Joey Gabriel, Royal Palm Beach Community High School, and Haille Hiemstra, Jupiter Community High School, Honored at Annual George Snow Scholarship Funds Ceremony
Boca Raton, FL – Gumbo Limbo Coastal Stewards, an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that promotes sea turtle conservation, announced the recipients of its prestigious Don Stone and Gordon Gilbert Scholarships at the annual George Snow Scholarship Fund ceremony, which took place at Lynn University on Saturday, June 3, 2023. The recipient of the 2023 Don Stone Scholarship of $12,000 is Joey Gabriel of Royal Palm Community High School. Haille Hiemstra of Jupiter Community High School is the recipient of the 2023 Gordon Gilbert Scholarship of $10,000.
“The Don Stone Scholarship is a competitive, need-based scholarship award that is awarded to one Palm Beach or Broward County high school student who wishes to study or research preserving coastal waters and lands,” said John Holloway, CEO and President, Gumbo Limbo Coastal Stewards. “Our goal is to help future marine and environmental leaders by guaranteeing them continued financial support across their academic tenures.”
The scholarship is named for “friend of the sea and science teacher extraordinaire” Don Stone, who went from protecting the United States as one of the first Navy Seals, to teaching next generations at A.D. Henderson University School and Palm Beach Community College, to preserving land and sea around Boca Raton as chairman of the city’s Environmentally Sensitive Lands Management Committee and long-term member of its Marine Advisory Board.
The Gordon Gilbert Scholarship is awarded to high school seniors who plan to continue their education in a marine related major that ties to the Coastal Stewards’ mission of conservation. This scholarship is named for one of the founders of the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center. Gordon Gilbert, a former science teacher at Boca Raton Community High School was also one of the leaders who championed the preservation of our coastal hammock.
“Don Stone and Gordon Gilbert were original Coastal Stewards, and we are proud to present these scholarships in their names,” said Andrea Atkins, Director of Fundraising and Operations, Gumbo Limbo Coastal Stewards. “We invite others to donate to these scholarships and ensure that we can continue to commemorate the legacy these men who spent their lives protecting the environment and inspiring people around them.”
The George Snow Scholarship Fund is dedicated to helping deserving students in the community achieve their career goals through the pursuit of higher education. By providing financial assistance and a host of supplementary support services, the Gumbo Limbo Coastal Stewards ensure that scholarship recipients have the resources they need to thrive academically. For more information on the George Snow Scholarship Fund, please visit https://scholarship.org.
About Gumbo Limbo Coastal Stewards
Gumbo Limbo Coastal Stewards, established in 2012 (as Friends of Gumbo Limbo) is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that sponsors sea turtle conservation and advocates for the enhancement of the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, located at 1801 North Ocean Boulevard in Boca Raton, Florida. The mission of Gumbo Limbo Coastal Stewards is to inspire people to support stewardship and research of coastal and marine ecosystems and focuses on the research, rescue, rehabilitation, and release of the endangered species of sea turtles. Learn more at www.gumbolimbo.org.
