Wayne Hogan awarded Taylor Smith the 2014 W. Douglas Hartley Scholarship at a special awards ceremony for St. Augustine High School seniors. Ms. Smith will attend Florida State University this fall, where she plans to study business and finance and eventually pursue a master’s degree in the same field. The scholarship provides full tuition for up to eight semesters at a state university as well as a stipend for books.
“I am so happy and grateful.” Smith said. “I can’t explain what this means to me and my family. A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. It feels like I can finally give back to my parents and this scholarship offers me a sense independence.” Smith graduated Summa Cum Laude and third in her class with a 4.64 GPA. She is a member of the National Honors Society and played on the girls soccer team for three years.
The Hartley Scholarship was established 15 years ago by attorney Wayne Hogan and his wife, Patricia, to honor the legacy of the late W. Douglas Hartley, St. Johns County’s long-term superintendent who provided students from all walks of life with the best educational opportunities, while making it his daily duty to know about the challenges and accomplishments of individual students. “He brought the public schools of St. Johns County into a modern era as the civil rights movement helped create a new South. Mr. Hartley made sure our public schools were ready for the new millennium,” said Wayne Hogan, a 1965 St. Augustine High School graduate.
The W. Douglas Hartley Scholarship is awarded each year to a St. Augustine High School senior who excels academically, demonstrates financial need and does not smoke or use tobacco products. Since The Wayne and Patricia Hogan Endowment was established in 1999, The W. Douglas Hartley Scholarship has helped 73 St. Johns County public school graduates attend college.