PSC scholarship and dedication honor the legacy of Gulf Breeze teen Ami-Lee Wilder

Pensacola State College awards inaugural scholarships at the dedication of the Ami-Lee Wilder Library and Liberty Sertoma Science Lab in Memory of Ami-Lee Wilder

 

Ami-Lee Wilder was a Gulf Breeze teen enrolled at Pensacola State College when her promising life ended in a car accident in 1990. While her life was cut short, her legacy continues to shape the futures of PSC students more than three decades later.

 

Since 1991, hundreds of PSC students have attended college with help from the Ami-Lee Wilder Memorial Endowed Scholarship, established by her parents, Harry and Martha Wilder, with support from family, friends and the Pensacola community. The scholarship has been sustained through gifts to the Pensacola State College Foundation from fundraising by Pensacola’s Liberty Sertoma Club.

 

On Tuesday, Jan. 13, the PSC Foundation further honored Ami-Lee Wilder’s enduring impact with the dedication of the Ami-Lee Wilder Library and the Liberty Sertoma Science Lab in Memory of Ami-Lee Wilder at the college’s South Santa Rosa Center. The event also marked the announcement of a new endowed scholarship established in her name.

 

The Ami-Lee Wilder Pirates CARE Endowed Scholarship for Gulf Breeze High School Graduates, funded by Harry and Jill Wilder, awarded its inaugural scholarships to PSC students Andria Glaze and Kylie Moore, both enrolled in PSC’s Pre-Sonography associate degree program.

 

“Gifts from the Wilder family, Liberty Sertoma and friends of Ami-Lee have now established two scholarship endowments whose principals total more than $1.56 million, supporting PSC students into perpetuity in Ami-Lee’s name,” said PSC Board of Trustees Chair Gordon Sprague.

 

Since 1992, Liberty Sertoma, of which Martha Wilder was a founding member, has contributed more than $77,000 through proceeds from an annual golf tournament. Liberty Sertoma President Sally Holmes described the club’s long-standing support as both an honor and labor of love.

 

Andrea Krieger, executive director of the PSC Foundation and a former member of Liberty Sertoma, echoed the sentiment, saying that the Wilders faced what they lost and turned it into something incredibly special.

 

“Harry and Martha could have been bitter, but they chose instead to make lasting change,” said Krieger.

 

PSC Foundation President Jenn Del Gallo recognized Harry Wilder’s service as a former PSC Foundation board member and thanked the Wilder family for their continued commitment.

 

“I am inspired and humbled by your family’s love for Ami-Lee and commitment to helping other students reach their dreams in her memory,” she said. “Today’s dedication is a fitting tribute to an amazing young woman and an incredible family.”

 

PSC President Ed Meadows congratulated the family and Liberty Sertoma members on the dedication of the South Santa Rosa Center’s digital library and science lab in memory of Ami-Lee Wilder and in honor of the club’s support of PSC students.

 

“There are big plans for this campus,” he said, sharing the college’s vision for health science, nursing and technology programs at the center in Gulf Breeze and long-range plans for soccer fields and an aquatic center on the 108-acre property.

 

Pensacola State College South Santa Rosa Center

 

The two-story center currently enrolls 477 students and houses nine classrooms, two science labs, two computer labs, one eSports gaming room, the library, and other student support spaces and administrative offices.

 

“Our location between Gulf Breeze and Navarre high schools saves a lot of students from the long commute to attend classes at one of our larger campuses,” said South Santa Rosa Center Director Debbie Gerard. “Thirty-eight percent of our student population here at the center are dual enrollment students from those schools, and a large part of our traditional college students are recent graduates from Gulf Breeze High School and Navarre High School. So, we’re very convenient for families and other residents of South Santa Rosa County.”

 

Ami-Lee Wilder Library

 

The newly named Ami-Lee Wilder Library offers 14 computer workstations with Internet access and software programs for coursework, a copier, a soundproof booth for virtual meetings or live online classes, study tables and access to the college’s digital library and textbook resources.

Liberty Sertoma Science Lab in Memory of Ami-Lee Wilder

 

The Liberty Sertoma Science Lab in Memory of Ami-Lee Wilder features two adjoining labs that support anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry, and applied microbiology classes with state-of-the-art equipment and models.

 

Ami-Lee Wilder Pirates CARE Endowed Scholarship for Gulf Breeze High School Graduates

 

The new scholarship supports Gulf Breeze High School graduates who demonstrate financial need and meet criteria associated with the college’s Pirates CARE Resource Center, which addresses basic needs with free resources for food, housing, transportation, counseling, financial coaching and career clothing.

 

“Some students arrive with academic potential but real-world challenges,” said Lynsey Listau, dean of Students and Equal Opportunity Compliance. “This scholarship allows them to focus on learning while receiving the support they need to succeed.”

 

Pirates CARE food pantries across PSC locations assist not only students, but their families, and provide safe study spaces where students can bring children while completing coursework. Harry Wilder described Pirates CARE as a holistic support system that reflects the realities many students face. They help students who need more than books and tuition to be successful.

 

Both recipients of the Ami-Lee Wilder Pirates CARE Endowed Scholarship for Gulf Breeze High School Graduates expressed gratitude, saying that the scholarship award means a lot to them and their families.

 

Wilder encouraged the students by saying that his return on investment would be their graduating debt-free and career-ready.

 

He also stated that his long-standing relationship with the PSC Foundation has been healing and that the scholarships awarded in memory of his daughter help him continue to feel her presence each day.

 

“For any parent who loses a child, it turns your life upside down. The issue for us was not how to cope but how to live, and how to bring back joy and live with purpose,” he said. “And if we can help people along the way, that’s just the cherry on top.”

 

The PSC Foundation manages nearly 300 donor-funded scholarships for students. In 2025 alone, these scholarships and donors provided almost $1 million in student support. The two endowed scholarships established in memory of Ami-Lee Wilder, as well as the newly dedicated Ami-Lee Wilder Library and Liberty Sertoma Science Lab in Memory of Ami-Lee Wilder, will expand this impact for generations to come.