Silver Garland Awards: 14 Polk County seniors honored for special service to the community

Paul Catala
·5 min read

WINTER HAVEN – Jamie Phillips said just the acknowledgement was his payout.

Phillips, 17, is a senior at Winter Haven High School, where he’s one of the top players on the Blue Devils’ basketball team. He’s also the winner of a $1,000 scholarship in the Athletics category of the 2024 Silver Garland Awards, honoring high school seniors who serve the community using their talents in one of 14 categories.

The Silver Garland Awards were held Thursday night in Winter Haven’s AdventHealth Fieldhouse and Conference Center, where about 200 people including students, their families and friends gathered in the Theatre Winter Haven auditorium to applaud the winners and all 42 of this year’s finalists.

Those finalists went to the AdventHealth Fieldhouse for interviews Feb. 8, and the three finalists in each category were selected by judges who are professionals in the fields. Along with $1,000, winners were presented with trophies by Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Frederick Heid.

Jamie Phillips Jr., a student at Winter Haven High School receives the Silver Garland Award in the Athletics category from Polk County schools Superintendent Frederick Heid during a ceremony at the AdventHealth Fieldhouse in Winter Haven on Thursday.
Jamie Phillips Jr., a student at Winter Haven High School receives the Silver Garland Award in the Athletics category from Polk County schools Superintendent Frederick Heid during a ceremony at the AdventHealth Fieldhouse in Winter Haven on Thursday.

The Silver Garland categories include Aerospace, Art, Athletics, Citizenship, Communications, Computer Science, English/Literature, Foreign Language, Mathematics, Music, Performing Arts, Science, Vocational/Technology and new this year, Culinary. A total of 158 students were nominated by their high schools.

As Phillips stood proudly on the stage after the ceremony, he said he was surprised to be in the spotlight for his efforts in the community, not just on the basketball court. Like all the finalists who were selected for their academic and social outreach efforts, he was nominated for his basketball initiative, “Hoops Haven,” in which he helps young people stay on track for productive futures through basketball and examples of encouragement.

“I was pretty shocked. For all the work I’ve done in  the community, this award means a lot; it means I made a bit of an impact,” said Phillips, who plans to attend Stetson University in DeLand, in the fall.

The awards were started in 1976 by The Ledger and were run by the newspaper continuously through 2021. In 2022, the awards were canceled because of staff turnover at The Ledger. But in 2023, Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing brought the awards back with support from the Polk County Commission and School Board.

The Silver Garland Awards ceremony was emceed by Mark Jackson, Central Florida's Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing director. From the stage podium, he said the accomplishments of all Silver Garland Award nominees were “astonishing” and what each of them achieved over their high school years “truly sets them apart.”

“We want these special people, these future leaders, to return to Polk County after college, to become the next generation of leaders,” he said. “Today, we are witnesses to the fresh sprouts of their potential. We can only imagine how bright their futures will be.”

See last year's winners: In photos: The 2023 Silver Garland Awards honor students who serve their community

Following Jackson, Heid spoke and also congratulated the finalists.

“Part of why these students really stand out, it’s not just their commitment at the school level and their activities, but their commitment outside of the classroom. And that’s what we really strive to do, we strive to ensure that when students leave our school system, they can become productive, engaged citizens,” he said.

Shortly after Jackson spoke, the first of the Silver Garland finalists – Aerospace finalists Leo Martin of Winter Haven High School, Nalanie Davila of George Jenkins High School and Steven Tellman of Central Florida Aerospace Academy – took the stage. Tellman walked off with the $1,000 check for his efforts helping other students learn to fly gliders and sail planes.

Steven Tellman of Central Florida Aerospace Academy, receives the Silver Garland Award in the Aerospace category.
Steven Tellman of Central Florida Aerospace Academy, receives the Silver Garland Award in the Aerospace category.

The 2024 Silver Garland Awards concluded with Vocational/Technical category, won by Caleb Grieves of Kathleen High School, for creating a program that tutored others, building a website and digital forums and designing advertisements.

Caleb Grieves from Kathleen High School won in the Vocational/Technical category.
Caleb Grieves from Kathleen High School won in the Vocational/Technical category.

As she stood near the stage, Emma Abdoney, 18, looked out at the theater. She said it “felt good” to represent George Jenkins High School as the $1,000 winner of the English/Literature category and she would use the money to help pay for a major in health studies at the University of Miami.

“The students and staff there are like a family to me. It felt good to be able to represent them well,” she said.

Emma Abdoney, a student at George Jenkins High School, won the Silver Garland Award in the English Literature category.
Emma Abdoney, a student at George Jenkins High School, won the Silver Garland Award in the English Literature category.

The three finalists and winners of each category were:

  • Aerospace: Nalanie Davila, George Jenkins; Leo Martin, Winter Haven; winner Steven Tellman, Central Florida Aerospace Academy.

  • Art: Emma Jenkins, George Jenkins; Rahell Mir, Bartow IB; winner Wajiha Islam, Haines City.

Wajiha Islam, a student at Haines City High School IB, won the Silver Garland Award in the Art category.
Wajiha Islam, a student at Haines City High School IB, won the Silver Garland Award in the Art category.

  • Athletics: Ben Madden, Lakeland; Alyssa Currie, George Jenkins; winner Jamie Phillips, Winter Haven.

  • Citizenship: Amir Sallem, Bartow IB; Cristina Barrios, Harrison School for the Arts; winner Kyara Segarra, Haines City IB.

  • Communications: Isabel Desoto, Lake Gibson; Jaydee Stein, Haines City IB; winner Alyvia Logan, Winter Haven.

  • Computer Science: Tyson McLaws, George Jenkins; Abrar Amin, Haines City IB; winner Katelyn McCullough, Winter Haven.

  • Culinary: Arian Koper, George Jenkins; Alberto Chaves, Bartow IB; winner Ricardo Murillo, Winter Haven.

  • English/Literature: Juliana Ayala, Auburndale; Dorothy Medina, Bartow; winner Emma Abdoney, George Jenkins.

  • Foreign Language: Shammar Louis, Winter Haven; Yoly Rodriguez, Polk Virtual Student; winner Christian Cortes-Daza, Mulberry.

  • Mathematics: Katridiushkalee Cintron, Polk Virtual; Evan Favis, Haines City IB; winner Joshua Paul, Harrison.

  • Music: Brooke Campbell, Winter Haven; Abraham Saul Medina, Bartow IB; winner Liam Moraczewski, All Saints Academy.

  • Performing Arts: Heli Bosmia, Bartow; Alison Hare, Winter Haven; winner Gisele Garcia, Lakeland.

  • Science: Zarah Kerawala. Ridge Community; Laila Fuqua, Lake Gibson; winner Madison Proctor, Winter Haven.

  • Vocational/Technology: Colin Lopez, Winter Haven; Charleigh Wood, George Jenkins; winner Caleb Grieves, Kathleen.

Scholarship sponsors for the categories were Sun ‘N Fun Aerospace Expo, the Polk Arts and Cultural Alliance, Polk State College, Orlando Health, The Ledger, Digitech, Whiskey Bent BBQ Supply, Theatre Winter Haven, Polk County Government, Central Florida Development Council, Hall Communications, the Dershimer Insurance Agency, A-C-T Environmental and Infrastructure and Rodda Construction.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk seniors take Silver Garland Awards for service to the community