Garden club presents scholarships to local students
The Port St. Joe Garden Club is pleased to announce the two recipients of its 2023 scholarships. Students must excel academically as well as demonstrate a commitment to community outreach.
Nathan Duong, a senior at Port St Joe High School, was awarded the 2023 Collicott-Miller Scholarship. Nathan will be attending Gulf Coast State College to participate in the drone program and pursue a career as a drone pilot.
Emma Birmingham, a senior at Wewahitchka High School, was awarded the first annual Port St. Joe Garden Club Scholarship. Emma will be attending Florida State University in the fall to begin her studies toward a nursing degree.
Members of the Scholarship Committee, Caroline Madsen, Ann Showman and Jeanne Schlicting, concurred that selecting the finalists was a difficult task due to the strong field of applicants from both public high schools in Gulf County.
Per its bylaws, the Port St. Joe Garden Club is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes. The club’s mission is to promote horticulture and conservation, undertake beautification projects in Gulf County, and participate in civic projects.
Furthermore, the organization maintains three Blue Star markers to honor veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. Last but not least, the garden club supports youth education in horticulture and conservation.
To learn more about the Port St. Joe Garden Club, visit its Facebook page.
To reserve the historic home of the club, which accommodates up to 70 guests, contact rental coordinator Lanann Tuttle at 404-932-0646.
Meet the Editor
Wendy Weitzel, The Star’s digital editor, joined the news outlet in August 2021, as a reporter covering primarily Gulf County.
Prior to then, she interned for Oklahoma-based news wire service Gaylord News and for Oklahoma City-based online newspaper NonDoc.com during her four years at the University of Oklahoma, from which she graduated in May with degrees in online journalism and political science.
While at OU, Weitzel was selected as Carnegie-Knight News21 Investigative Fellow among 30 top journalism students from around the country. She also was senior editor managing a 12-person newsroom in coordination with Oklahoma Watch, a non-profit news organization in eastern Oklahoma.