The School District of Manatee County is pleased to recognize our 2026 Sunshine State Scholars: Aidan Cody of Southeast High School, Kaycee Kirby of Parrish Community High School, and alternate Xuan Tran of Braden River High School.
Sunshine State Scholars is a Florida Department of Education program. According to FLDOE.org, “Each of Florida’s school districts selects their top 11th grade students in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM). Each scholar, along with their parents, will travel to Orlando for an extraordinary program designed to bring together scholars from around the state, connect them with employers that specialize in the STEM fields, and create a networking opportunity between the scholars and schools from Florida’s College and State University System.”
Students were nominated by their high schools based on requirements from the state, including a weighted GPA of 3.9 or higher, an interest in STEM-related studies and a desire to pursue postsecondary education opportunities in Florida. Scholars were selected for their outstanding achievements and dedication to STEM studies and related extracurricular activities.
The Sunshine State Scholars attended a special event in Orlando on March 5-6. The event included a higher education recruitment fair where students met representatives from post-secondary institutions around Florida to learn about their programs of study, internships, and career opportunities throughout Florida. They also attended workshops and networking events sponsored by Google, Duke Energy, SeaWorld, TECO, the Florida Lottery, and Florida Department of Education.