The School District of Lee County is excited to announce that 41 students have been honored as 2025 Carson Scholars. The Carson Scholars Fund will provide each student with a $1,000 College Scholarship.
The Carson Scholars Fund honors an elite group of students from grades 4-11 who not only demonstrate exceptional academic achievements, maintaining at least a 3.75 GPA, but also embody significant humanitarian qualities.
The 41 new students honored as Carson Scholars this year are:
Ella Alfaro-Maldonado (7th), North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts
Brynlee Alvarez (5th), The Alva School
Ava Andrews (8th), The Sanibel School
Emma Bala (8th), Caloosa Middle School
Sophia Brown (5th), Dr. Carrie D. Robinson Littleton Elementary School
Trinity Brown (5th), Franklin Park Magnet School
Peyton Burton (10th), Island Coast High School
Victoria Busch (11th), Fort Myers High School
Olivia Da Silva (5th), Orangewood Elementary School
Madelyn Debiram (5th), Tanglewood Elementary School
Heloisa Dos Santos (5th), Colonial Elementary School
Silas Dylan (4th), Veterans Park Academy for the Arts
Reagan Felt (5th), Heights Elementary School
Rylee Freeman (5th), Gateway Elementary School
Raynor Friedman (5th), Gulf Elementary School
Efrain Garcia (5th), Tice Elementary School
Brooklyn Gianelli (5th), Skyline Elementary School
Zaya Haas (8th), Oak Hammock Middle School
Melissa Hernandez (5th), Villas Elementary School
Brianna Hopkins (5th), Treeline Elementary School
Jake Kearney (5th), Orange River Elementary School
Austin Khin (5th), Pelican Elementary School
Blake Kowalski (5th), Rayma C. Page Elementary School
Keegan Lee (8th), Lehigh Acres Middle School
Kael Manning (5th), Pinewoods Elementary School
Connor Martin (5th), Pine Island Elementary School
Reef Mertz (5th), San Carlos Park Elementary School
Lauren Mickuleit (4th), Lee Virtual School
Cassidy Ordetx (8th), Bonita Springs Middle Center for the Arts
Alyssa Person (5th), Edgewood Academy School
Ryan Prianti (5th), J. Colin English Elementary School
Madiline Pritchett (5th), Bayshore Elementary School
Bella Regis (5th), Allen Park Elementary School
Savannah Sepulveda (5th), Diplomat Elementary School
Chiersten Sodergren (5th), Sunshine Elementary School
Giada Stanfield (5th), Edison Park Creative and Expressive Arts School
Lucas Summy (8th), Lexington Middle School
Laila Tamburri (5th), River Hall Elementary School
Noelle Trujillo (5th), Lehigh Elementary School
Elisha Turrubiartez (5th), Amanecer Elementary School
Melia Wolter (5th), Tropic Isles Elementary School
In addition, 68 students in the School District of Lee County earned Carson Scholar Recognition in 2025. To be eligible for this prestigious honor, students must maintain a minimum 3.75 GPA, exemplify strong humanitarian values through community service, and be nominated by a current educator. Recognized scholars continue to uphold these high standards year after year. Nine are high school seniors.
Aubrey Beougher, North Fort Myers High School
Nikita Danesh, Cypress Lake High School
Natalia Gonzalez, Estero High School
Alexis Klutsaris, Ida S. Baker High School
Alexander Mankin, Fort Myers High School
Annabelle Marsh, Fort Myers High School
Landon McCarthy, North Fort Myers High School
Boone Stewart, Riverdale High School
Charlotte Swank, Riverdale High School
All 2025 New and Recognized Carson Scholars are invited to an awards banquet on April 13, 2025. Scholars will be honored in front of their families, educators, and peers. Carson Scholar Awards Banquets provide an opportunity to recognize scholars for all they have accomplished, inspire them by bringing in a motivational leader to share a word of wisdom and encourage them in their efforts moving forward.
The Carson Scholars Fund, Inc. was founded in 1994 by now-retired world-renowned Johns Hopkins Pediatric Neurosurgeon Benjamin S. Carson, M.D., and his wife, Candy to address the education crisis in the United States. They believed that if children could be taught early to excel, they would stay motivated and have a higher chance of educational success later in life.