It was only a few years ago that these teens met the people who would guide them as part of a statewide initiative which could very well change their lives.
On June 4, their immediate futures and their college educations changed in an instant.
Wearing leis and surrounded by their mentors and officials from the Brevard Schools Foundation, which administers the Take Stock in Children of Brevard program, these recent high school grads learned that eligible members of the program’s Class of 2026 will receive an enhancement to their Florida Prepaid scholarship benefit. Rather than the typical two-year, 60-credit-hour scholarships offered by Take Stock in Children statewide, that scholarship has been doubled to 120 credit hours at participating Florida colleges and universities.
Like others around the state, the Brevard teens got that good news because of the mission of Take Stock in Children. A Florida 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1996, it provides volunteer mentors, post-secondary scholarships and hope to more than 26,000 currently enrolled Florida students from low-income backgrounds.
“This is a transformative opportunity for our students and their families,” said Janice Kershaw, president and CEO of Brevard Schools Foundation, during a Mentor Appreciation Luau in Satellite Beach.
“By doubling eligible scholarship benefits … we are helping remove financial barriers and opening additional pathways for students to pursue their educational and career goals.”
30-year-old program helps students achieve success
The students, wide-eyed and in some cases, with hands clasped over their mouths, cheered from the heart.
One of those students this year is Dailenis Bertematti, 17, an Astronaut High School graduate who will be attending University of North Florida in Jacksonville.
She beamed as she talked about what the Take Stock program has done for her.
“I’m a first-generation university student, so a lot of the funding I will need was not very much available to me,” she said.
In addition to getting the money needed for her college years, the support she received was important, Dailenis said.
“Meeting my mentor and creating a good connection … that means a lot,” she said.
It turns out that another Class of 2026 graduate, T’mari Bowe, 18, won’t need the scholarship money, as he’s headed to the United States Air Force Academy.
But for T’mari, an Eau Gallie High graduate who was also a FLORIDA TODAY Top Scholar in May, a much bigger reward eclipses the monetary one — that of mentorship.
“Meeting with them every single week … I feel like it’s worth way more than any amount of scholarship money,” he said to cheers.
Mentors, Brevard Schools Foundation officials celebrate, too
For the mentors, it’s equally rewarding, a chance to “invest their time encouraging students to believe in their potential and persevere through life challenges,” said Jim Clamons, chair of the Take Stock in Children Leadership Council.
The scholarship enhancement, he said, “builds on that investment and provides additional opportunity for our students as they begin the next chapter of their educational journey.”
Dailenis Bertematti’s mentor, Debii Caldwell, met her young charge — Caldwell’s first Take Stock match — three years ago.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for all the students who are part of this,” Caldwell said.
“The most rewarding thing is knowing that somebody is going to have money to go to college, who otherwise might not be able to. Finding out they’re going to be offering four years of scholarship … it was a really amazing and surprising thing to find out.”
The celebration is an ongoing one, with success stories that stretch back for years, for Susan Knowles.
She’s the student services coordinator and college readiness coach at Brevard Schools Foundation, where over the past 12 years she’s met young people who went on to achieve success despite any roadblocks in their paths.
One past student, for example, had struggled “all the way through high school,” Knowles said. “We supported her, kept her going, kept meeting with her, not wanting her to be dropped from the program because you have to maintain a 2.5 (average).”
The result? That student “just graduated a couple of weeks ago with her master’s degree in education,” Knowles said.
Pharmacists. Engineers. Physical therapists. Those who’ve earned a Ph.D. Knowles recalls Take Stock student triumphs with pride.
Do any stories in particular stand out for her?
Every single one, it turns out.
“They’re all success stories to me,” Knowles said.
“It’s just so wonderful when you see the high-flyers achieving all their dreams, but also, the ones who had to struggle a little … having their mentors with them, I think, teaches them perseverance. And to see them learn to pivot and keep going after the dreams they have — it’s amazing.”
Britt Kennerly is education/breaking news/Style editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Kennerly at 321-917-4744 or bkennerly@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @bybrittkennerly Facebook: /bybrittkennerly
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Brevard’s 2026 Take Stock in Children grads get big love, big scholarships
Reporting by Britt Kennerly, Florida Today / Florida Today
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By Britt Kennerly, Florida Today | USA TODAY Network
