• Jatavian Peterson, a Booker High School graduate who attended the Roy McBean Boys & Girls Club for 12 years and is pursuing a degree in Musical Theatre at Pace University in New York City in hopes of becoming a Broadway Performer. 

bgcsarasota.com