LAKELAND, Fla. (March 18, 2005) - Mark and Lynn Hollis of Lakeland, Fla., have established The Hollis Fellowship in Education to support education majors at Florida Southern College. The scholarship will provide tuition and book support for students preparing for teaching careers in the Florida public schools. 

Each qualifying student will receive $7,500 toward tuition and $500 toward books and materials a year. Recipients must maintain a 3.0 grade point average and agree to teach for three years in the Florida public school system following graduation. 

The Hollises established the scholarship in an effort to ease the teacher shortage. "We were having difficulty in finding enough teachers to meet the newly passed constitutional amendment on class size," said Mark Hollis. "We hope this scholarship will help to meet this great need."

FSC president Dr. Anne B. Kerr noted, "Recruiting talented students who would make outstanding classroom teachers remains a vital key to addressing teacher shortages and enhancing our public school systems. We are grateful to the Hollises for their generosity and vision in establishing this meaningful fellowship opportunity for students preparing to be classroom teachers." 


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 24 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.