We love seeing our students shine!
Congratulations to PCPS’ Sunshine State Scholars for 2026: Zander Franke from Central Florida Aerospace Academy Lakeland, Catherine Nguyen from IB Haines City, Shlok Patel from IB Bartow, and alternate Curtis Blackburn from Frostproof Middle-Senior High.
Every year, Florida’s school districts select their top high school juniors in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) for the Sunshine State Scholars program. Each student, along with their parents, will be invited to travel to Orlando in March to meet with other Sunshine State Scholars, connect with employers in STEM fields, and learn about their higher education options in Florida.
“This is an excellent program highlighting some of the brightest young minds in Florida,” said Jeff Hancock, PCPS’ senior director of K-12 science. “We’re delighted to have these outstanding students represent Polk County Public Schools, and we can’t wait to see what they do in the future.”
