With almost $1.1 million awarded in scholarships since its inception, the Best & Brightest Awards celebrated 20 years of stellar student achievement on May 14 as graduates of the class of 2025 took their spotlight.
Thunderous applause resounded in the Ruby Diamond Concert Hall at Florida State University as 139 high school seniors beamed from the stage of the auditorium with trophies, medals, scholarships and their community’s support.
The day will go down in history, literally, as Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey officially proclaimed May 14, 2025, “Best & Brightest Day,” and gave the key to the city to Ron Sachs, who founded the Best & Brightest awards in 2006 and is the semi-retired founder of Sachs Media, a nationally recognized public relations firm based in Tallahassee.
Coordinated by World Class Schools of Leon County, a subsect of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, the annual event is a community effort uplifted by major sponsors like Envision Credit Union, Sachs Media and the Tallahassee Democrat.
Students are nominated by their schools for one of 15 categories ranging from technology to art. Finalists are then interviewed and selected by judges to be one of the top three finishers as a winner, runner up or honorable mention. Each title comes with a reward amount of $1,500, $750 or $500 respectively.
Check out the full article from the Tallahassee Democrat along with pictures from the event HERE.
See a full list of finalists, winners and the full program below:
Watch the ceremony via the YouTube recording HERE
