College can be a fun place. You know, new people, new clubs and new activities. However, college can be your most expensive years. College isn’t an easy place – with tons of homework, new roommates – and all the expenses that await you.

Senior year is the year when you start realizing that “Oh wow, college costs money!” Well anyone could have told you that, and that is why we have scholarships.

Scholarships are grants or payments made to support a student’s education, awarded on the basis of academic or other achievements. Scholarships are the easiest route a student can take to avoid heavy debt in college.

Here at Inlet Grove we have many scholarships presented to us by our guidance counselors, and we have students who take advantage of the opportunity to apply for those scholarships.

Megan Tackore, captain of the girls’ soccer team and a senior in the Medical Academy, Dieumitha Ferdelus a senior in the Pre-Law Academy, and Makeighla Claunch, another senior who is in the Journalism Academy, have all received scholarships that will be of great value to them.

These students were available to answer a few questions about their scholarships:

What was the name of the scholarship you received and how much money are you receiving?

Megan Tackore: It was an academic scholarship. I will receive $22,500 a year for four years based on my high school career.

Makeighla Claunch: I received a merit based scholarship worth $25,000 from Stetson University.

Dieumitha Ferdelus: I received two full-ride scholarships to Tallahassee Community College and Florida State University.

How did you feel after you received the news of your scholarship?

Tackore: I was very excited due to the fact that it took a lot of stress off of my family.

Claunch: I was actually really surprised. I never thought that I’d get so much money for a scholarship.

Ferdelus: I couldn’t believe it because out of 300 selected girls, they had to pick five girls for the scholarship and I was one of them.

Any advice you have for anyone filling out any scholarships?

Tackore: This is as much advice to myself as anyone else: Just do it. I know you hear this all the time, but you can’t expect to achieve anything if you don’t even try.

Claunch: Be as honest as possible; don’t write as if you’re somebody else because you’re defeating the purpose. Yeah it’s completely fine to sound sophisticated in essays or whatever, but don’t go over the top with it.

Ferdelus: Start early, don’t be scared of the essays, and follow the directions they provide you.

Congratulations seniors! You go girls!