By NewsLine Staff
mail@floridanewsline.com
The St. Johns County Education Foundation which operates as Investing in Kids (INK!) recently hosted its annual Bright Beginnings Celebration to honor the Class of 2024 Take Stock in Children® graduating seniors in St. Johns County. Fourteen students were recognized in a unique program highlighting their academic achievements hosted at St. Augustine High School on May 13. The students are graduating from St. Johns County public high schools and each will be attending college supported by a Take Stock in Children scholarship funded by individual donors, corporate sponsors, and community partners.
The evening program featured Tim Forson, Superintendent of Schools for the St. Johns County School District. In his remarks, Forson acknowledged graduating students, volunteer mentors, teachers, principals, school board members, and INK! staff, for their support of the Take Stock St. Johns program. Forson commended the students and their focus on establishing pathways to success with goal setting, hard work, perseverance, and collaboration with their mentors, families, guardians, and teachers.
Since 1998, INK! has been the exclusive umbrella agency in St. Johns County for Take Stock in Children, a statewide non-profit organization that offers deserving low-income students the opportunity to earn college scholarships through educational support, mentorship, and college success coaching. Students apply to participate in Take Stock when they are in the eighth grade in St. Johns County public schools. Upon acceptance into the program, they sign a contract to maintain a 2.5 grade point average (GPA), uphold good behavior and attendance, and stay drug and crime free. Take Stock in Children is a public-private partnership in the State of Florida.
One hundred percent of all monetary donations received by INK! for the Take Stock in Children program are directed to the purchase of the scholarships and are fully matched by Florida Prepaid Foundation with funding by the State Legislature. Community partners and business owners also provide significant support to help with academic and educational assistance.
According to Cathy Newman, INK! executive director, this year’s graduating seniors persevered through particularly challenging moments throughout their high school careers.
“As COVID disrupted the start of their high school career, this year’s graduates demonstrated resiliency and flexibility while learning in the classroom and online. They have succeeded despite the disruptions COVID caused and we have no doubt that they will continue to do well in the future,” she said.
According to James Wheeler, INK!’s Operations and Student Programs Director, and program director of Take Stock in Children in St. Johns County, each graduating senior earned a scholarship with a value of approximately $6,500, equal to 60 credit hours of tuition at a state college in Florida and received new laptop computers. Students were honored for their academic accomplishments and donors were recognized through named scholarships for the students.
The 2024 Take Stock in Children St. Johns graduates from northern St. Johns County schools are:
Jordan Graham, Tocoi Creek High School (Margie Davidson Memorial Scholarship; Jim Davidson Memorial Super Senior Scholarship)
Alice Olivera, Bartram Trail High School (iVenture Solutions/Davidson Cares Scholarship)
Jun Pan, Bartram Trail High School (Snyder Family Scholarship; Take Stock in Children Florida/Asofsky Foundation Leaders 4 Life Fellow)
Cassie Wolfe, Bartram Trail High School (Brooke Ladue Memorial Scholarship)
Cooper Austreng, Ponte Vedra High School (Ponte Vedra Women’s Civic Alliance Scholarship)
The event also honored Take Stock mentors who are longtime, dedicated volunteers for students. Volunteer mentors for the class of 2024 included Jeff Adams, Butch Burkett, Larry Dillahay, Kelly Harris, Sheila Lentz, Bob McKeefrey, and Beverly Slough. They collectively volunteered more than 800 hours to mentor the Take Stock class of 2024.
Visit www.ink-stjohns.org for more information.
Photo courtesy INK!
Bartram Trail High School recipient Alice Oliveira and family with Bev Slough (mentor) and INK! staff member Mike Michel.
