A huge celebration of success surrounded the 10th Annual Take Stock In Children graduation celebration, held on May 29th at the Marathon High School auditorium. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen delivered the commencement address.

Thirty-three seniors from our three high schools, along with their families, friends, mentors and program supporters attended the event, bringing the ten-year graduate total for the program to 301 students who may not have otherwise attended college. 

Each graduate received his or her four-year full-tuition college scholarship from the Monroe County Education Foundation’s Take Stock In Children Program. In addition, all graduates will have their college “local fees” fully paid for four years. Each graduate has fulfilled all contractual commitments to maintain good grades, follow the code of student conduct, attend school regularly, stay crime and drug free, and attend weekly mentor-mentee meetings.

The Take Stock In Children program is the perfect example of a public-private partnership that works: All scholarship contributions raised locally are matched – dollar for dollar– by “PROJECT STARS” of the Florida Prepaid College Foundation, which is funded by the State Legislature.