Meal Applications Open
Okaloosa County School District families may apply for free or reduced-price meals for the 2026-27 school year. A new application is required each year, even for students who previously qualified. Families are encouraged to apply as soon as possible through the secure, confidential process at myschoolapps.com or through the district app.
Gator Club Awards Scholarships
The Emerald Coast Gator Club awarded $32,500 in academic scholarships to 21 Okaloosa and Walton county graduates entering the University of Florida. The club has distributed about $100,000 in scholarships during the past five years and has awarded scholarships to every eligible applicant for three consecutive years. Brennan Gould of Fort Walton Beach High School was named the 2026 Hathcock Scholar.
Recipients, listed by school, are:
- Choctawhatchee High School: Kady Folsom, astrophysics.
- Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College: Kendall Feal, wildlife ecology and conservation.
- Niceville High School: Zach Gideons, aerospace engineering; Zachary Ott, molecular biology; Katherine Robertson, psychology; Wyatt Rolison, mechanical engineering; Jonathan Shimko, biomedical engineering; Donovan Sjoberg, engineering; and Colin Smith, aerospace engineering.
- Fort Walton Beach High School: Bradley Buckthal, health sciences; Emily Coteat, health sciences; Katie Eubanks, health sciences; Brenna Gordon, biochemistry; Brennan Gould, aerospace engineering and music performance; Anthony Pham, biomedical engineering; Cole Rewis, biochemistry; Isabella Riggs, finance; Anna Sculthorpe, political science; and Jeda Srichareon, chemical engineering.
- Walton High School: Bella Baker, architecture; and Eli Rhodes, journalism.
Project SEARCH Honored
Okaloosa County School District’s Project SEARCH program at Hilton Garden Inn Fort Walton Beach received the Florida Project SEARCH Excellent Outcome Award for its 2024-25 employment results. The award recognizes sites achieving employment outcomes of 77% to 99%. The local program was one of five honored among Florida’s 45 sites and one of 166 recognized among approximately 800 sites worldwide, placing it in the top 21% globally.
Project SEARCH prepares students ages 18-21 with disabilities who have completed their high school credits and deferred their diplomas for competitive employment. The program combines classroom instruction, workplace immersion and hands-on training. The local partnership with Innisfree Hotels celebrated five graduates in May and has 10 interns enrolled for the coming school year.
NWFSC Expands Guarantee
Northwest Florida State College has expanded its Money-Back Guarantee Program from three workforce programs to six. Physical therapist assistant, medical laboratory technology and early childhood education have joined nursing, radiography and paramedic on the eligible list.
Qualifying graduates may receive a full tuition refund if they cannot find employment in their field within six months of graduation and meet the college’s academic, attendance, job-search and regulatory requirements. No refunds have been issued since the program began in 2024, reflecting strong graduate employment.
NWFSC’s nursing program recorded a 100% first-quarter NCLEX-RN pass rate this year. Its physical therapist assistant program has achieved 100% employment among licensed graduates during its past three graduating cohorts, while medical laboratory technology has maintained 100% placement among graduates seeking work or continuing their education.
For information, visit nwfsc.edu or contact NWFSC Admissions at 850-502-2895.
