Row 1: Chilondra Sheppard, Mayra Gomez, Jaene Miranda, Laura Finfrock, Allen Finfrock, Ava Parker and Dr. LaTanya McNeal. Row 2: Kimberly Lancaster, Jernae Thomas, David Rutherford and Capt. Emory Payne. Row 3: Jim Spafford, Steve Cornette and Anthony Davis.
Photo by The Boys and Girls Club of Palm Beach County
Boys & Girls Clubs members in Belle Glade may apply now for a $1,500-a-year scholarship to Palm Beach State College, thanks to a $20,000 donation by philanthropist Laura Finfrock.
The scholarship is only for members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County’s Smith & Moore Family Teen Center in Belle Glade who pursue an associate degree or career certificate at the community college.
Finfrock, whose family company is one of Florida’s leading commercial contractors, said the college offers the necessary tools to support the future of Belle Glade and Palm Beach County.
Belle Glade has seen the highest unemployment rate in the county, motivating companies like Finfrock to take steps to develop qualified employees.
Scholarship applicants must have been Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County members for two or more years and have completed at least 20 volunteer hours with the teen center. They need a GPA of at least 2.0 and must write a 250-word essay describing how the scholarship will benefit their educational journey.
Priority will go to students pursuing science, technology, engineering and math, as well as industry, manufacturing, construction and transportation.
Scholarship recipients may attend any of PBSC’s five campuses.
Although Finfrock’s donation launched the program, additional contributions are needed to support more students in the future.
Established in 1945, Finfrock has designed and built resorts, parking garages, student housing, office buildings and multifamily buildings. The company aims to offer a modern, edgy touch to construction.
The Apopka-based contractor’s connection to the Glades region started early last year when it purchased 100 acres in Belle Glade to house precast concrete manufacturing facilities. The plant will bring the Belle Glade area over 200 jobs.
Since 1994, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County has expanded from after-school programs in three Belle Glade schools to six school-based sites and one stand-alone facility providing education to more than 1,200 Glades-area youths.
The club offers six core programs: character and leadership development; education and career development; health and life skills; the arts; sports and fitness; and technology.
For information on donating to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County’s Belle Glade Teen Center Scholarship Fund, contact Kim Sovinsky at ksovinski@bgcpbc.org or 561-683-3287.
To donate to the PBSC Foundation, visit www.palmbeachstate.edu/foundation, or call 561-868-3450.
