Farah & Farah

JACKSONVILLE, Fla – Florida personal injury law firm Farah & Farah is proud to announce the five Florida students who are recipients of this year’s Empowering Greatness scholarship. This impactful program is in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters Association of Florida and Florida Prepaid College Foundation. It awards two years of free college tuition to outstanding high school seniors who embody the spirit of service and leadership.

“We’re thrilled to continue to support the next generation of exceptional leaders with this scholarship,” said Eddie Farah, founding partner of Farah & Farah. “The absolute best part of my year is calling these outstanding young people and telling them they won the scholarship and their first two years of college are on us.”

This year’s Florida scholarship recipients are:

• Sergio Benjamin Valdes (Port Charlotte): A senior from Port Charlotte High School, Sergio’s rigorous academic focus and passion for environmental advocacy deeply impressed the selection panel. By challenging himself with a demanding course load of two sciences (AP Biology and AICE Marine Science) and two mathematics courses (AP Calculus AB and AP Statistics), Sergio has built a strong technical foundation for his future plans to study Environmental Engineering. Beyond the classroom, he is a dedicated athlete who balances his schedule with soccer, tennis, volleyball, and swimming.

• Margaret Oladokun (Tampa): A senior from Jefferson High School, Margaret’s clear passion for service and heartfelt, authentic approach deeply impressed the selection panel. By excelling in her favorite subjects, math and writing, she has built a strong foundational skillset for her future plans to study Hospitality and Tourism Management. Beyond her academic goals, she is a vibrant, community-minded individual who channels her energy into cheer, singing, and a genuine love of meeting new people.

• Liss Rodriguez (Tampa): A senior at Hillsborough High School who has successfully balanced high school with the challenges of dual enrollment, Liss’s persistence, enthusiasm, and commitment to personal growth deeply impressed the selection panel. By navigating the complexities of being a first-generation immigrant student and channeling her personal experiences with a neurodevelopmental disorder into deep empathy, Liss has built a resilient foundation for her future plans to study Nursing and pursue a career as a psychiatric nurse. For Liss, her favorite subject, English, is a vital emotional outlet where writing makes thoughts permanent and real. Supported by her meaningful three-year journey with Big Brothers Big Sisters, she balances her academic ambitions with a love for reading, music, and creative writing, maintaining a steadfast dedication to giving back to her family and her community. Liss has been accepted to the University of South Florida.

• Savannah Bady (Jacksonville): A senior at Westside High School, Savannah’s hands-on dedication to patient care and her natural curiosity for the world deeply impressed the selection panel. By completing eight weeks of clinical rotations at Brooks University Crossing and St. Vincent’s Riverside through her school’s Certified Nursing Assistant program, Savannah has already built a meaningful foundation for her future healthcare journey at Florida State College at Jacksonville. Equally passionate about math for its clear, foundational logic and science for its systematic answers to the “why” questions of the natural world, she thrives on solving complex problems. Beyond her clinical and academic achievements, Savannah is a well-rounded individual who balances her schedule with drawing, reading, and gaming, driven by an enduring inspiration to care for those who cannot care for themselves.

• Elijah Elliott (Jacksonville): A senior at KIPP Bold City High School, Elijah’s deep commitment to mentorship and community advocacy deeply impressed the selection panel. By balancing a rigorous academic schedule with a job at Hibbett Sports and extensive community service, Elijah has developed the strong leadership, empathy, and time management skills necessary for his future journey as a psychology major at Bethune-Cookman University. He thrives in math and science, subjects that provide a strong analytical foundation for his goal of bringing mental health support to underserved communities. Beyond his academic and community pursuits, Elijah is an active individual who enjoys traveling, playing sports like football, basketball, and track, and always striving to be a source of guidance for others.

The Empowering Greatness scholarship draws its inspiration from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s powerful words: “Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve.” This philosophy is central to Farah & Farah’s mission and was a key factor in selecting this year’s deserving students.

Winners were selected based on a strict grading rubric followed by a judging panel composed of some of Florida’s most inspirational community and academic leaders, including:

• Marva Johnson, J.D., MBA, President of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU)
• Tenikka Hughes, 3x Emmy Award-winning evening anchor at Action News Jax
• Kiva Williams, Founder of Mahogany Kids Fine Arts Foundation
• Vially Dorestant, Paralegal & creative strategist
• Taylor Richardson, Senior biology major at Spelman College & Morgan Stanley Scholar
• Jordan Beverly, Past Empowering Greatness Scholarship winner
• Aniya Martinez, Past Empowering Greatness Scholarship winner

These scholarships are a direct investment in Florida’s next generation of leaders. “Here for you, Here for Good” isn’t a motto – it’s who we are and how we operate as a firm. Farah & Farah encourages everyone to be a leader for positive change in their own communities.

For more information on the program or to see when next year’s application portal opens, please visit farahandfarah.com/scholarship or email: scholarships@farahandfarah.com.

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About Farah & Farah
For over 45 years, Farah & Farah’s personal injury law firm has fought insurance companies and corporations to protect the rights of injured people and their families. Farah & Farah has over 25 office locations throughout Florida and Georgia, and has recovered more than $2 billion for victims and their families. Under the leadership of managing partners and brothers Eddie and Chuck Farah, our dedicated team of attorneys and staff prioritize listening to clients’ needs, collaborating, and treating all clients as part of the Farah family. Follow us @farahandfarah (Twitter), @farah_and_farah (Instagram), @FarahAndFarah (FB), Farah & Farah (YouTube), and farahandfarah.com.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters Association of Florida 
Big Brothers Big Sisters Association of Florida works to increase resources and create opportunities that sustain and grow program services at each of our 11 local affiliates that span from Pensacola to Jacksonville to Miami, and recently, to Key West. Each of these agencies provide strong, safe, staff supported mentoring relationships for at risk youth and trained, adult volunteers. For more information, please visit their website.

About the Florida Prepaid College Foundation
Since 1987, the Florida Prepaid College Board has offered families a means to save for their children and grandchildren’s future college expenses with the Florida Prepaid College Program and the Florida 529 Savings Plan. As the not-for-profit division of the Florida Prepaid College Board, the Florida Prepaid College Foundation offers an avenue for eligible organizations to purchase tax-deductible Florida Prepaid College Plan scholarships, and in many cases, leverage our funds for a dollar-for-dollar scholarship match. This allows donor and partner organizations to have a bigger impact within their community. For more information, please visit their website.

Date Posted: May 21, 2026