December 6, 2007

Each year the Central Florida Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (CFAMFT) awards a scholarship to a deserving graduate student. This scholarship is known as the Gery J. Woltering Memorial Scholarship. The Gery J. Woltering Memorial Scholarship Award was named in honor of one of CFAMFT’s former members. Gery Woltering was an esteemed member of the marriage and family therapy community and CFAMFT. Each year his memory is honored when Mrs. Dorothy Woltering returns to award the Gery J. Woltering Memorial Scholarship at our annual holiday breakfast.

Students must be enrolled in a full-time graduate program in marriage and family therapy or a mental health counseling program with a systemic orientation. The essay must be written to reflect the student’s reasons for wanting to become a therapist with a systemic focus. The announcement of the essay competition is mailed out to all graduate programs at the start of the fall semester. Essays are reviewed by a committee of CFAMFT members. Once a decision is made, the recipient is notified, as he or she must be present at the holiday breakfast in order to be appropriately honored.

This year’s winner of the Gery J. Woltering Memorial Scholarship Award was Jessica Perrone a graduate student from Stetson University. Ms. Perrone was present at the holiday breakfast, at which time she was awarded a $500 scholarship, a prestigious plaque for display, and an honorary 2008 membership to CFAMFT. In her essay, Ms. Perrone wrote about her reasons for wanting to become a systemic therapist. She reflected back to when she was working as a nanny and noticed that any changes she made with the children didn’t make a difference until the parents also made the same changes. Once in graduate school she discovered numerous theories based on this notion that she had previously discovered.  Jessica showed us that she has a good understanding of systemic theory and her essay was easy to read and easy to understand. Congratulations Ms. Perrone on a job well done!

We look forward to welcoming Ms. Perrone again next year at our holiday breakfast, as she will award the scholarship to our 2008 winner. Thank you to all of the essay contestants who took their time to write an essay. All of you wrote such good essays it made it difficult to choose just one winner!

Submitted by:
Sandra Moenssens, M.S.

		In honor of his dedication to children and families in Florida, Senator Daniel Webster, was awarded CFAMFT's 2006 Legislative Award.  CFAMFT thanks him for his commitment to advancing legislation that promotes the safety and well-being of families as well as legislation that supports the profession of Marriage & Family Therapists.
from left to right: Steve Livingston (AAMFT past President) Victoria Jenovese (CFAMFT President) Daniel Webster (Senator) Lyris Steuber (CFAMFT Legislative Liaison)