Year: Sophomore
Major: Biology
Scholarship: Jubilee Scholarship
With exceptional grades and extensive involvement in good causes, sophomore Rebecca
Paul was awarded the highly competitive Jubilee Scholarship as an incoming freshman,
which covers tuition, books, room and board for four years.
Since she was a child, her goal was to attend FGCU and graduate debt free. She was
accepted at the University of Florida, but held out for an academic scholarship to
FGCU. Rebecca’s family is considered middle income, which made her ineligible for
need-based scholarships. A merit scholarship was her only option to fulfill her dreams.
The Naples biology major, who graduated from high school in 2019 with a 6.01 GPA,
an associate’s degree and a dental assistant’s certification, aspires to become an
orthodontist. When COVID forced students off campus and back home, she volunteered
as a dental assistant at a non-profit health clinic in Naples.
While she looked forward to joining the Haitian Student Organization and the Dominican
Republic Outreach Program, she wrote to her anonymous scholarship sponsors, “I will
only join what I can handle and won’t allow my participation to affect my studies.”
Rebecca could graduate in May 2021, but decided to pursue a minor in Chemistry and
Entrepreneurship as well. She feels the business acumen will help her run her own
dental practice and the Chemistry will make her more competitive for acceptance into
dental school.
