LAKELAND, Fla. (August 8, 2006) — Lakeland High School valedictorian Chelsea Geiger has been named the 2006 Hazel Haley Scholar. Geiger will receive a $2,500 scholarship each year for four years toward her education at Florida Southern College. She plans to major in business and economics.

Geiger will enter FSC already with an associate’s degree from Polk Community College, which she earned while dual-enrolled as a high school and PCC student. She earned a place on the National Dean’s List at PCC and is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society of community colleges. At Lakeland High School, Geiger was active her freshman and sophomore years on the varsity cross country team, as president of the running club and vice president of the Spanish club, as a member of Keyettes and later Key Club, and as treasurer of her freshman and sophomore class. She was a member of National Honor Society, an active community volunteer, and worked part time at JC Penney’s. She also has received a scholarship to attend FSC from the Glenn W. and Hazelle Paxton Morrison Foundation of Lakeland, Fla. Geiger is the daughter of Jenny Geiger of Lakeland, Fla. and Tim Geiger of Tampa, Fla.
 
The Hazel Haley Scholarship Fund honors the retired Lakeland High School English teacher, a 1937 graduate of Florida Southern, the longest-serving teacher in Florida, and a guest lecturer at FSC. 

About Florida Southern College
Founded in 1885, Florida Southern College is a private, comprehensive, United Methodist college with a liberal arts core. The college maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 38 undergraduate majors and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, and nursing. Florida Southern has a 14:1 student/faculty ratio, provides strong student/faculty mentorship programs, boasts 25 NCAA Division II national championships, and is ranked by U. S. News and World Report as one of the top ten Southern Comprehensive Colleges-Bachelors. Located on scenic Lake Hollingsworth, Florida Southern is the home of the world’s largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.