The Blackwater Pyrates recognized two Pensacola State College Pirates at a scholarship dinner on the evening of October 18th. PSC students and scholarship recipients, Alicia Hartwig-Schmitz and Layton Davis, were honored during the event and celebrated their scholarship support from the group for the Fall 2023 semester.
To help fuel one of its core missions, the Pyrates offer scholarship support in hopes that recipients will develop an interest in local history, and forge a career path with plans to preserve, and perhaps add to, Blackwater area history. In just a year and a half, the Blackwater Pyrates have already supported five PSC Pirates with $7,500 through the Blackwater Pyrate Local History Preservation Scholarship.
Layton Davis, one of this year’s recipients, expressed his gratitude to the Pyrates. “Being able to focus on my education is a privilege I do not take lightly . . . Becoming a full-time student again has prevented me from working the same hours that I worked in the past, so tuition has been tough to cover on my own. If it weren’t for donors like you, I would have had to give up a long time ago. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”
Alicia Hartwig-Schmitz agreed, “Thank you so much for your generous gift. Scholarships like this one make it possible for students like me, who must work and take care of a family on top of maintaining good grades, to take time to focus on our studies without worrying about how many hours we need at work in order to cover tuition and bills.”
Founded in 2006, the mission of the Blackwater Pyrates Foundation is to serve and pillage the community through river cleanups, boater safety, and maritime preservation while having fun in the process. The adult group supports numerous initiatives in the Milton and Bagdad areas.
For more information about the Blackwater Pyrates Foundation, please visit https://www.blackwaterpyrates.com/
For more information about supporting scholarships, such as the Blackwater Pyrates Local History Preservation Scholarship, at the Pensacola State College Foundation, please visit http://foundation.pensacolastate.edu/opportunities-to-support-psc/scholarships/
To apply for scholarships at Pensacola State College, please visit https://financialaid.pensacolastate.edu/scholarships/.
Pictured from left are, Mikenzie Francis-Opperman, Director of PSC Foundation Scholarships; Alicia Hartwig-Schmitz; Layton Davis; Nancy Roberts aka “Fancy Nancy”, Blackwater Pyrates Foundation Scholarship Chair; and Larry McKee aka “Captain Lucky”, Captain of the Blackwater Pyrates Foundation.