The Fountain Hills Women’s Club (FHWC) held its scholarship awards at the FireRock Country Club and was pleased to meet three of the five recipients.Leslie Hermansen, FHWC chairman, introduced each of the recipients and shared their stories to individuals present. The following recipients received the 2022 FHWC scholarships: Kimberly Flowers, Tracy Perry, Amanda Acevedo-Morales, Carina Rodriguez and Gianna Barker.

Kimberly Flowers works at Fountain Hills High School and has a goal to complete the LEAP program at Grand Canyon University, graduating next May. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Santa Clara University, graduating cum laude in 2001. She has a passion for reading, poetry, literature and writing, and wants to instill her love of language arts to students.

Tracy Perry has been a teacher at the Fountain Hills Middle School and McDowell Mountain Elementary School for the past 13 ½ years. She wants to add to her education by completing an online master's program at Walden University. This continued education will allow her to give back to her community by applying therapeutic strategies to her art program as an expressive art therapist.

Amanda Acevedo-Morales is working on a doctorate degree in psychology at Northern Arizona University. She will complete her dissertation by the Fall of 2023. After she graduates, she plans to work in underserved communities.

Carine Rodriguez is currently employed by the Town of Fountain Hills and has a goal to become a biologist and researcher. She is enrolled at Arizona State University and maintains at 4.0 GPA. Her goals are to become the first person in her family to complete a college degree, graduate with honors and pursue a career in research.

Gianna Barker, the high school recipient, is graduating with a weighted GPA of 4.25 with almost 200 hours of community service. She has been involved in numerous clubs and has taken the time to care for younger children of families in town. She has been accepted to Arizona State University where she plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

Due to the success of the recent fundraiser, FHWC was able to award these deserving individuals with scholarships, and plans have already started for the upcoming spring fundraiser. Those interested in learning more about FHWC and their scholarship can visit their website at fountainhillswomensclub.com, or visit their Facebook page.