Scholar Profile
Aakash M. Patel
Sickles High PTSA Scholarship recipient, 2002
As a senior and Sickles High's Student Government Vice President, Aakash was selected as a PTA Student of the Month. Because of this recognition, he believed his chances at receiving the Foundation's Sickles High PTSA Scholarship were rather slim. However, with the encouragement of his guidance counselor, Aakash applied and was selected as the 2002 recipient.
When he started his freshman year at Florida State University, Aakash enrolled in 30 hours of classes. With this came the high expense of course books. "The money awarded to me was used to offset the cost of books," explains Aakash, "I was very thankful for the scholarship money. Without it, I would not have enrolled in as many classes. Since I did, I was able to earn a second degree." After much hard work, Aakash graduated from Florida State in 2006 with a BA in English Literature and Political Science.
Now that he is a Seminole alum, Aakash is giving back to the community that helped him reach his goals. He is a member of various fundraising boards and committees in Hillsborough County, including the Florida Aquarium and the Hillsborough County Citizen's Advisory Committee. Aakash now has his sights set on being involved in the Foundation's scholarship program by becoming a mentor to Hillsborough County students. "My brother is about to enter Hillsborough High next year," he says, "and it's so important to have a voice that has recently been in their shoes."
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A Mentor's Perspective
Andrew Marsh
Take Stock in Children mentor since 2002
I have been the mentor to Jason for about ten years. We met when he was in elementary school. It was obvious at our first meeting that Jason had a very supportive family, with limited resources. He was always neatly dressed, one of three children, the only boy in an intact family of five. He was very bright and articulate for his age. He was extremely polite and we met weekly during the school years. First, at Mort Elementary, then at Buchanan Middle, and most recently at Freedom High School. His academic achievements were above average, ranging from A's and B's, with the occasional C. His interests seemed to be in technology and design. He has a great interest in computers and technology. During his "tween" years he lost focus for a short period of time, which, gratefully, he outgrew. Puberty and peer pressures are hard obstacles to overcome in his environment.
Jason lives in a high crime, lower income, blue-collar neighborhood. I believe that due to the fact I am with the Sheriff's Office, I was able to guide him toward the right road. His older sister, unfortunately, did not escape the traps of the neighborhood. This was an issue with Jason and we frequently discuss the ultimate outcome of giving in to peer pressure.
Jason has a good understanding that education is the key to success. We have remained close and his family knows they are able to contact me at any time with any issues. Being a mentor to Jason has enriched my life considerably. I am a grandparent and keenly aware of the need for children to have positive reinforcement. It is gratifying to see that despite limited financial resources, he is able to strive for his goals, confident that they are achievable. I would encourage everyone to become a mentor. I know from personal experience that children are our greatest legacy and, indeed, it does "take a village."
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Thoughts of a mentee
Jason, Freedom High School
Foundation Florida Prepaid Scholarship Recipient
It is surprising that Mr. Marsh and I have known each other for so many years. When I first got word that I was chosen to have a scholarship with other classmates of mine, I didn't know what to feel because I had no idea what a scholarship even was. Eventually, though, I found out what it was and that it was an honor to get a scholarship and that not many people have the opportunity to get one.
Along with getting a scholarship you have a mentor, which is a person that takes time out of their lives to help you and watch over you. Mr. Marsh has been my mentor since, I believe, the third grade and he has helped me and listened to my problems. I don't really talk too much to people about my problems but he is someone that I can talk to because he won't judge me. Mr. Marsh has become more than just a mentor to me but also a friend and a part of my family. I think if there were more mentors out there, children would have less stress and become better people because they know that someone is there for them.
Seeing as I have a scholarship, I have to be thinking about where I want to go to college and what I want my profession to be. I have no idea what college I want to go to but I do know that I want my profession to be something related to technology because I love working with computers and other electronics and seeing how they work. Also, technology is a growing subject so I should always have some employment, which is great seeing as how the economy is now.
Click here to learn more about the program that is changing the lives of many Hillsborough County students.
