JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--VyStar Credit Union has awarded four Florida high school students two-year college scholarships as part of the Path to Prosperity Scholarship Program.
The Path to Prosperity Scholarship Program is a partnership between Florida Prepaid College Foundation (FPCF) and the Florida Chamber Foundation with the goal of reducing childhood poverty in Florida by providing a pathway to college for students living in the poorest zip codes.
VyStar said it partnered with the FPCF to support education through initiatives that create a solid foundation for a lifetime of financial wellness for students.
“Financial education is one of VyStar’s most important philanthropic initiatives,” VyStar SVP/Foundation President Patricia McElroy said in a statement. “We’re honored to partner with the Florida Prepaid College Foundation and provide four deserving students with Path to Prosperity two-year scholarships. This investment will help break down barriers to education, empower the students to pursue their dreams and build a brighter future.”
The four VyStar Path to Prosperity Recipients who were awarded scholarships are:
- Darrius Gradison, Jones High School, Orlando Fla.
- Jennicia Potter, Gainesville High School, Gainesville, Fla.
- Shahee Summerville, Jones High School, Orlando, Fla.
- Yaraliz, Pace Center for Girls, Ormond Beach, Fla.
Eligible students were identified through a partnership with the FPCF, the Florida Chamber Foundation and the Florida Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, Pace Center for Girls, and its membership organizations in Alachua, Volusia and Orange counties.
Scholarship winners met specific criteria, including staying crime-free and drug-free and demonstrating promising efforts in their classrooms while overcoming significant life challenges.
VyStar noted more than 700,000 Florida children are living in poverty. Half of these children are concentrated in just 15% of Florida’s zip codes – resulting in extremely impoverished communities where children face a much greater likelihood of academic challenges, health risks and other obstacles.
VyStar said the Path to Prosperity Scholarship Program was built with the goal of fighting childhood poverty by providing a path to higher education. Florida Prepaid College Foundation offers a dollar-for-dollar match, doubling the impact of scholarships available to students. Each scholarship will cover 60 credit hours at a Florida public college or university, or the equivalent funding at technical and vocational schools.