Heather Harvill has kids of her own – young adults, actually – in college. She definitely wasn’t expecting a scholarship for herself.
Yet Harvill is one of two Pensacola State College Culinary Management students who are the latest recipients of scholarships provided by the Cantonment Rotary Club.
Harvill and fellow scholarship recipient Savannah Barwick met with members of the Cantonment Rotary Club at a luncheon Tuesday, Nov. 2, in the Molly McGuire Culinary Arts Dining Room on the Pensacola campus.
“I’m very humbled to receive this scholarship,’’ said Harvill, a mother of six children. “Coming back to school, it was intimidating at first. I have kids in college and have been a stay-at-home mother for 20 years. But this is my next passion.”
She said she is studying Culinary Management “for the journey” but could possibly see working toward becoming a private chef in the future.
Barwick hopes to open her own bakery and coffee shop.
“I want to make all my own syrups,’’ she said. “I’ve worked (in the food industry) since 2015 but this program gives me the technical knowledge and the management tools I need. I’m really excited about the program and the scholarship.”
Harvill and Barwick each received $500 scholarships for the spring 2023 semester from the Cantonment Rotary Club Culinary Endowed Scholarship, one of the club’s six PSC endowed student scholarships.
The other scholarships are:
- Cantonment Rotary Club Ike & Carolyn (Hicks) Terry Music Endowed Scholarship
- Cantonment Rotary Club Legal Assistant Endowed Scholarship
- Cantonment Rotary Club Ted Ciano Vocational Endowed Scholarship
- Cantonment Rotary Club Vocational I Student Endowed Scholarship
- Cantonment Rotary Club Vocational II Student Endowed Scholarship
Total amount of the endowments is more than $164,000. The Cantonment Rotary Club has given more than $62,000 for student scholarships since 1999.
Members of the Cantonment Rotary Club were served an Asian-themed lunch by the students of the PSC Culinary Arts Program with a menu that included Tikki Masala Soup, Tomato Chili Kachumber Salad, Beef Biryani served with Saag Aloo.
“I’ve attended three of these,’’ said Cantonment Rotary President Tony Lee, speaking of the luncheons. “It’s always great.”
Lee said the support lines up with the club’s mission and goals.
“One of the most important things we can do is help our community and our young people succeed,’’ Lee said. “We want to help them further their career and anything we can do to help them achieve their goals benefits our wider community. It can affect a lot of lives.”