2010 Barnes Scholarship winners announced

Four young women, two from Hillsborough County and two from Pinellas, have been selected as winners of 2010 Barnes Scholarships, the St. Petersburg Times Fund announced Wednesday.

They are Kristin Rebescher of St. Petersburg High School, Katherine Yerkes of Freedom High School, Briana Smith of Robinson High School and Shantaviae Wynn of Berkeley Preparatory School.

The four are eligible to receive up to $15,000 per year for four years at an accredited U.S. college or university. This year, the St. Petersburg Times Fund is providing more than $170,000 in financial aid through the Barnes Scholarships.

The scholarships are named for Andrew Barnes, retired chairman and CEO of the St. Petersburg Times. They support college-bound high school seniors who have overcome significant obstacles in their lives while remaining committed to academic achievement and community service.

The 2010 Barnes Scholarship winners were selected from among 10 finalists interviewed at the St. Petersburg Times offices in January. A total of 350 students from public and private high schools in Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough and Manatee counties had applied.

The six runnersup for the 2010 Barnes Scholarship each will receive a one-time $1,000 award. They are Elise Boyles of Springstead High in Hernando County, Thien-Linh "Lynn" Le and John-Henry Marley of King High in Tampa, Madison Douglas-Seay of Citrus High in Inverness, Nicholas Simons of Mitchell High in Pasco County and William Vebert of East Lake High in Pinellas County.

The winners and finalists will be honored at a luncheon on April 22 at the Marriott Resort in St. Petersburg. The guest speaker will be Ronda Zelezny-Green, a 2001 Barnes Scholar and a 2005 graduate of Salem College in Salem, N.C.

The St. Petersburg Times Fund is the not-for-profit philanthropic arm of the St. Petersburg Times. For information, visit sptimesfund.org.