History: 

Suzy Fago and her husband, Carl have been active pirates for years, traveling from South Carolina to be at many a Dive Pirates Ball, sailing away with the crew to Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, Cozumel, and more; always ready to help with any recipient during a trip. Suzy, at the forefront in the pink she wore so well, learned to scuba dive late in life but diving quickly turned into her favorite hobby.

A woman whose very being was taking care of others, a registered nurse on the cardiac floor, she was a go-to person on Dive Pirate trips taking care of the crew. Unfortunately, she dealt with a debilitating disease herself, ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. 

Purpose: 

It was Suzy’s desire to support more women divers. To provide a deserving current female recipient of the Dive Pirates Foundation (DPF) the financial means for air travel, resort, and diving during one of the Dive Pirates Foundation’s trips or to assist a past female recipient certified by DPF with support to go on another dive trip with the Dive Pirates. For the past returning female recipient, the applicant will need to provide her own airfare to and from the destination, while the resort and diving will be supported by the Suzy Fago Memorial Scholarship. The recipient must purchase airfare by March 15, 2024, and provide an itinerary to DPF to secure placement on dive trip.  

Eligibility Requirements:

The ideal candidate for consideration will reflect the following:  

Current Female Recipient of the Dive Pirates Foundation 

  • Completed and accepted Adaptive Diver Application with DPF  
  • Available to attend DPF scheduled trip in the following year. 
  • Willing to record a message of acceptance and send it to DPF by Feb 1, 2025, for the Dive Pirates Ball as well as for social media and other promotional platforms. 

 

Past Female Recipient of the Dive Pirates Foundation 

  • Completed an initial sponsored trip with the Dive Pirates Foundation.  
  • Available to attend DPF scheduled trip in the following year. 
  • Willing to record a message of acceptance and send it to DPF by Feb 1, 2025, for the Dive Pirates Ball as well as for social media and other promotional platforms. 
  • Can demonstrate that paying for a full dive trip is not feasible (due to family obligations, job situation, etc. please explain in the hardship statement below). 
  • Recommendation letter from an instructor, Dive Pirates member, or from someone in the diving community. 
  • Upload a current photo. 
  • Complete a diver medical form download (print, complete, and have it signed by an M.D. or D.O. and return it, as directed upon completion of the application).

Application Process:

Applications will not be considered unless all elements of the application are included. All elements of the application must be provided by close of business on Dec 31, 2024. All applicants will be notified of results by Jan 15, 2025. The scholarship winner will be included in the 2025 Dive Pirates Ball program and announced during the event. 

Caveats:

Current Female Recipient of the Dive Pirates Foundation

  • The recipient understands she cannot reapply for this scholarship for the next two years.

Past Female Recipient of the Dive Pirates Foundation

  1. The recipient is responsible for acquiring a current passport. If the passport is out of date at the time of scholarship acceptance (Jan 15) recipient must file and receive their passport before airfare is secured (must have a passport before Mar 1, 2025.) If the recipient fails this requirement, the next viable candidate will be chosen.
  2. The recipient is responsible for any refresher course needed.
  3. The recipient is responsible for and must show proof of Divers Insurance.
  4. The recipient is responsible for having her scuba equipment inspected. If any equipment needs servicing or replacing the recipient must contact Dive Pirates Foundation by Mar 1, 2025, and accept any donated equipment options available. (Replacement equipment will be on a case-by-case basis)
  5. The recipient understands she cannot reapply for this scholarship for the next two years.

In the event there is not an eligible current female recipient or past recipient in any given year, Dive Pirates Foundation and Carl Fago may opt to consider a female adaptive buddy of a current recipient. At that time female adaptive buddies will be notified of scholarship availability and may apply. 

Should you have any inquiries please do not hesitate to contact us at scholarship@divepirates.org

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