VOLUSIA TAKE STOCK IN CHILDREN SCHOLARS HONORED

Take Stock in Children (TSIC), a statewide scholarship and mentoring program facilitated locally through FUTURES Foundation for Volusia County Schools, hosted its annual New Student Induction and Senior Recognition Ceremony April 29 at Daytona International Speedway. The event recognized newly selected participants as well as graduating high school seniors and was sponsored by Florida Credit Union, Daytona International Speedway and NASCAR.

As proud parents, mentors and sponsors watched, 18 new students were welcomed into the program in a ceremony conducted by FUTURES Immediate Past President & TSIC Leadership Council Chairwoman Paula Gregory, CPA, and TSIC Student Services & Mentor Coordinator Shimene Shepard.  Volusia County School Board Chairman Carl Persis and Interim Chief Academic Officer Rachel Hazel provided their congratulations and best wishes to each of the incoming freshmen and graduating seniors. Seventh Judicial Circuit Judge and TSIC Mentor Mary Jolley performed the induction as students and parents attested to their commitment to abide by the program’s requirements.  The students will have the benefit of volunteer mentors working with them throughout their high school years, as well as the support of Ms. Shepard and College Success Coaches Justine Florez and Laura Reece, to ensure they successfully graduate from high school and are prepared for college.

The following Volusia TSIC incoming scholars will be high school freshmen in the 2019-20 school year:  Kyla Filippi, Atlantic High School; Savannah Brace and Javaughn Cobb, DeLand High School;  Jadeen Coke, Destiny Cummings, Jah’Mya Hill and Alize Smith, Mainland High School; Sierra Doughty and Angel Methax, New Smyrna Beach High School; Jazmin Garcia, Allison Pantoja and Ariana Serrano, Pine Ridge High School; Joseph Maddox, Seabreeze High School; Hanna Scesny, Spruce Creek High School; and Linda Aviles, Brian Ford, Keandra Gioertz and Alyssa Taylor, T. DeWitt Taylor Middle-High School.

Nineteen members of Volusia Take Stock’s Class of 2019 who are graduating from Volusia County high schools this year also were recognized.  The following 13 students will receive a Florida Prepaid four-year college tuition scholarship: Symara Moore, Atlantic High School; Amina Jones and Kayla Pinard, DeLand High School; Arieyanna Mitchell, Deltona High School; Andrew Thomas, Mainland High School; Michael-Troy Mitchum, New Smyrna Beach High School; Natasha Garcia, Alyssa Northrup and Vincent Northrup, Pine Ridge High School; Jackson Oddo and Julie DeRienzo, Seabreeze High School; Alex Montero, T. DeWitt Taylor Middle-High School; and Juliana Gouveia, University High School.  The following six students will receive Florida Prepaid two-year college tuition scholarships: Taylor Bowman, Deltona High School; Johnny Fluitt and Briana Larocca, Mainland High School; Aneisha Ofide, New Smyrna Beach High School; Marquis Butler, Seabreeze High School; and Tavion Giles, T. DeWitt Taylor Middle-High School.

Ceremony keynote speakers were Volusia TSIC 2019 Mentor of the Year Socorro Calkins; 2017 TSIC Volusia Alumna and Daytona State College TSIC Student Ambassador Kristin Waters; and TSIC College Completion Coach Autumn Huffman. They provided students and parents an insight to the power of this scholarship opportunity and encouraged them to utilize all resources provided within the TSIC program.

The ceremony also included a special presentation by Ormond Beach Rotary Club President Jim Cooksey who presented an $8,000 scholarship award from the Darcy Akers Scholarship Fund to TSIC senior Briana Larocca from Mainland High School.

TSIC scholars are selected in eighth grade based upon financial need, academic achievement, good character and community involvement. Scholarships are funded through community and individual donations as well as proceeds from fundraisers presented by FUTURES, such as the recent Caribbean Party. FUTURES Foundation works directly with the Stanley Tate Project STARS (Scholarship Tuition For At-Risk Students) Scholarship Program, part of the Florida Prepaid College Foundation, which provides dollar-for-dollar matching funds for the purchase of these scholarships. Since the Stanley Tate Project STARS Scholarship Program began, more than 15,000 scholarships have been awarded statewide to low-income students at risk of dropping out of school, and who otherwise might not have had the opportunity to attend college.

Donations to purchase local TSIC scholarships are accepted throughout the year and mentors are being recruited for these new students. Anyone interested in donating towards these scholarships or volunteering as a mentor for 30 minutes each week on school campus may contact TSIC Student Services and Mentor Coordinator Shimene Shepard at sashepar@volusia.k12.fl.us or 386-255-6475, ext. 50724 for additional information.

Photo 1:  TSIC Volusia graduating seniors from West Volusia high schools, left to right: Arieyanna Mitchell, Deltona High; Natasha Garcia, Pine Ridge High; Kayla Pinard, DeLand High; Taylor Bowman, Deltona High; TSIC College Success Coach Laura Reece; Vincent Northrup and Alyssa Northrup, Pine Ridge High; and Alex Montero and Tavion Giles, T. DeWitt Taylor Middle-High. Not pictured are Amina Jones, DeLand High, and Juliana Gouveia, University High.

Photo 2: TSIC Volusia graduating seniors from East Volusia high schools, left to right: Symara Moore, Atlantic High; Johnny Fluitt, Briana Larocca and Andrew Thomas, Mainland High; TSIC College Success Coach Justine Florez; Aneisha Ofide, New Smyrna Beach High; and Marquis Butler, Jackson Oddo and Julie DeRienzo, Seabreeze High. Not pictured is Michael-Troy Mitchum, New Smyrna Beach High.

Photo 3: During the Take Stock in Children Scholarship ceremony, Ormond Beach Rotary Club President Jim Cooksey made a special presentation of an $8,000 scholarship from the Darcy Akers Scholarship Fund to Briana Larocca of Mainland High School.

Photo 4: Seventh Judicial Circuit Judge & Take Stock in Children mentor Mary Jolley conducted the induction ceremony welcoming the Volusia Take Stock in Children Program’s incoming scholarship recipients. Pictured, left to right, are Circuit Judge Jolley with incoming students and the high schools they plan to attend: Sierra Doughty, New Smyrna Beach High; Allison Pantoja and Jazmin Garcia, Pine Ridge High School; Angel Methax, New Smyrna Beach High; Brian Ford, Keandra Gioertz, Alyssa Taylor and Linda Aviles, T. DeWitt Taylor Middle-High; Hanna Scesny, Spruce Creek High; Savannah Brace and Javaughn Cobb, DeLand High; Destiny Cummings, Mainland High; Ariana Serrano, Pine Ridge High; and Alize Smith, Mainland High.