Scholarships

Scholarships for Local Women

THE AAUW GREATER NAPLES BRANCH AND THE GREATER NAPLES AAUW CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, INC. CONGRATULATE THE SEVENTEEN AMAZING LOCAL WOMEN AWARDED SCHOLARSHIPS THIS YEAR!!

The AAUW Greater Naples Branch and Greater Naples AAUW Charitable Foundation, Inc. have annually awarded scholarships to deserving local women for over 20 years.  Our scholarship programs, in brief, are:

—Scholarships for Local Women, Age 21 or Over:
This scholarship program was created over 20 years ago to assist women returning to college, who typically have little access to tuition assistance, to obtain degrees and achieve greater economic security for themselves and their families. 

—STEM Scholarships for Local Women of Any Age:
Since endowments for STEM scholarships were created in 2018, we have annually awarded scholarships to local women of any age pursuing bachelor’s or master’s degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics.  These scholarships are designed to increase representation of women in careers in STEM fields where women are under-represented.

—Future Educator Scholarships for Local Women of Any Age:
Recognizing the critical need for more classroom teachers, our Future Educator Scholarships were created in 2023 to assist female students of any age who are pursuing a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, elementary, or secondary education or a post-bachelor’s teacher credential certificate.

At our Annual Scholarship Luncheon at Tiburón Golf Club on April 5, 2025 we awarded scholarships to 17 wonderful local women:

    1. Geselle Mendez- Hernandez received the Patricia Ann Weinswig Tribute STEM Scholarship.
    2. Brittany Jarvis, a prior recipient, received the second Friends of Bayview I Scholarship.
    3. Lydia Sears, another prior recipient, received the Mary Schell Tribute Scholarship.
    4. Alina Zankevich, also a previous recipient, was awarded a Candris STEM Scholarship.
    5. Islande Victorin was awarded the third scholarship funded by Dellatorè Real Estate Company.
    6. Camaraelle Milord’s scholarship is funded through a McMahon Foundation endowment.
    7. Graciela Cervantes’s scholarship is also funded through a McMahon Foundation endowment.
    8. Tracey Lindvall received a Local scholarship.
    9. Rebecca Roberts is receiving the Jeannine Stetson Tribute STEM scholarship.
    10. Megan Swanson, another a second time recipient, was awarded a Local scholarship.
    11. Kayla Miranda, another previous recipient, also received a Local scholarship.
    12. Juliana Noreus was awarded The Naples Money Managers, LLC STEM scholarship.
    13. Cessia Elwin-Flores received her second Candris STEM Scholarship.
    14. Gabriella Nagy, is also a second time recipient of a Candris STEM Scholarship.
    15. Emmanuelle Legermewas awarded a Local Scholarship. 
    16. Lian Paje was awarded the fourth endowed Blanche and John Rebar STEM Scholarship.
    17. Mariela Vega was awarded the Catherine E. Hackney, Ph.D. Memorial Scholarship funded by the Southwest Florida Women Giving Together Giving Circle.

To learn more about these accomplished women, click here.

You Can Invest in the Futures of Deserving Local Women!

The Foundation raises funds for scholarships by various means, including individual donations.  If you are interested in helping deserving local women achieve their dreams of college and careers, contributions may be made by clicking the yellow Donate button on the right of your screen or by check made payable to “Greater Naples AAUW Charitable Foundation, Inc.” designated for the scholarship fund of your choice, and mailed to the Greater Naples AAUW Charitable Foundation, Inc., PO Box 9742, Naples, FL 34101. 

Donations designated for scholarships with no other designation will go into the scholarship fund selected by the Foundation Board on the recommendation of the Scholarship Committee. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

We offer a one-time Named Scholarship Opportunity!  This is an opportunity for business owners, individuals, and families to provide and name a one-year scholarship without the responsibility of recruiting or selecting scholarship candidates and without an on-going financial commitment.  Click the link for more information: Named Scholarship Opportunity.

We thank the funders of the 2025 Named Scholarships, including Carole F. Barrett, Esq., Friends of Bayview I, Southwest Florida Women Giving Together, and:

INFORMATION FOR SCHOLARSHIP APPLICANTS

Scholarship applications normally become available on this page on or about December 1.  The application deadline is January 31, 2026.

