A sea of parents, educators, philanthropists and 49 of Indian River County’s upcoming graduates gathered for the Scholarship Foundation of Indian River County’s 61st Annual Award Ceremony at the Vero Beach High School PAC. Executive Director Camilla Wainright welcomed the crowd, kicking off an evening that had a profound effect on the scholars and their families. Scott Schwartz, SFIRC president and a past scholarship recipient, put the scale of the evening into perspective, noting that 104 individual scholarships, totaling $841,150, were being awarded to recipients who will attend 21 colleges and universities. “Every year this evening feels special, but it never feels routine,” said Schwartz. “Sitting up here, looking out at this room, I’m always reminded just how inspiring this night truly is. We all carry those stories with us, and in many ways, this room is filled with them.” Schwartz emphasized that the dollar amount represents considerably more than just a financial transaction. “All of us here, in one way or another, are standing on the shoulders of others,” he said, acknowledging the sacrifices made by families and the vision of the donors who have invested in their lives. Founded in 1965, what was then called Dollars for Scholars, was initially organized around a dining room table. Since then, the Scholarship Foundation has awarded more than $17.2 million to 3,236 local students. Krystal Moore-Gayle, a 2022 graduate of Indian River Charter High School, shared that the scholarship allowed her to earn her bachelor’s degree as a computer science major at the University of Central Florida debt-free. Moore-Gayle recalled that she had been in the gifted program at Osceola Magnet School when a malfunctioning LEGO Mindstorms robot inadvertently taught her about “out-of-the-box” thinking. Today, she is thriving in her career as a Microsoft SharePoint and Power Platform Administrator at KENPAT, and as a mentor to undergraduate STEM students. After sharing that her mother had put herself through college while raising three children, Moore-Gayle echoed Schwartz in advising the scholarship recipients to thank those who had helped them achieve their goals. “Call that person after the ceremony and tell them, ‘I’m going to do great things.’ And that starts today,” said Moore-Gayle. The memorial awards represented a tapestry of local history, honoring late attorneys, educators, philanthropists and young lives cut tragically short. An inaugural scholarship this year was presented by Ocean Research & Conservation Association founder Edie Widder in memory of Jasmine Schwadron, an ORCA educator. It was awarded to Rosemary McCullough, an Indian River Charter High School senior who will study environmental sustainability at UCF. The 2026 Richardson Scholarship, the foundation’s highest honor, was awarded to Veronica Kostan of Sebastian River High School. Ranking fourth in her graduating class of 416 with a 4.6 GPA, Kostan is a weekly volunteer at Cleveland Clinic and serves in numerous leadership roles. She will attend FSU this fall majoring in nursing, ultimately hoping to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. For more information, visit SFIndianRiver.org. <em>Photos by Joshua Kodis</em> [gallery ids="235726,235727,235728,235729,235730,235731,235732,235733,235734,235735,235736,235737,235738,235739,235740,235741,235742,235743,235744,235745"]