Education Foundation announces Rising Stars scholarships<\/p>\n
ST. PETERSBURG \u2014 Twenty-three of Pinellas County\u2019s most gifted high school juniors and seniors recently took center stage at the Mahaffey Theater for the 2026 Rising Stars scholarship competition, a show-style event celebrating student artistry, dedication, and achievement.<\/p>\n
Rising Stars is a year-long journey that challenges students to refine their skills, elevate their performances, and prepare for the spotlight. After advancing through multiple rounds of professional judging, top-performing Pinellas County Schools students earn the opportunity to compete on stage in six categories: Culinary, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Arts, and Vocal Performance.<\/p>\n
Scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000 were awarded to first through fourth place winners in each category. Since its inception, the program has awarded more than $1 million in scholarships to support students pursuing their post-secondary dreams.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe congratulate each of our Rising Stars and celebrate the hard work and commitment that brought them here,\u201d said Kim Jowell, chief executive officer at Pinellas Education Foundation. \u201cSupporting these students through scholarships is an investment in their future, and we are honored to play a role in their journey.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 2026 Rising Stars scholarship recipients are as follows:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Dance:<\/p>\n
First place \u2014 Aubrey Xayasone, Tarpon Springs High<\/p>\n
Second place \u2014 Eleanor Koh, St. Petersburg High<\/p>\n
Third place \u2014 Hannah Bruce, Palm Harbor University High<\/p>\n
Fourth place \u2014 Michael Nikolas, Gibbs High<\/p>\n
\u2022 Instrumental Music:<\/p>\n
First place \u2014 Alana Samson, East Lake High<\/p>\n
Second place \u2014 Jake Johnson, Tarpon Springs High<\/p>\n
Third place \u2014 Kaleb Adams, Seminole High<\/p>\n
Fourth place \u2014 Paul Stoici, St. Petersburg High<\/p>\n
\u2022 Theater:<\/p>\n
First Place \u2014 Molly Bartholomew, Palm Harbor University High<\/p>\n
Second Place \u2014 Elijah Jordan, Gibbs High<\/p>\n
Third place \u2014 Ian Wickham, Hollins High<\/p>\n
Fourth place \u2014 Mikaela Diana, East Lake High<\/p>\n
\u2022 Visual Arts:<\/p>\n
First Place \u2014 Baily Hall, Gibbs High<\/p>\n
Second Place \u2014 Finn Reddick, Gibbs High<\/p>\n
Third Place \u2014 Dziyana Rolik, East Lake High<\/p>\n
Fourth Place \u2014 Sophia Julian, St. Petersburg High<\/p>\n
\u2022 Vocal Performance:<\/p>\n
First place \u2014 Griffin Abrams, Tarpon Springs High<\/p>\n
Second place \u2014 Bella Moss, Gibbs High<\/p>\n
Third place \u2014 Veronica White, Seminole High<\/p>\n
Fourth place \u2014 Gabriella Califano, East Lake High<\/p>\n
\u2022 Culinary Arts (sponsored by The Ryan Wells Foundation):<\/p>\n
First place \u2014 Sydney Young, Tarpon Springs High School<\/p>\n
Second place \u2014 Jontae Nettles, Lealman Innovation Academy<\/p>\n
Third place \u2014 Aiden Rowe, Tarpon Springs High School<\/p>\n
Whataburger to mark \u2018Whatateacher\u2019with free food<\/p>\n
Whataburger will conduct a nationwide Whatateacher celebration on Thursday, May 7 in honor of hardworking educators during National Teacher Appreciation Week.<\/p>\n
From 5-9 a.m., teachers and school staff can stop by Tampa Bay area Whataburger restaurants and get a free Breakfast on a Bun, Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit or Breakfast Taquito with a valid school ID. Promotion hours may vary by location based on operating hours. This offer is available for dine-in, takeout and drive-thru orders, limit one per person. Eligible recipients must be present to redeem.<\/p>\n
Additionally, Whataburger will award $1,000 classroom grants to 60 teachers across the brand’s 17-state footprint, totaling $60,000 to support supplies, creative ideas and meaningful learning opportunities.<\/p>\n
County: dispose of household hazardous waste ahead of hurricanes<\/p>\n
With hurricane season starting June 1, Pinellas County is encouraging residents to safely dispose of household hazardous waste now as a part of their spring cleaning.<\/p>\n
Many homes have old gasoline, leftover paint or worn-out batteries from tools or e-bikes in the garage or closet. During a hurricane, these everyday items can become hazardous by leaking, catching fire or creating pollution.<\/p>\n
\u201cEach year, we see people wait until a hurricane is approaching to clean out their garages, which leads to long lines at our drop-off centers and can quickly fill our fuel tanks,\u201d said Pinellas County Solid Waste Director Paul Sacco. \u201cBy dropping these items off early, residents can avoid delays and keep the community safer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pinellas County offers two free drop-off sites for household hazardous waste such as gasoline, oil, paint and rechargeable batteries:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Center, 2855 109th Ave. N., St. Petersburg; open Tuesday through Friday and the first and third Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.<\/p>\n
\u2022 HHW North, 29582 U.S. 19 N., Clearwater; open select Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit Pinellas.gov\/HHWcalendar<\/a> for collection dates.<\/p>\n The county will also host a special household chemical collection event on Saturday, May 30, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Treasure Island Community Center Park, 150 106th Ave., Treasure Island. The event will be open to all Pinellas County residents.<\/p>\n The HHW program is for Pinellas County households only. A government-issued ID is required to verify residency.<\/p>\n For a full list of accepted items and quantity limits, visit Pinellas.gov\/hhw<\/a>. For more information on how to safely dispose of batteries, visit Pinellas.gov\/batteries<\/a>.<\/p>\n