Women awarded scholarships are invited to attend, as our guests, the scholarship awards luncheon In 2026, the scholarship awards luncheon will be held on Saturday, March 28.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The Foundation administers several scholarship funds that award tuition assistance to local women who meet the Eligibility Criteria described below, as determined by the Scholarship Committee.  The Foundation’s policies and procedures, including its scholarship policies and procedures, are posted on the Foundation’s page of this website. In the event of a conflict between the eligibility information on this page and that in the Foundation’s Policies and Procedures or in any scholarship fund agreement, the latter will control.

Eligibility Criteria for All Scholarships. The following criteria apply to all scholarship funds administered by the Foundation. Each applicant must:

  • Be a resident of Collier County or southern Lee County, Florida.
  • Participate in an interview with the Scholarship Committee.
  • Provide a minimum of two acceptable letters of recommendation.
  • Submit a completed application and the required references, transcripts, and essay by the specified deadline.

Previous applicants and awardees may reapply for all scholarship funds.  Candidates may be considered for any type of scholarships for which they are qualified.

Additional Eligibility Criteria for Specific Types of Scholarships. The following additional criteria apply to the specific scholarship funds administered by the Foundation:

  1. Local Scholarships (for local women age 21 and over). Local Scholarships normally are awarded annually. In addition to meeting the eligibility criteria for all scholarship funds, described above, each applicant must:
    • Be at least 21 years old.
    • Be currently accepted to or enrolled in a program of study at an accredited college or university, and pursuing an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or clinical doctorate degree.
    • Demonstrate a satisfactory academic record with a grade point aver-age of 3.0 or higher.
    • Demonstrate a need for financial assistance.
    • Submit an essay addressing why she has decided to pursue a career in her chosen field, which essay may be shared with donors.
  1. STEM Scholarships (for local women of any age). STEM Scholarships normally are awarded annually. In addition to meeting the eligibility criteria for all scholarship funds, described above, each applicant must:
    • Be a graduating high school senior or an older student.
    • Be currently accepted to or enrolled at an accredited four-year college or university.
    • Be pursuing or intending to obtain a bachelor’sor master’sdegree in one of the STEM (science, technology, engineering or mathematics) disciplines.
    • Have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher.
    • Submit an essay addressing why she has decided to pursue a career in her chosen STEM field, which essay may be shared with donors.
  1. Scholarships for Future Educators (for local women of any age). These scholarships are normally available annually and are limited to future early childhood, elementary, and secondary education teachers. Those pursuing educational supervisory, counselor, or specialist degrees are not eligible. In addition to satisfying the foregoing and meeting the eligibility criteria for all scholarship funds described above, each applicant must:
    • Be a woman of any age.
    • Be currently accepted to or enrolled in a program leading to teacher certification at an accredited college or university.
    • Be pursuing or intending to obtain:
    • (i) a bachelor’s degree in early childhood, elementary, secondary, or special education; or
    • (ii) a post-bachelor’s Teacher Credential Certificate. 
    • Demonstrate a satisfactory academic record with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
    • Demonstrate a need for financial assistance.
    • Submit an essay addressing why she has decided to pursue a career as a teacher, which essay may be shared with donors.

The Foundation is indebted to the generosity of those who founded the six endowed scholarship funds it administers, listed in order of their creation:

1.The Blanche and John Rebar Endowed STEM Scholarship Fund.
The Blanche and John Rebar Endowed STEM Scholarship Fund honors the memory of Blanche Rebar, a longtime and dedicated member of AAUW and of the AAUW Greater Naples Branch, and John Rebar, her husband, who supported her and AAUW’s mission of promoting equity for women and girls. The Blanche and John Rebar STEM Scholarship Fund awards one STEM scholarship in odd-numbered years. Each applicant must meet all of the eligibility criteria applicable to other STEM Scholarships, described earlier. Please click here to read more about Blanche Rebar and her many contributions to AAUW.

