Members of the Liberty Sertoma group pose with scholarship recipient, Heather Eckols (front center) and PSC Director of Foundation Scholarships, Mikenzie Francis (front left)
“We believe in supporting our own community and taking care of our own backyard.” — Christina Johnson, Liberty Sertoma Member
Members of the nonprofit organization, Liberty Sertoma, give throughout the year to various local charities. The Arc Gateway, Capstone Adaptive Learning & Therapy Centers, Gulf Coast Kid’s House, Pensacola State College, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and others have benefitted from their generosity.
Some of their longest-standing contributions are to the Ami-Lee Wilder Memorial Endowed Scholarship for Academic Excellence held at Pensacola State. Martha Wilder, mother of Ami-Lee and former Liberty Sertoma member, inspired the group to support the scholarship in her daughter’s memory. The proceeds from an annual golf tournament helped grow its principal.
Since 1992, the Liberty Sertoma Club has given over $56,000 to this endowment, which has provided $137,000 in scholarship awards to students since 2002.
Eckols said, “It’s powerful receiving a scholarship from a club that represents what you stand for [helping others]. It’s like the pressure [to succeed] is on, but in a good way, there’s pressure to thrive. This scholarship hit both emotionally and mentally for me.”
Heather, a first-generation nursing student and licensed emergency medical technician (EMT), is no stranger to the medical world. Having spent countless rides in the back of ambulances with her mother as a child, she developed an admiration for the EMTs who helped her family in their time of need. This led her to pursue higher education and a career in healthcare.
Having seen many accidents like the one in which Ami-Lee passed, Heather has a great appreciation for the scholarship’s purpose, a scholarship that supports hardworking, bright, and kind individuals, like Ami-Lee. She has every intention of honoring her memory.
“With this scholarship, I’ll continue my education and taking the steps I need to take to establish myself as a nurse. I hope to pay it forward and change lives just like you’ve changed mine.”
If you are interested in supporting PSC students with scholarship donations, visit https://foundation.pensacolastate.edu/opportunities-to-support-psc/scholarships/ or contact Mikenzie Francis, Director of Foundation Scholarships at (850) 484-1788 or mrfrancis@pensacolastate.edu.
For more information about applying for scholarships and other forms of financial support at Pensacola State College, visit https://www.pensacolastate.edu/financial-aid/ or contact the Financial Aid Department at (850) 484-1680 or fava@pensacolastate.edu.