Honoring Corporal Antonio James "Tony" Sledd - Big T
By Norma Figueroa
Antonio James Sledd joined the Marine Corps and was the first Marine kilIed in the actual war in the Middle East. During that week, VA Hospital friends, families and co-workers collected monies and decided to open the Antonio J. Sledd scholarship trust fund. This money is used to award annual college scholarships to select Gaither High students. One of Tony's goals was to go back to college. Thru this scholarship, students from Gaither High School will live and carry out Tony's dream. Gaither High School also proudly displays the flag that flew for Tony at half-mast over the Capitol. From the classrooms and hallways of Gaither High, Tony dreamed about his future. Through this scholarship in his memory, I know he is smiling -- just knowing that other Gaither students will be helped to realize their dreams. Gaither High school honored Tony's ultimate sacrifice by placing a plaque that was mounted on a beautiful rock remembering Tony at the football field. Once in a while, I hear my friends who have children attending Gaither High School, talk about the moment of silence honoring Tony Sledd prior to the start of football games.
It is comforting to know that Tony's Marine Lima Company still thinks of Tony as a man with potential leadership skills and a great man who died defending our Country. As his mother, I know he was a very positive, goal-focused leader. I asked him many times to leave the Marines because I was so afraid he might get killed. He refused to leave and told me he was proud to be a Marine and he always thought highly about the Marines, and the fellow Marines with whom he so proudly served.
As his mother, I am representing all of his family and friends that still love and miss Tony - or "Big T" - that is how he signed his e-mails from overseas - "Big T."
My husband and I always felt blessed by God for allowing us to have our precious gifts of life, our twins, "Tony and Mikey" - they have brought us such joy. Tony always told me he would make me a proud mother - but, we were always proud of them -- from the day they were born -- and of the men they became. My husband and I wanted to keep Tony's Legacy alive so we agreed to pay the total amount for the endowment. I want to recognize the James A. Haley VA Hospital staff, friends, and co-workers for supporting this initiative by making contributions thru the CFC initially and now through the endowment using direct deposit.
During a Veterans Day parade in Hillsborough County, Tony Sledd and his family were honored. While at the parade, people were screaming, "Tony Sledd will live forever." One of the local motorcycle clubs had embroidered patches with the following message, "Love BIG T."
I know now my son did not die in vain and indeed he touched many lives. The Hillsborough School Board also honored 4 soldiers that died during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom....Tony was one of those soldiers. The Roy Haney Park where Tony grew up and attended summer camp and later volunteered and became an employee of the summer camp program honored our fallen Hero Tony Sleed by submitting a petition to the Commissioner of the Hillsborough park requesting that the baseball park where Tony played baseball while a little kid and became a coach, be called "Tony Sledd Baseball Park." The ceremony took place on October 13, 2003. The local news presented a special report on Tony's accomplishments at the park and during the ceremony, 21 balloons were released in honor of our Beloved Marine Tony Sledd who would have been 21 years old that year along with presentation of the plaque with "Tony Sledd Baseball Park" inscribed. During the ceremony and presentation of the colors, two of the 6 flags came down. All of Tony's friend from childhood were there and they all looked at the Flags down on the ground and smiled, saying ..."That is Tony" - he wanted to make sure we all knew that he was there with us in spirit and grateful for the honor. He always told me he could not wait until his 21st birthday so he could be old enough to make his own decisions. But I still think Tony had it all, lived his life doing what he thought was best, achieving across his earth time, both love and peace. It is very obvious to me as I look back and see his accomplishments in life and how he touched so many other lives in his short 20 years on earth.
Tony lives in our hearts. Never does a day go by without our family talking about him, feeling close to his soul, and remembering his sense of humor, his candid smile, his short sweet answers, his jokes and his typical greeting, "Honey, I'm home." That is how I want our son to be remembered. It has been written:
To live in hearts,
We leave behind
Is not to die.
As twins, Tony and Mikey naturally thought they would share their futures together. Tony was known for saying he "had Mikey's back covered" - meaning he was watching out for him. Tony always wanted to serve his country. So, first they were going to spend four years in the Marine Corps gaining life experience and protecting their country. Then they were going to attend the University of Arkansas to major in Criminology - next, enter the police academy to become police officers - and later, pursue careers with the FBI.
Tony, a self-determined and self-confident young man, became the first fallen heroes dying in the actual war -- paying the ultimate price doing what he wanted to do -- protecting innocent people from ruthless terrorists. May God Bless America and all the young heroes behind the enemy line who are willing to pay the ultimate price, and like Tony were willing to die to protect their Country and our freedom. Please hold these heroes, their families, and loved ones in your thoughts and prayers. As it has been said -- "Those who have died for their Country will never be forgotten. Their sacrifice will live on forever in the hearts of all who cherish freedom."
