Three grads win ‘Do The Right Thing’ scholarships
Three seniors from Cape Coral high schools got a little help to pay for their college education on Wednesday as they were awarded scholarships at the annual “Do The Right Thing” scholarship luncheon held this year at the Wine & Roses Italian Restaurant.
Numerous city council members and the top brass at the fire and police departments were present for a buffet-style lunch and to show support for some of the brightest students the city has to offer.
Ryan Molloy, Loremis Capiro and Jonathan Gonzalez earned scholarships from the Fraternal Order of Police, Fire Department and Cape Coral For the Children, respectively.
They had to do solid work in the classroom (they needed a GPA of 2.5 or higher), submit two letters of recommendation, a resume of their qualifications, and write an essay about being a positive role model in order to qualify.
Past leadership roles and activities and awards they have won also weighed heavily.
“These three young adults have done that and more, and it’s because of that these three are receiving these scholarship checks,” said Officer Kelvin Thompkins of the CCPD.
“These are our future leaders, the kids we look at and have a high expectation of that have shown the dedication of what they’ve done today and have high hopes for in the future,” Deputy Chief David Newlan said.
All three learned about the award thanks to their guidance counselors, who made them aware of the scholarship money available to them.
“I won the Do The Right Thing award in the past and wrote something on that and what I wanted to do. It was great when I found out I won. Every bit helps,” Gonzalez said
Molloy and Gonzalez had each earned the “Do The Right Thing” award in the past
Gonzalez attends Ida Baker High Baker and is a member of the jazz band. He plans to attend FGCU as a criminal justice major, with the hopes of becoming a detective and eventually a member of the FBI.
Caprio, who will graduate from Mariner, is vice president of the National Hispanic Honor Society, and intends to go to Savannah College of Arts & Design for a degree in Interaction Design and a Masters in fine arts.
“You hardly hear about any scholarship for the arts, so that I got one from the police is amazing,” said Caprio, who is bilingual and has helped fellow students who have trouble with English learn the language.
Molloy, who did not attend the luncheon because he was taking his IB exams, will graduate from Cape Coral High School and intends to major in engineering at UCF, said Michelle, Ryan’s mother, who accepted the scholarship on his behalf.
All are members of the National Honor Society.