Collier and Keys United Way Opens Final Marine Scholarship, $47,500 Awarded

United Way of Collier and the Keys opened the fourth and final year of its Marine Science Educational Advancement Scholarship, with applications accepted through April 24, 2025, and the organization simultaneously handed out $47,500 in awards to local students at Coral Shores High School on May 27, 2025. Jessica Dockery, reef revitalization project liaison for UWCK, is the application contact at jessica.dockery@uwcollierkeys.org; press inquiries can be directed to Alissa Hudak at Alissa.Hudak@uwcollierkeys.org.

The 2025 individual scholarship round totaled $47,500 and named 11 Monroe County recipients: Shannon DeWit, Maxwell Berthold, Ronald Petty, Kristen Szpak, Rocio Ornelas-Perez, Jim Brittsan, Zachary Yenor, Jessica Staton, Katy Borders, Ali Beth Wilson and Teagan Eriksen. The awards were presented by Dockery and UWCK board vice chair Brandi Horton at Coral Shores High School, where the organization staged the scholarship presentation.

Recipients and UWCK staff framed the scholarships as investments in local reef work and conservation careers. Ali Beth Wilson, one of this year’s recipients, said, "Growing up a Keys kid and daughter of a local fishing guide, I’ve always had a deep connection to the ocean. This scholarship will help me continue advocating for the Florida Keys and ensure our waters remain a thriving, sustainable paradise for future generations." Dockery described the program’s role in workforce development: "This scholarship program is a critical piece of our broader investment in reef restoration and environmental education. By supporting local students, we’re cultivating the next generation of scientists and conservationists who will help protect and restore our unique marine ecosystems for years to come."

UWCK messaging places the scholarships inside a multiyear initiative funded in part by a $3.5 million grant from the United Arab Emirates in 2020. UWCK reported that in the 2024–2025 academic year it awarded $28,000 in scholarships to six recipients and that, since the program launched in 2022, "nearly $70,000 has been invested" in Monroe County scholars. Local coverage elsewhere reports a different accounting: $116,185 awarded to date with $38,815 remaining for a final disbursement in 2026. The differing totals have been reported from the separate statements and reflect competing summaries of cumulative awards.

Separate from the individual scholarships, UWCK announced a 2025–2026 Marine Science Education Grants program that will deliver $27,978 to 12 local schools and organizations for hands-on marine education. The named grant recipients are The Basilica School of St. Mary Star of the Sea; Island Dolphin Care; Key West Preschool Co-op; MarineLab / Marine Resources Development Foundation; May Sands Montessori School; Newfound Harbor Marine Institute at Seacamp; Ocean Studies Charter School; Poinciana Elementary School; Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF); Reef Relief; Reef Renewal USA, Inc.; and Sigsbee Charter School.

Prospective applicants should contact Jessica Dockery at jessica.dockery@uwcollierkeys.org; the application window runs through April 24, 2025. As UWCK moves into its final scholarship year, the organization positions the funds and the related grants as targeted support for Monroe County students and institutions engaged in reef restoration and marine conservation.