North High student nets Foundation, AT&T scholarship
David Luciemable, a senior at North Fort Myers High School, earned his first scholarship this past week.
You can bet it won’t be his last.
Luciemable was one of 12 recipients of scholarships awarded by AT&T and The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools, which is given to Lee County high school students currently enrolled in The Foundation’s Student Advocacy and Mentoring Partnership program.
Luciemable learned about the $2,000 scholarship from attending a scholarship night at the end of last year with the students from STAMP at the Foundation and applied for the scholarship.
Luciemable said he plans to apply for many more scholarships, including local ones for the Kiwanis (he is treasurer of the Key Club at North) and for the Mayor’s Scholarship in Cape Coral, where he lives.
His primary college choices are South Florida, Florida and Florida State; he wants to enter the medical field.
“All three schools have medical programs I’m looking for because I’m looking to go into pharmacy and then into being a physician,” Luciemable said. “They also have theater programs that I want to continue doing the rest of my life.”
Luciemable has shown those skills by winning the school’s poetry recitation contest the past three years, advancing to the statewide competition and placing high.
“He’s a very unique individual. He’s very talented, bright and a motivated student,” said Matt Mederios, North principal. “He’s put himself in a place where he can be successful. He’s a model citizen and a model student.”
He, along with the other winners, provides an example for others to follow.
“The students in our STAMP program have demonstrated they are planning for a future as positive and contributing members of our community,” said Marshall T. Bower, president and CEO of The Foundation for Lee county Public Schools in a prepared statement. “These scholarships help to ensure that success.”
David spent his early life in New Jersey and moved to Georgia briefly before his father, who had just gotten promoted, had the choice to go back to New Jersey or Fort Myers.
They chose Fort Myers, and have lived in Southwest Florida for nine years.
The Foundation established STAMP in an effort to offer students from low income family homes the opportunity to achieve success by providing college and career planning resources and mentoring.
Similar to Take Stock in Children, a statewide scholarship program for at-risk students, STAMP students are required to maintain a 2.5 GPA, attend school regularly, remain drug- and crime-free, exhibit positive behavior, and regularly meet with a volunteer mentor, who serves as a personal guidance counselor.