On behalf of my husband, Tom, and son, Mikey, we wish to express our gratitude for remembering our son and for the donation to the Antonio J. Sledd Scholarship trust fund. Tony, always will be with us in spirit -- We will always love you "Big T."
You can honor the memory of a loved one by providing the means for our students to further their education. Click here to learn how.
Coming around full circle
Sangeeta Bhagwandeen
Recipient, Foundation's Florida Prepaid Scholarship program
Mentor, Take Stock in Children
Teacher, Hillsborough County Public Schools
I was born on the island of Trinidad in the West Indies. When I was nine years old I moved with my family to the United States because my parents saw it as a step in the right direction for me and my brother to realize opportunities for a successful future. They knew there are better jobs, health care, as well as an outstanding education system.
I am the first in my family to graduate from high school and attend college. After graduating high school I attended Hillsborough Community College, receiving an Associate in Arts degree in the spring of 2007. I am now a 2009 graduate of the University of South Florida with a Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education. I am currently a first grade teacher at Mort Elementary.
This will definitely make a difference, but now I will tell you the rest of the story. In middle school, I applied for one of the Hillsborough Education Foundation Scholarships that was offered. I soon became the recipient of a Take Stock in Children (TSIC) scholarship. I was assigned a mentor as part of the scholarship program.
Now I have come full circle, where my experience with my mentor has compelled me to make a commitment to become a mentor for a current TSIC student. The best part of being a mentor is having a great friendship and knowing that I am making a difference in my mentee's life. It goes farther than just meeting with her for one hour a week to chat up on school and events. It's a commitment and an investment, an investment in her future, and a friendship that extends further than an hour. It's a life-long bond with someone you know whose life you somehow influenced. That's a reason why I still keep in contact with my mentor.
I do credit the Hillsborough Education Foundation for helping me take my first steps in life. Without the funds for college, it would have been a rough path for me and I may not be where I am today. I knew when I was little; I wanted to be a teacher. Having the financial backing of the Education Foundation made my dream possible for me.
I started on my career path at Mort Elementary two weeks before school opened. It has been truly a rewarding experience. I am always learning and trying something new and I can honestly see growth in myself as teacher. Mort has offered me a chance to seek out more opportunities for professional development. I must say, I am blessed!
My life story is just the beginning of great things to come. The story, the book, is not yet finished. It's a story that encourages us to be all we can be, to go out and make things happen, to pursue our dreams, and to make or be an impact in life.
You can help students like Sangeeta follow their dreams through postsecondary education.
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Interview with Ted Hoffman
Chamberlain Class of '76 - Dreamcatcher Award
The Chamberlain High Class of '76 was kind of ... cursed. Our graduation was rained out. For arcane and humiliating reasons, we didn't have a prom. Our typical lunch was Paint Chip Helper, served on plates made of asbestos. Here we were, representatives of a graduating class during the year of our nation's Bicentennial, and we seemed to have as much luck and spirit as a Canadian goose getting sucked into a jet engine. Fast forward to 2001. All of these feelings of frustration had simmered long enough. At our 25th reunion, I stood in front of my balding, paunchy, hairy-backed classmates -- and that's just the cheerleaders -- and made a plea that we get that monkey off our backs by doing something, as a class, to honor Chamberlain. After we nixed the idea of lending our class name to a new rehab wing at the school, I pressed the notion of starting a scholarship. Everyone who wasn't drunk quickly agreed, and I thanked him enthusiastically. I formed a small committee and came up with the name: The Spirit of '76 Dreamcatcher Award, which simply sounded better than the Exorcise Our Personal Demons Scholarship Fund. My mother has been active in Hillsborough County education since the late 1840s, roughly. It was she who suggested I contact the Education Foundation, and the idea was a godsend. The Foundation helped me organize and implement the scholarship, and by the next school year we were offering our first award.
