Brunch on the Bay

Providing Needed Scholarship Funding For Local Students 

By Shawn Ahearn | May 2021

When Jennifer Eubanks decided to return to college after working for 20 years as an executive in retail, she was faced with many uncertainties. As a wife and mother of a young child, Jennifer was concerned about how she and her husband would afford the cost of tuition and manage other expenses, yet she felt like the time was right to finally pursue her bachelor’s degree. 

“I am a non-traditional student who went back to school at age thirty-seven,” said Jennifer. “After my father passed away while I was still in middle school, my mom worked hard to send my brother to college. I decided to go straight to work after high school in order to save for college and I started my retail career. I quickly grew within the company, and I kept saying ‘I’m going to go back to school and earn my degree someday.’”

Nearly 20 years passed before Jennifer’s dream became a reality and she is now making the most of the opportunity. A recipient of the Badger Bob’s scholarship and the Golden Bull Award given annually in the spring semester to students who encompass the spirit of USF and have demonstrated its values, she is an English major at USF’s Sarasota-Manatee campus with a minor in business.  Jennifer also is enrolled in the Judy Genshaft Honors College, where she is writing a thesis on childhood food insecurity in Sarasota and Manatee Counties.

“I hope my English major and business minor will enable me to grow in my current field, and that my experiences in the honors program will also help me to focus my volunteer work in serving children and families in our community,” said Jennifer. “I feel there were many opportunities that I may have missed, or I was held back from, because I didn’t have those (degree) requirements,” she said. 

“Achieving a bachelor’s degree will be instrumental in helping me to grow, and scholarships have been an important part of my success. I couldn’t be where I am today without them. Being able to take the stress of the financial burden away and truly being able to focus on my studies has reaffirmed my decision to go back to school and it’s made all the difference in the world.”

During the past 26 years, the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus has hosted one of the region’s premier social events, Brunch on the Bay, raising scholarships funds for nearly 1,900 students, most of whom are from the Sarasota-Manatee region and remain in our community to live and work. Thanks to the generosity of Brunch on the Bay scholarship donors, countless students have earned college degrees and now give their time and talent back to the Sarasota and Manatee communities. As COVID-19 has affected the lives of many in our community, college scholarships offer students much-needed financial support for tuition, books and other expenses needed to continue their studies or start their degree and a new career path.

For Jennifer and countless other students, scholarships helped turn dreams of a college education and enriching career into a reality. “When I received the news that I was a Brunch on the Bay Scholarship recipient, I was just over the moon. The USF Sarasota-Manatee campus is amazing, I don’t think I could have been as successful without this team and this culture and environment on campus. It feels like home.” 

The University of South Florida is indeed committed to student success and increasing access to education across the region and the state. The Sarasota-Manatee campus provides a personalized education with a focus on hands-on experiential learning that leverages community partnerships to provide student opportunities, internships and career placement. Many of the students at the Sarasota-Manatee campus are first-generation college students, like Jennifer, and the majority work at least 20 hours per week to fund their education. Scholarships like those funded by Brunch on the Bay help ease financial burdens and remove barriers to educational access.

The 27th Brunch on the Bay will be held on Sunday, November 7, 2021, at the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus. Guests will enjoy cuisine from leading local restaurants and caterers while helping students in our region attend college at the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus. 

Brunch on the Bay could not fund student success stories without the support of our local community, organizations and leaders. 

“We are very pleased that USF Federal Credit Union will be the title sponsor of Brunch on the Bay for the next three years, and Elizabeth Moore has agreed to serve as chairperson of the 2021 event,” said USF Sarasota-Manatee Campus Regional Chancellor, Karen Holbrook, PhD. “We are thrilled to partner with an organization that consistently supports students and the communities in which they do business, and it’s an honor to have Elizabeth Moore leading our planning team.” 

“It is an honor and privilege to give back to the university through these scholarships,” said CEO and President Richard J. Skaggs. “After all, supporting the educational advancement of future leaders is one of the best investments we could make.” 

Brunch on the Bay chairperson Elizabeth Moore has established herself as a prominent community leader since moving to the Suncoast from Massachusetts, where she helped run her family’s catering business. As a philanthropist and environmentalist, she serves on several local boards, and immerses herself in supporting a variety of important local and global causes. She has a special passion for arts and culture and providing opportunities for others. 

“I have attended Brunch on the Bay as a guest the past five years and loved it. There’s a young, vibrant energy going on here,” said Moore. “Workforce development in any community is vitally important to boost the economy. USF trains students to become outstanding professionals in our community and supports critical issues that impact our growth and future.” 

“Our local restaurants and caterers are remarkable supporters of this event as well,” Moore said. “In the midst of the pandemic, when many restaurants were struggling to keep their doors open, they agreed to support Brunch on the Bay. Supporting student scholarships is an important cause, and we are so grateful for their commitment.”

Brunch on the Bay is presented by Mary Kenealy Events. To learn more about the event and how you can support student scholarships, please visit sarasotamanatee.usf.edu/brunch or call Pam at 941.359.4603.