The 2025 Best & Brightest Awards program is officially underway to find the best and brightest high school seniors in Leon County. The program kicked off its annual recognition event with a gathering of key school leaders at The Hayward House Bistro for a breakfast featuring public and private school principals and guidance counselors from across the county.
The program is now accepting applications from Leon County’s “best and brightest” high school seniors, who will have a chance to claim a share of $55,000 in total scholarships across 15 categories of scholastic achievement and community service. In order to qualify, students are encouraged to submit applications to their school guidance counselor before the schools send in their school-based winners by the January 30, 2025 deadline.
“Twenty years ago, we created this community recognition awards program to recognize stellar Leon County students who have demonstrated great accomplishment both in the classroom and in service within the community,” said Ron Sachs, Chairman of Sachs Media and founder and sponsor of the Best & Brightest Awards. “These outstanding young leaders are an inspiration to us all with their altruistic service.”
Since the creation of the Best & Brightest Awards, 2,716 deserving Leon County high school seniors and 655 Eighth graders have been honored with over $958,000 in cash scholarships. Major scholarships for seniors are awarded to three countywide winners in each of 15 different categories: $1,500 scholarships for the first-place winners, $750 for runners-up and $500 for honorable mention honorees. The program also awards $100 cash scholarships to all school-based winners through Envision Credit Union, the program’s premier sponsor.
“Envision Credit Union considers the Best & Brightest Awards to be one of our top priorities, and it has been an honor to participate in this event, year after year” said Dr. Cassandra Grayson, Board Chair of Envision Credit Union. “As a member owned credit union with its roots in education, a big part of our mission and responsibility is to encourage and support the education and mentorship of our youth. We are pleased to announce in honor of our 60th year that we will provide $70,000 towards the foundation of this great program that recognizes the unique accomplishments of our students with their commitment to academics and service.”
Home-schooled and Virtual School students are eligible to enter the program, joining public and private school students chosen by school principals, guidance counselors and teachers. Applications are accepted in each of 15 categories: Art; Athletics; Business; Career/Technical; Drama & Performing Arts; English and Language Arts; Journalism & Media Production; Leadership; Mathematics; Music; Public Speaking; Science & Health; Social Science, Technology and World Languages.
Students are also judged based on their school involvement and leadership, and a special focus is placed on community service. Recipients of a Best & Brightest Award are students who have gone above and beyond the minimum community service hours required by their school and have shown that they truly understand the importance of service to others as an ethic for life.
After faculty and staff identify them, school-based winners will undergo a rigorous review and interview process, conducted on March 1, 2025 by a judging panel of community leaders. The judges will take numerous factors into account, including achievements in the individual field of study but also interview skills, overall academic success and a demonstrated track record of community service. Through this, three top students will be selected as the countywide winner, runner-up and honorable mention in each category.
“With this being our 20th Anniversary, we are looking forward to receiving an impressive number of quality applications,” said Laura Rogers, Program Director at World Class Schools of Leon County and coordinator of the Best & Brightest Awards program. “Like the students 20 years ago, these students are achieving academically and concentrating on their passions through creativity, compassion and community service. These awards stand out because they highlight the best of the best in many different areas.”
Eighth-grade students, including those who are Home-schooled and Virtual School students, will also have an opportunity to be honored as the “Best and Brightest” of their age group, through a prompted essay contest. For the fifteenth year, eighth graders will be eligible for recognition in the form of a $500 award to the winner, $250 to the runner-up and $100 to the honorable mention honoree.
For more information on the Best & Brightest Awards, visit www.wcsleon.com/bestandbrightest. Previous Best & Brightest winners are encouraged to contact Ms. Rogers to be a part of the “where are they now” platform to highlight throughout the anniversary year celebration.