I'm sorry to say we haven't kept contact with the winners. That is a result of the limitations of staff and the exertions of distance. I continue to maintain the scholarship from Lakeland, and connect with my classmates solely through e-mail. My contact with Chamberlain and with the scholarship winners has been unfortunately sparse at best. However! I can tell you that the immediate response from winners has been heartwarming, particularly from those whose bribes were especially creative. These have been bright young people seriously in need not just of money, but of encouragement. It's meant a lot that Dreamcatcher can fulfill both functions. It's a brutal world out there; I don't know how today's college students get by without running up loan bills larger than NASA's budget. Dreamcatcher is only a small help, but it's like a sincere push to a stalled vehicle that gets it going, ideally in the right direction.
It's a great feeling. It's yours, for one thing; it's a gift from your class, your generation, to another. The Education Foundation makes it incredibly easy to maintain and implement. The remarkable thing is that it doesn't take a massive effort on your classmates' part. You have to be realistic: Not everyone will contribute, especially the kids who used to eat chalk or who ended up marrying their truancy officers. But those who do join in your cause are remarkably generous, I've found. They recognize the importance of giving something back, and they'll keep the blood flowing through the scholarship's veins.
The Chamberlain Class of '76 is, as I say, a special case. For us, we have replaced a gnawing feeling of underachieving with a lush, zesty sense of ongoing accomplishment. Through the scholarship, we've maintained annual contact; a number of friendships have been rekindled and, subsequently, restarining orders have been revived. But the knowledge that we're helping enable a smart, struggling young graduate to make that transition into higher education ... well, that's pretty special for a bunch of mugs who once couldn't sell enough tickets to stage a prom. I think, too, that we identify with those scholarship recipients. Any number of us would have benefitted greatly from a Dreamcatcher when we were getting ready to graduate after our six or seven years at Chamberlain. It's a warm and fuzzy pleasure to know that we have taken that role for a new generation. We are the caretakers of hope for these kids. And we couldn't have done it without the Education Foundation. The logistics are daunting; starting up a scholarship without an overseeing agency might have dissuaded us from trying. Instead, each year since 2001 we've given a deserving graduate a $1,076 boost toward a brighter future. Our partnership with the Education Foundation has been extraordinarily fruitful. Just ask the recipients. And just ask the now redeemed, and no longer cursed, Chamberlain Class of '76.
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Reciprocity...
When I was ten years old my teacher, my mother, and a team of philanthropists I may never meet, determined that I had the potential to do great things -- if given the opportunity. From that decision, the Foundation's Florida Prepaid Scholarship program set into motion a series of events that have brought me to where I am today.
As the first college graduate in my family, I am blazing new trails for my three younger sisters. The generosity bestowed upon me will be reciprocated for years to come as I now pursue my passion for philanthropy and responsible citizenry. The knowledge that I took away from my studies in Finance and Non-profit Leadership at the University of Florida were significantly complimented by my extracurricular involvement in the Florida Leadership Academy, the Center for Leadership and Service, and my position as the first student board member of the United Way of North Central Florida.
As the Project Coordinator for the Gulf Coast Fund, a special project of the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, I am seeing firsthand the impact of thoughtful and effective giving.
Had it not been for the generosity of the Foundation's Florida Prepaid Scholarship program and the support of my wonderful mentor, I may not have so deeply developed my desire to focus my life's work on helping to create a universal culture of philanthropic reciprocity.
Amber Valentin
Recipient, Foundation's Florida Prepaid Scholarship program
Graduate, University of Florida
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Things might have turned out very differently for Ansberto Vallejo had he not received a postsecondary scholarship from the Hillsborough Education Foundation. He might not have been Hillsborough County's Ida S. Baker Diversity Educator of the Year for 2004-2005.
When Vallejo was a senior at East Bay High School he was accepted to USF. He had already completed the paperwork to join the Navy, which is where he says he would be had he not come up with a way to pay from his education at USF. Thankfully, the scholarship he received from the Foundation enabled him to attend USF and graduate with a bachelors degree in Education.
Vallejo provides a positive influence on his students by the example of his own life and successes. His efforts are obviously paying off. In May of 2004, 25 of Vallejo's students were accepted into college, a record number at that time. These students enrolled in several Florida schools as well as the University of Michigan and Ohio State University. Vallejo continued to mentor these students through their college careers.
Although he was also honored with the Take Stock in Children Unsung Hero Award for his efforts, Vallejo does not do it for the glory. Vallejo stays involved because he believes that high school students who will be the first generation of their families to attend college just need some extra attention. He believes helping them prepare for higher education and their future careers is a very important key to their success.
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