HOME > NEWS > NEWS RELEASE

News Release

Emily Howell of Howard Middle School Wins Prepaid College Foundation’s Governor’s Recognition Scholarship 7th Grader Awarded 4-Year University Scholarship

Emily Howell was only a fourth grader when she met Gov. Jeb Bush, but she wasn’t shy about wanting to know more about him and his job.

After she spoke at an event honoring improved Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test scores at Jefferson Elementary School, "I walked over to the governor to invite myself to lunch," Howell, now a seventh-grader at Howard Middle School, said in an essay submitted to the Governor’s Recognition Scholarship competition. "I couldn’t wait to ask him about our luncheon. Finally the question was asked, and he said yes…I just knew I would have a great time with the governor."

Howell, who says former Gov. Bush taught her how hard it can be to make the right decisions, is a winner of the newly established Governor’s Recognition Scholarship from the Florida Prepaid College Foundation. Valued at about $21,500, the Foundation-sponsored prepaid scholarship will pay for four years of tuition and fees at a Florida university. Howell will receive the scholarship at 7 p.m., May 22 at the Howard Middle School graduation ceremony to be held at Jefferson County High School, Monticello.

"One main question I asked was ‘Is it hard being governor?’ " Howell, 13, wrote of the day when Bush gave her a tour of the Capitol and held her hand as they walked to a lunch of hamburger for him, grilled cheese sandwich for her. "Governor Bush’s response was ‘Kinda, because I can’t please everyone.’ "

Bush said Howell’s testimonial was "very moving and heartwarming for me."

"We’re very thankful to the Florida Prepaid College Foundation that this opportunity happened in Jefferson County," said Phil Barker, superintendent of Jefferson County schools. "It couldn’t come to a more deserving child."

The Florida Prepaid College Foundation is the scholarship arm of the Florida Prepaid College Board that administers the Florida Prepaid College Plan. The Foundation has used private donations to create the Governor’s Recognition Scholarship , awarded this year for the first time to one seventh-grade student in Hillsborough, Monroe and Jefferson counties.

"There is nothing more important and valuable than a college education," said Tom Wallace, Florida Prepaid College Board executive director and Foundation board member, who will present the award to Howell.

Interested students were invited to write an essay about the Florida governor whom they most admired and his legacy. In the future, the scholarships will rotate among the state’s 67 counties, with three school districts’ seventh graders eligible each year.

Please go to www.floridaprepaidcollegefoundation.com for more information.

Read Emily's Essay

Diane Hirth
Director of Marketing and Communications
Florida Prepaid College Board
1801 Hermitage Boulevard Suite 210
Tallahassee, FL 32308
850.488.8514
850.339.3151 cell

diane.murdock@myfloridaprepaid.com