Three high school seniors entering college in the fall and eight students already attending college will each receive $1,000 renewable scholarships.
(June 20, 2023) Lucia Warren (Sarasota High School), Mateo Rizzo (Riverview High School), and Kasey-Huong Nguyen (Venice High School)—recently graduated high school seniors who served as members of their school’s Coexistence Club—were awarded $1,000 four-year renewable scholarships by Embracing Our Differences. Rizzo and Nguyen will be entering the University of Florida while Warren will be entering the University of South Florida in the fall. They join Chloe Labrecque and Cam Pham, rising seniors at the University of Florida, who received their first scholarships in 2020; Kennedy Hart and Emilia Przepiora, rising juniors at Rice University and the University of Florida, who received their first scholarships in 2021; Anela Ajkic and Megan Meese, rising sophomores at the University of Florida, and Mya Fraser, a rising sophomore at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, who received their first scholarships in 2022. In addition, Jay Murphy, who served in an internship position for EOD this spring through New College of Florida, will receive a $1,000 two-year renewable scholarship to attend Ringling College of Art and Design in the fall.
The students are part of an EOD scholarship initiative that grants annual $1,000 renewable scholarships to students at regional high school Coexistence Clubs. Current Coexistence Club locations include Booker, North Port, Pine View, Riverview, Sarasota, Suncoast Polytech, and Venice high schools, Imagine Schools North Port and SCF Collegiate Bradenton in addition to two middle school clubs at Laurel Nokomis School and Venice Middle School. Coexistence Club members serve as docents for thousands of students who visit EOD’s outdoor exhibits every year in addition to designing and leading student-driven initiatives in their schools to promote inclusion and acceptance. These scholarships are made possible by the Jody Beresford and Robert Mayer Scholarship Fund, along with generous support from private donors.
“The ongoing commitment of Coexistence Club members to promote diversity, inclusion, kindness and respect in their schools and at EOD’s annual exhibit led us to consider how we could further honor their efforts while also supporting their education after graduation,” says Ben Jewell-Plocher, EOD’s learning and engagement director. “As we enter our fourth year of awarding scholarships, it is heartwarming to see how second-, third-, and fourth-year awardees continue to advocate for inclusion and belonging within their university communities. We are thrilled to work with all the amazing Coexistence Club students, the dedicated educators who advise and guide this student-driven initiative and our steadfast supporters who make the Coexistence Club program and scholarships possible.”
Jewell-Plocher adds that award recipients need to demonstrate how the Coexistence Club and their participation as docents for EOD’s exhibit has had an impact on their life and high school career.
Lucia Warren, who will be studying biology at USF in the fall, says that participating in EOD’s Coexistence Club has “altered the way I see myself and the community I’m surrounded by because if we don’t have unity and coexist with each other we will never be a true community. How did I get so lucky to be offered this amazing opportunity!”
Mateo Rizzo, who will be studying aerospace and mechanical engineering at UF in the fall, says that his favorite part of serving as an officer for the Coexistence Club “was seeing how our members have been instilled with confidence since joining the club. This is especially evident during EOD’s annual exhibits, where our members lead large classes of students, engaging them in conversation about many different topics. I’m proud to have been part of this wonderful, empowering organization, and I will strive to continue representing the values it has instilled in me throughout the years.”
Kasey-Huong Nguyen, who plans to study biological sciences at UF in the fall, says she is “honored to be awarded this very generous scholarship from Embracing Our Differences as I pursue my goal to practice pediatric dentistry. Since I moved to Sarasota from Vietnam, this is the goal that I’ve been working towards. I’m glad to say that EOD has helped me on my pathway toward achieving the American Dream, and many more dreams to come!”
Jay Murphy, who is transferring from New College of Florida to Ringling College of Art and Design, is studying visual arts. “The importance of representing EOD has never been more important. Everyone deserves to be themselves and practice the art of kindness,” says Murphy.
Anela Ajkic is studying health science and psychology at the University of Florida. She says that the knowledge she gained through Embracing Our Differences has been invaluable as a future healthcare worker. One of her classes was learning additional skills to interact with disabled patients. “The class ended up being one of my favorites that I took my freshman year because it taught me valuable skills that I have already incorporated into my life. During the course I interacted with other classmates with disabilities such as deafness and blindness and heard from guest speakers with both visible and invisible disabilities. I used the lessons I learned in EOD to properly treat my fellow classmates and guest speakers and to communicate respectfully and collaborate in group projects in ways that were inclusive to my classmates with different abilities.”
