NEW&NOW LEGACY
NATHAN COE
Expanding Minds, CHANGING LIVES
MA RI S A
AR
M
Samantha Marulli (pictured far right) created a scholarship in honor of her late sister Jessica (pictured here, right, with her sister Marisa).
UL
LI
Sometimes, the most heartbreaking experiences of our lives spark our greatest moves for good. This was the case when Palm Beacher Samantha Marulli created the Jessica Marulli Memorial Scholarship in honor of her late sister. Months after a picture-perfect wedding at St. Edward’s, where she served as eucharistic minister, Jessica was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. She passed away in 2016. Samantha launched the scholarship fund in 2018—on what would have been Jessica’s forty-second birthday—with a Bruce Sutka–designed evening at Marulli’s parents’ home on the island; more than 250 guests attended, raising $250,000 in one night. “The inspiration for launching the foundation came as a collective effort between my father and [me], celebrating not only Jessica’s legacy, but her vigor for our youth to become leaders through education,” says Samantha. Funded mostly by a network of donors, the foundation benefits promising arts and sciences students at Franklin Pierce University, their father’s alma mater, and has allotted full-ride scholarships to 11 students since its inception. “Our mission is to embrace Jessica’s story, hopefully impacting these students to help guide them into a prosperous life by obtaining an education,” adds Samantha, who hopes to grow the foundation to offer five scholarships annually. “The students who have graduated are in thriving careers, and the others are on track to graduate and begin their professional lives free of student debt and with a bright future ahead of them.” (marullimemorialscholarship.com) –S.S.
GROWING GOOD You may have heard of Blend Palm Beach County, a program that nurtures minority-owned food-based business enterprises by fostering community connections, but did you know that the organization pours into future chefs as well? Blend PBC’s agricultural elementary school program uses indoor microgreen harvesting to teach students economic sustainability in a hands-on way. Aside from activities like farm-totable smoothie-making and pizza-building, elementary agriculturists can sell their pea shoots and arugula sprouts to local restaurants; this past June, microgreens grown at two local elementary schools in marginalized communities were used in Blend PBC chefs’ masterpieces at the Mayor’s Ball at the Palm 30
Beach County Convention Center. “Every dish tells a story, and we hope that ours embody the essence of community education and betterment,” says Trinnette Morris, executive director of Blend PBC. “Nothing tastes sweeter than helping Black and brown communities through the social and emotional learning that is taught through gardening.” (blendpbc.org) —S.S.
PALM BEACH ILLUSTRATED
030_New&Now_0922.indd 30
7/29/22 1:33 PM
