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2025–2026 Gulf Winds Scholarships

Information and Application

The 2025-2026 Gulf Winds Scholarship Program is now closed. We look forward to announcing this year's scholarship recipients soon, thank you to everyone who applied.

The Gulf Winds Foundation Scholarship

Three (3) non-renewable $5,000 scholarships are awarded to incoming higher education students. Eligible applicants must be graduating high school seniors or high school graduates.

 

These scholarships are intended for first-year continuing education students only.

Rex Burt Trade School Scholarship

 The Rex Burt Trade School Scholarship is a $5,000 award reserved specifically for a student attending a trade school.

Rex Burt served as our dedicated Facilities Manager for over 17 years, leaving a lasting legacy through his unwavering commitment, tireless work ethic, and warm personality. To honor his memory and passion for trade education, the Gulf Winds Foundation established the Rex Burt Trade School Scholarship, providing financial support to students pursuing trade school education, ensuring his contributions to our community will never be forgotten.

The Micah Williams Memorial Scholarship

The Micah Williams Memorial Scholarship is a non-renewable $5,000 scholarship awarded to a student currently enrolled in higher education courses seeking a career in the medical field. If you have taken at least 12 credit hours, you may qualify for the Gulf Winds Foundation’s Micah Williams Memorial Scholarship. 

Micah Jay Williams was born on November 20, 2018, with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a condition requiring three open-heart surgeries. Despite his diagnosis, Micah recovered from two surgeries and lived a joyful eight months, bringing immense happiness to his family with his strength, smile, and laughter, especially delighting in his older brother Chandler. On August 6, 2019, his condition suddenly worsened, and he passed away, leaving a profound impact on his family, friends, and community. To honor his memory, the Micah Williams Memorial Scholarship was created to support students pursuing medical careers, helping others like Micah.

Congratulations to Our 2025 Scholarship Winners!

In 2025, Gulf Winds awarded $25,000 worth of scholarship money to five students. Out of 73 applicants our winners were:

  • Jacob Akers, advancing his passion for physics and mathematics at Auburn University
  • Monessa McMillan, starting her journey to become a veterinarian at South Alabama 
  • Breely Richardson, pursuing a degree in public health at the University of Alabama
  • Lael Peterson, pursuing a career in nursing at Locklin Tech
  • Jessica Abraham, pursuing an associate degree in nursing at Fortis Institute

Continue reading about how our 2025 winners plan to use their scholarship money to pursue their dreams. 

Questions?

Please direct all scholarship program questions to [email protected] or 850.479.9601 x149.