Credit: Rhody Surf

Local surf school Rhody Surf is giving back to the community with a new scholarship program. They’re offering a $500 award to an Aquidneck Island high school senior who can best describe how the ocean has made a positive impact on their life.

The Newport-based company, which has been teaching surfing since 2011, is now taking applications for this first-time academic grant. Students have until March 31, 2025, to submit their entries.

Bobby Drought from Rhody Surf explains that the company’s main goal is to protect the ocean through surfing.

“Protecting the ocean by introducing surfing as a gateway for others to make a connection to its impact is part of Rhody Surf’s core mission,” Drought says. “Every Rhode Islander has grown up with the ocean in their own way and has personal stories to share on how it has impacted their lives”.

To be eligible, students must be seniors at Aquidneck Island Public Schools. Interested students can apply online at https://rhodysurf.com/scholarship.

Ryan Belmore is the owner and publisher of What's Up Newp. He took over the publication in 2012 and has grown it into a three-time Rhode Island Monthly Best Local News Blog (2018, 2019, 2020). He was named LION Publishers Member of the Year in 2020 and received the Dominique Award from the Arts & Cultural Society of Newport County the same year. He has been awarded grants for investigative and community journalism, and continues to coach and mentor new local news publications nationwide. Ryan...