Kaitlynn Fundora and Kade Bodin are the winners of the 35th Annual Optimist Club of Miami Lakes Roland Gomez Scholarship Award.
The college students, both Miami Lakers, received their prizes -- $1,000 check to each to be used toward school expenses, as well as a gold medal -- at the end of 2020, according to Jim Hamilton, chairman of the club’s scholarship award committee.
The winners are chosen for their scholastic achievements, participating in the club for at least two years and for performing community service.
Fundora, 18, is a graduate of Coral Reef High School, attends Florida International University.
She graduated high school with a 4.46 GPA, played flag football for the club and accumulated more community service hours than were required to graduate, Hamilton said.
“I am humbled by both the nomination and winning,” Fundora said. “Playing for Miami Lakes Optimist flag football league has not only been great but gave me memories I will cherish and lessons I will carry for a lifetime.
“I hope to one day maybe return to coach,” she said.
Bodin, 19, is enrolled at Broward College and hopes to transfer to the University of Florida to major in business.
He obtained a 6.0 GPA while at Miami Lakes Educational Center and played basketball for the Optimists, Hamilton said.
“It took a lot of hard work, not only playing basketball, but in school, doing community service hours and volunteering at my church,” Bodin said about his efforts to qualify for the award.
He called playing ball for the club “Super fun.”
And as for the scholarship, he said, “When I found out I won it was a great feeling. It felt like a lot of hard work paid off.”
Bodin participated in activities at Miami Lakes United Methodist Church where his father Stuart Bodin is pastor.
He also volunteered to help rebuild a Methodist church in Mexico Beach in the Florida Panhandle that was damaged by Hurricane Michael in 2018.