[Tallahassee, FL] – The Giovanni Vitrano Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 Giovanni Vitrano Memorial Scholarships. The Foundation is proud to award three scholarships to the Class of 2023: one $6,000 and two $2,000 awards, which will be awarded among the following three winners:

Betrice Drayton, a senior at Rickards High School, is a talented soccer player who scored 41 goals in 14 games this season, ranking as one of only two girls in Leon County with 40+ goals. She is also an ABC 27 Scholar-Athlete of the Week award recipient and will attend West Florida College.

Jose Gonzalez, a senior at Chiles High School, co-founded the Physical Club and participated in Science Olympiad, National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, and more. He led the Chiles Boys’ Soccer Team to the 2022 Gio Cup Championship and the 2022-23 District Championship. Jose will attend Penn in the fall.

RJ Hosay, a senior at Maclay School, is the Editor-in-Chief of The Andalusian School Newspaper and a member of the National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, and All-Florida Scholastic Press Association. He scored 44 goals in his varsity soccer career at Maclay and was named ABC 27 Scholar-Athlete of the Week. RJ listed Florida and Florida State as his possible destinations for college.

The $6,000 scholarship winner and the two $2,000 winners will be announced at the annual awards dinner at 7 PM on Wednesday, March 22, at the Southwood Community Center in Tallahassee. Media members are invited to join us for dinner, followed by the opportunity to interview the scholarship winners and Foundation President Ron Vitrano, Giovanni’s father.

About the Giovanni Vitrano Memorial Scholarships

The Giovanni Vitrano Memorial Scholarships honor the memory of Giovanni Vitrano, a Class of 2020 Leon High School Graduate and leader on the nationally #1 ranked Leon High School Boys’ Soccer team. Gio passed away in November 2021, and the Giovanni Vitrano Foundation has formed in his memory thanks to overwhelming community support following his passing. The Foundation provides scholarships to outstanding student-athletes who commit to education, soccer, and their communities.

For more information about the Giovanni Vitrano Foundation and the scholarship, please visit www.gvscholarship.org.