2. The Laura A. Candris Endowed STEM Scholarship Fund.
This endowed scholarship fund was established by Aris S. Candris, Ph.D. to honor his wife, Laura A. Candris, J.D., who has served on the Boards of the AAUW Greater Naples Branch and the Greater Naples AAUW Charitable Foundation, Inc. for many years. This fund awards one STEM scholarship in even-numbered years. Each applicant must meet all of the eligibility criteria applicable to other STEM Scholarships, described earlier.

3. The McMahon Foundation Scholarship Fund for Women Age 21 and Over.
The McMahon Foundation Scholarship Fund for Adult Women, an endowed fund, annually awards a scholarship to a local woman who meets all of the criteria for Local Scholarships, except that it is not awarded for clinical doctorate degrees. Timothy S. McMahon, President of TSM Management and TSM Consulting & Capitol, established the McMahon Foundation for the purpose of providing assistance to organizations and individuals that align with his values and beliefs. He selected the Greater Naples AAUW Charitable Foundation, Inc. to establish the McMahon Foundation Endowed Scholarship Fund for Adult Women based on its 20+ year history of providing academic scholarships to deserving local women.

4. The McMahon Foundation Scholarship Fund.
This endowed scholarship fund annually awards a scholarship to a local woman who meets all of the criteria for the Local Scholarship or all of the criteria for STEM Scholarships, as determined by the Scholarship Committee.

5. The Catherine E. Hackney, Ph. D. Endowed Scholarship (for local women pursuing clinical doctorate degrees).
This endowment honors Catherine E. Hackney, Ph.D., a respected university scholar, teacher, and administrator, who came to the AAUW Greater Naples Branch in 2018 to continue her contributions to women and higher education. As a Branch member and as a member and then President of the Board of the Greater Naples AAUW Charitable Foundation, Inc., she demonstrated the kind of leadership she wrote and taught about. Cathy quickly became noted for her innovative ideas, sparkling presence, extraordinary energy, and ability to lead discussion and nurture consensus. When she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2024, she moved forward courageously and expressed the wish for her legacy to be embodied in this endowed scholarship. Cathy’s past experience on the Scholarship Committee led her to identify the need to fund women in clinical doctorate programs as the target for this endowed scholarship. Before and after her death in December 2024, her family and many friends demonstrated their gratitude for Cathy’s work and admiration for her personal qualities by enthusiastically establishing this legacy endowment.  Please click here to read more about Cathy Hackney and her many contributions to AAUW and education.

This endowment awards one scholarship annually.  In addition to being accepted to or enrolled in an accredited college or university and pursuing a clinical doctorate degree, each applicant must meet all of the eligibility criteria applicable to Local Scholarships, described earlier. 

6. The Sandra E. Moriarty, Ph. D. Endowed Scholarship (for local women age 21 or over)
Founding donor Sandra Moriarty, PhD retired as Professor Emerita at the  University of Colorado Boulder, where she co-founded the Integrated Marketing Communication graduate program.  She also taught at Michigan State University, University of Kansas, and Kansas State University. She specialized in teaching the campaign course and courses on the creative side, both writing and design. She worked in government public relations, owned an advertising and public relations agency, directed a university publications program, edited a university alumni magazine, and consulted with agencies such as BBDO and Dentsu. Professor Moriarty published widely in scholarly journals on marketing communication and visual communication topics and authored 12 books on advertising, integrated marketing communications, marketing, visual communication, and typography.

This endowed scholarship fund awards one scholarship in even-numbered years. Each applicant must meet all of the eligibility criteria applicable to Local Scholarships, described earlier.

For additional information about scholarships, you may contact the Chair of the Scholarship Committee, Jeannine Stetson at 239-961-3481 or jeannine07@gmail.com.

The Greater Naples AAUW Charitable Foundation, Inc. is an affiliate of
AAUW. For more than 130 years, AAUW has worked to improve the lives of millions of women and their families.  Membership is open to everyone holding an associate degree or equivalent, bachelor’s or higher degree, and to those pursuing a college degree.

The Greater Naples AAUW Charitable Foundation, Inc. is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 59-3704754), registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Registration No. CH 13573. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMA-TION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE OF FLORIDA (1-800-435- 7352). REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.