class of 2022 giovanni vitrano memorial scholarship

Winners Announced

The Giovanni Vitrano Foundation is proud to announce our 2022 scholarship winners. Alejando alonso (gadsden county/florida elite sa), maddie kopka (sail/florida high soccer) and ethan stewart (leon) won a total $7,000 in scholarships.

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2023 Scholarship Info

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2022 Winners

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Board of Directors

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2023 Scholarship Info

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Donate Today

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2022 Winners

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Contact Us

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News

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Board of Directors

Making an Impact

Ethan Stewart

2022 Scholarship Winner

“When I first got the call to varsity my sophomore year Gio was the first person to come to me. He really taught me that in soccer, your team is family and you can’t really have anything like that so being able to receive a scholarship that’s in memory of Gio is awesome. It means I have a part of him that’s always going to be with me.”

Ron Vitrano

Gio’s Dad & Foundation President

“These are great high school students, athletes, pillars of the community. To be able to help out a little bit, I think that’s the key. It helps ease the pain of what happened. Giovanni died six and a half months ago, but to watch these young students and athletes walk away with these awards, it warms my heart.”

Maddie Kopka

2022 Scholarship Winner

“It’s really competitive here. Everyone who’s in it is a great soccer player… and it’s an honor to win out of all those people.”

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Class of 2023 Scholarship Information

Who is eligible to apply for our scholarship?

Giovanni Vitrano graduation photo in a red cap and gown on a covered bridge

The 2023 Giovanni Vitrano Memorial Scholarship application window will open this fall for all boys and girls who meet the following criteria:

Played soccer at the Varsity High School or equivalent club level.
Is a graduating member of the Class of 2023.
Have a 3.25 GPA or higher as of January 31, 2023.
Reside in the Tallahassee, FL & Thomasville, GA media market. This area includes Leon, Gadsden, Wakulla, Jefferson, Jackson, Taylor, Lafayette, Suwannee, and Hamilton counties in Florida and Seminole, Miller, Decatur, Grady, Thomas, Brooks, Lowndes, Lanier, and Echols counties in Georgia.

When applying, applicants should be prepared to:

Spend 20-30 minutes answering a questionnaire to help us get to know you.
Upload a 200-300 word essay as a .doc, .docx or .pdf file.
Submit a favorite photo of the applicant playing soccer.
List three references – one soccer coach, one teacher, and another reference of their choosing.

Applications for the Class of 2023 open November 5, 2022 and close January 31, 2023.

The Giovanni Vitrano Scholarship

Class of 2022 Scholarship Winners

Alejandro Alonso - $5,000 Scholarship Winner

Alejandro is the second family member to graduate high school and will be the first to attend college. He was the Secretary of the Gasdsen Future Farmers of America. A Second-Team All-Big Bend midfielder, Alejandro holds a 3.6 GPA and plans to attend Florida State University to study Criminology.

Maddie Kopka - $1,000 Scholarship Winner

Madeline is the 2022 All-Big Bend Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Maddie overcame physical challenges to show perseverance to become an elite soccer player in our area. She holds a 3.9 GPA and plans to continue her playing career at Trinity Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Ethan Stewart - $1,000 Scholarship Winner

A 2022 Big Bend-All Star on Leon High School’s soccer team and former teammate of Giovanni Vitrano, Ethan held a 3.9 GPA. He has signed to play soccer at Southwestern Assemblies of God University while studying Children’s Ministry.

THE GIOVANNI VITRANO FOUNDATION

NEWS COVERAGE

Our Foundation has been featured in the Tallahassee Democrat, WCTV (CBS Tallahassee), WTXL (ABC Tallahassee) and more.