Nyiah Hill is a rising sophomore at the Savannah College of Art and Design and a marketing intern at GTE Financial.
The Tampa-based credit union gave her and 27 other local students $3,000 to put towards their education.
"A lot of people tell you art school is too expensive and not worth it, but this scholarship definitely proved otherwise," Hill said.
Last week, GTE Financial hosted a back-to-school luncheon for recipients, parents and selection committee members — including former USF President Rhea Law — to mark the awards' 15th anniversary.
The TPepin Hospitality Centre was decked out in pink, a thematic tradition GTE has followed since the scholarship program launched in 2012.
ALSO READ: Bright Futures could expand to encourage more military families to participate
Keynote speaker Lane Komara enjoys working with horses. He also mentored children as a member of the Future Farmers of America and 4-H agricultural clubs at Crystal River High School.
He plans to use his scholarship funds to pursue an associate's degree before transferring into the University of Florida's veterinary sciences program.
"It's a big honor," Komara reflected. "Just proves that someone sees all the hard work and dedication I've put in to where I am today."
Vanessa Matosdeaza-Defilo is getting ready for her freshman year at the University of North Florida, where she intends to major in nursing.
"I'm most excited to learn about nutrition and everything that's good for the body, and to be able to use that knowledge to help my community," she said.
Matosdeaza-Defilo recently graduated from Gulf High School, where she ran track and served in student government. Her father, who's been a GTE member for two decades, encouraged her to apply for the scholarship.
Other 2026 recipients are headed to schools such as Pace University, the University of South Florida, and the Moody Bible Institute.
GTE Financial is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial cooperative that provides lower-cost loan options and fixed-rate mortgages.
In addition, GTE fundraises for a different charity each month and awards grants to Tampa Bay nonprofits.
CEO Brian Best says the scholarship program is a core operation for the credit union, one of the first to form in the United States.
"Credit unions were born back in the 1900s on people serving people," Best said. "College and universities' tuition have gone up quite a bit, so now is the time to really help out and try and fund some of these things."
ALSO READ: Florida budget spares over 20,000 state-funded college scholarships
He said the scholarship selection is holistic, with community involvement, academic achievement and character also being taken into account.
No single figure defines a candidate, and committee members consider what socioeconomic barriers students may face in seeking a certain number of volunteer hours or a higher grade-point average.
"GPA is one little fraction, but that's two-dimensional," Best said. "At the end of the day, we look at that and say, 'Hey, are they lifting the community up? Do they have perseverance?'"
GTE accepts student scholarship applications each year from February through June, with winners announced in August. A 300-word essay accounts for half an applicant's score.
Eligible candidates are GTE Financial members who are either starting college or currently enrolled at an accredited vocational school or four-year degree program.
