“No Ordinary JOE” Scholarship awarded to Bay and Walton County high school seniors

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Some Bay and Walton County high school seniors have more money in their pockets Tuesday thanks to an annual scholarship from The St. Joe Community Foundation.

The “No Ordinary JOE” Scholarship recognizes extraordinary students with a strong sense of leadership and service to the community. Tuesday, each public and charter school in both counties chose their three best candidates to nominate for the scholarship. The St. Joe Community Foundation is providing each nominee with a $500 scholarship. Executive Director April Wilkes said each nominee Tuesday has their individual way of contributing to the community. She said they’re excited to get to know them and see what kind of people they’ll be in the community going forward.

“We’re really wanting to try and encourage kids to put more into their community and become involved in the community. Since the hurricane, we’ve really seen a lot of how we’ve all worked together and we want to continue to see that,” said Wilkes.

Wilkes said the nominees are invited to apply for a $2,500 scholarship to be the schools top “No Ordinary JOE.” Those individual winners from each school then come in to be interviewed by a selection committee. A Bay County “No Ordinary JOE” will be picked and will win a $10,000 scholarship in May.

For more information, visit No Ordinary JOE Scholarship.