Southdale's Owner Presents Scholarship to Local Grad

A 2011 graduate of Wayzata High School was the recipient of a scholarship officially presented last week at Southdale Center.

Brooks Fluguar-Leavitt, who resides in Plymouth, received a scholarship check for $1,400 presented by the Simon Youth Foundation. The Foundation is part of Simon Property Group, the owner of Southdale and the largest U.S. real estate company and real estate investment trust.

Fluguar-Leavitt will attend the University of St. Thomas this fall. He plans to major in history and secondary education with hopes of becoming a secondary school teacher.

The scholarship is one of over 200 given out this year by Simon. In conjunction with their “Start here. Go anywhere” program, more than $1.15 million has been awarded to students in 41 states who are going to either a two- or four-year college or university.

Fluguar-Leavitt became aware of the scholarship on the Internet.

“My mother and I were looking for available scholarships as I was preparing to apply to college,” he said

The son of Tim and Cheryl Fluguar-Leavitt, Brooks was a member of the cross country, track and Nordic ski teams in high school as well as being in the marching band and a member of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps.

He plans to compete in athletics at St. Thomas as well as enrolling in R.O.T.C. and to join the Marine Corps following college.