Local Students Invited to Participate in 2020 Town Hall Lecture Series

Thanks to the generous support of local philanthropists Rosemary and Lou Oberndorf, 28 students from area high schools were invited to attend a lecture with General John F. Kelly, as the first of six lectures planned for The Ringling College Library Association (RCLA) Town Hall Lecture Series 2020. Participating students were also given the opportunity to participate in an exclusive question and answer session with the guest speaker before the lecture held at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

Each year, more than 120 high school seniors are sponsored by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and donors, with significant organizational support from Sarasota County Schools, to attend one of the RCLA evening lectures, with some students granted the opportunity to ask questions during a morning press briefing.

Selection for attendance is competitive. Two students who embody academic excellence, leadership, and community service, are nominated from each local high school by their principals to attend these lectures as “RCLA Town Hall Scholars.” Following the lectures, students are encouraged to write an essay reflecting on the impact the speaker’s message had on their own life experiences. Based on these reflections and supported by an outstanding academic record, up to 15 students will be awarded a $2,000 college scholarship from the Rosemary and Lou Oberndorf Town Hall Scholarship Fund and the Dorothy B. Templeton Scholarship Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

This year, the 2020 RCLA Town Hall Lecture Series invites an impressive roster of guest speakers to challenge student perceptions, and includes: General John F. Kelly; travel writer and television personality Rick Steves; Ambassador Wendy R. Sherman; freelance journalist Sam Quinones; neuroscientist and author Lisa Genova; and, photojournalist Annie Leibovitz.

Over the past nine years, the RCLA Town Hall Scholars Program has awarded 120 scholarships totaling $240,000 to local graduating high school seniors, in addition to offering more than 1,000 students the opportunity to gain valuable life experience that enriches their education.