Gainesville foundation, seeking to equalize education opportunities, awards scholarships
Inspiring speeches and tearful goodbyes highlighted this year’s Million Dollar Scholar Brunch hosted by the Education Equalizer Foundation.
The event this year recognized the foundation’s cohort, bringing in more than $1 million in scholarships for local high school seniors.
“Thank you for spending time with us to encourage our future leaders,” said Porshè Chiles, EEF’s program manager, as she introduced the scholars and thanked the audience for attending the event, which was held Saturday at Upper Room Ministries of Greater Gainesville. “Remember, scholars, you are not going by yourself, you have a support network.”
Most of the scholars were in attendance and shared with those attending what high schools they will be graduating from and colleges and universities they will be attending.
The scholars present were Allison Austin, Amarion Cason, Antoine Clark, Caleb Little-Thomas, Che Reed Jr., DaMar Wims, Jayden Miller, Kristen Cooper, Ny’Auri Mosley, R’Nia Walker and Raenecia Bryant.
Mosley, a senior at P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School, plans to attend Bethune-Cookman University in hopes of becoming a lawyer.
“This [EEF] is very beneficial to the youth, especially to the youth who don’t have opportunities,” said Mosley, who has been involved in the Alachua County Teen Court Program and is a fan of the “Law and Order” television series. “This opens the door to many other pathways.”
Wims, another P.K. Yonge senior, said she is withholding where she will be attending college for a reveal party she will host with family and friends.
She will pursue a degree in criminal justice and continue to play basketball, Wims said, adding she appreciates the help from EEF in her college admission’s process.
“They taught me about what to look for in a school and take advantage of opportunities,” Wims said. “I had great mentors directing me to move forward with the process.”
Miller, a senior at Gainesville High School, will be attending Bethune-Cookman University to pursue a degree in exercise physiology.
“Growing up, I always strived to stay fit and played sports, especially basketball,” Miller said.
The foundation taught him everything he needed to know about college and he encouraged upcoming seniors to cut distractions off and stay focused, Miller said.
“It definitely opened my eyes to what was expected of me to get into college,” Miller said.
Kandra Albury, Ph.D., chair of the foundation, presented EEF Partner Awards to Boderick Johnson, president of the Alachua County chapter of the Florida A&M University National Alumni Association, and the Rev. Ron Rawls of Greater Bethel AME Church and his wife, Alachua County Court Judge Meshon Rawls.
The keynote speaker was Adam Maxwell, an executive assistant at the Office of Equity and Inclusion for the city of Gainesville.
He urged students not to attach their worth to the colleges they will be attending.
In 2018, he served as president of the Florida College System Student Government Association, representing Florida’s 28 colleges and roughly 850,000 students.
He graduated from Santa Fe College with a bachelor’s degree in organizational management after graduating from P.K. Yonge.
“Where you are for a season is not your destination,” Maxwell said. “You are bigger than the academic institutions who chose you or didn’t choose you. You were created for something bigger; your purpose is far greater.”
Maxwell encouraged the scholars to manage life’s challenges.
“Accidents and poor decisions will happen, and everything may not go as intended or planned, but never allow negativity to get to you,” Maxwell said. “Aspire for higher.”
Lizzie Jenkins, founder of The Real Rosewood Foundation, awarded a $500 scholarship to Little-Thomas and Edwina Hurst, the foundation’s director, presented a $500 scholarship to the foundation’s Gap Fund on behalf of City Food Hall.
The Gap Fund was created to help meet the needs of the scholars who need extra financial assistance for college, Hurst said.
Chanae Jackson, a board member of the foundation, said she wants the community to make monthly donations to EEF and its Gap Fund to help the students more financially.
“Let us be more deliberate in finding a way to pour in these programs and showing up and doing what we need to do,” Jackson said. “Let’s do what it takes so it would not be a [financial] burden to families taking their children to college.”
The co-founders of the foundation, Dr. Kerwin Scott and his wife, Carjie Scott, Ed.D., are pleased with the support the foundation is receiving from the community and the success of the students it serves.
“It’s exciting to see what you all are going to do,” Kerwin Scott said. “Thank you to the families for raising these kids and trusting us to help them.”
He thanked his wife for her vision and sacrifices to make the foundation a success.
“Every day, she finds a way to help EEF,” he said.
Carjie Scott also works as the executive director of strategic planning and innovation at Tennessee State University in Nashville and makes sure EEF scholars applies for FAFSA and provides SAT/ACT prep to the students.
“I love you all so much and I’m grateful that you were a part of the program,” she said.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Foundation in Gainesville hosted Million Dollar Scholarship Brunch