Megan Meese is majoring in international studies and anthropology at the University of Florida. She notes that her involvement in the Coexistence Club at Riverview High School inspired her worldview, academic plans, and professional aspirations. “Both my majors—international studies and anthropology—focus on the examination of global diversity and culture. My Spanish minor has facilitated my communication with individuals and communities with different backgrounds than my own. This course of study, as well as my role in the International Scholars Program, has enabled me to continue to do so by completing language and culture immersion while studying abroad in Spain this summer. As a 2023 Civic Scholar through the Bob Graham Center for Public Service, I have conducted undergraduate research on culture, equity, and social change. Furthermore, through UF’s Center for Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement, I received training and certification in diversity, inclusion, and belonging, which I have used in many capacities.” Meese was quoted in a Washington Post article about the legislation being enacted about Florida education, stating “Education can and should expose us to diverse perspectives. Ignorance permits hate, discrimination, and marginalization. And by limiting discussions and awareness of identity, the legislation in Florida is going to instill ignorance in our students, which will promote intolerance and inequity in our future.” Meese adds: “Ultimately, all these experiences during my first year of college were deeply inspired by the lessons I learned and incorporated in my life through Coexistence Club and Embracing Our Differences.
Mya Fraser is majoring in business administration at Florida Agriculture & Mechanical University. “Being a Coexistence Club member is an honor that I carry with me every day,” she says. “The Coexistence Club taught me to be more open-minded and respectful. It was one of few clubs that embraced diversity and shared how to understand different cultures. Attending a predominantly Caucasian school was always hard. But having a club like this helped me. Now, as a university student, I see the acknowledgement and art that embraces diversity every day. The biggest lesson participating in the Coexistence Club has taught me is reflected by where I chose to continue my education—in an institution that embraces diversity and rejects prejudice and hatred.”
Emilia Przepiora is majoring in psychology at USF. She says that she continues to be grateful for her time volunteering with Embracing Our Differences and “for the challenge to uphold EOD’s core values every day. As I continue working toward a degree in psychology, I am increasingly confident that I want to work in the field of speech pathology. As EOD’s message and many of the exhibit’s artworks have shown over the years, language can be a powerful tool of expression and connection between people. I would like to be a force in the world that empowers people by ensuring they have the necessary tools to be expressive and make connections. Whether it is through spoken language, written language, sign language, or another form of communication, people with disabilities have had their voices silenced throughout history.”
Kennedy Hart is majoring in managerial economics and organizational sciences at Rice University. She says that through her research at Rice, she has had the opportunity to continue to study and advocate for the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. “I ultimately hope to bring my knowledge to organizations and make change. This summer, I will be working as an intern with an I-O psychologist who specializes in DEI and leadership consulting. I am interested in following a similar path for my future career. I attribute a lot of this to the experiences I had with EOD. High school was a critical moment to foster empathy, open-mindedness, and initiative, which I did through our Coexistence Club. All of these qualities are necessary components for what I hope to do with my future career, and I am very grateful.”
Chloe Labrecque is majoring in English, psychology and public health at the University of Florida. She says that she was able to participate in a substantial project where each group had to develop a fictional grassroots organization aimed at reducing and/or resolving a local public health issue. “One of the issues I recognized was a lack of inclusivity and accessibility in the plans my group was making—despite the fact that our target population was low-income families. Many of our planned actions were not realistically accessible for those without expendable time and income. Maintaining a baseline of respect for my group members allowed us to engage in productive conversations about these shortcomings, which frequently led to expanded discussions within our group about issues of equity, accessibility, and inclusivity that not only improved our project, but increased our awareness of these issues beyond the classroom. Despite our initial conflicts, the foundation of empathy and respect underlining our efforts enabled my group to gradually find a rhythm that allowed us to communicate clearly, work productively, and produce inclusive, accessible, and beneficial plans that we were all proud of.”
Cam Pham is majoring in health education and behavior at the University of Florida. She says, “ever since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the growth of Asian hate crimes/actions has grown dramatically, especially in the United States. As a part of the Asian community, I have also experienced harassment. As a part of the Asian American Student Union organization at UF, I was able to attend workshops, fundraising events, educate others about the Asian community and share my story. I was able to speak up for those who are afraid and stand up for my own culture and my identity. Not only that, but I was also able to uphold Embracing Our Differences’ core values by accepting and respecting others’ cultures, supporting one another’s beliefs, and celebrating diversity. I am glad to always have EOD supporting my journey.”
For 20 years, Embracing Our Differences has drawn on the passion and perception of artists, students, writers, and others to create powerful statements of diversity and acceptance in its annual outdoor public art exhibition consisting of 50 billboard-sized works of art and accompanying quotes. The scale and impact of this outdoor exhibition has continued to grow, attracting more than 4.3 million visitors since its inception. This exhibit is the heart of a year-round program of activities designed to use art as a catalyst to create awareness and promote diversity.
For more information, call 941-404-5710 or visit www.embracingourdifferences.org.
About Embracing Our Differences
Embracing Our Differences is a not-for-profit organization that uses the transformational power of art and education to celebrate and promote the diversity of the human family. It accomplishes this through an annual, large-scale outdoor juried art exhibition and a comprehensive series of educational initiatives, programs and resources designed for teachers and students. Visit www.embracingourdifferences.org.