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Parkland advisory board to review and interview applicants for nine scholarships
Summary
The Community Advisory Board will have all members review applications and interview candidates for nine scholarships funded by the city and private donors; staff reported 53 application submissions and 19 unique applicants from multiple area schools.
At its March meeting the City of Parkland Community Advisory Board set the process for selecting recipients of nine scholarships awarded to graduating seniors who are Parkland residents.
Jackie Weymier, senior director of strategy and intergovernmental affairs for the City of Parkland, told the board the city funds three scholarships ($2,000; $1,200; $800) and several local donors contributed additional awards. Speakers identified donor contributions including two $500 scholarships from the Kennedy Law team and a $500 scholarship from the Eaton family; two scholarships from the Mesa Taylor family and one from the Parkland Chamber of Commerce were also noted though specific dollar amounts were not stated.
Marcela Madigan, senior administrative assistant in the city manager’s office, provided application statistics: “This year, we had 53 applications from 19 different applicants,” and said those applicants attended a mix of schools including Parkland MSD, St. Thomas, FAU, North Broward Prep and Calvary Christian.
After discussion, the board voted to adopt a single process in which each board member will both review applications and participate in interviews. Kelty Carpenter Hyman moved the motion and Jeff Wolf seconded it. The board discussed logistics: interviews typically are scheduled on weekdays between about 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., take 10–15 minutes each, and use a scoring card provided by staff. Board members said doing both review and interview preserves continuity and allows members to “put a face to the application.”
Board members also debated scholarship size, with several saying larger awards (for example, $1,000 or $2,000) could attract more applicants and spur broader interest. Jackie Weymier and Doug Eaton (who is Parkland Chamber president) said the city’s steady contribution is $4,000 in total and additional funds depend on donor outreach; staff indicated they will contact businesses and chamber members about possible future increases.
Staff will distribute scoring cards and schedule interviews; the board expects interviews to require one or two weekdays and to be completed before the board selects winners. The board did not announce specific award recipients at the March meeting.
