Lee Trawick
reporter2@riverbendnews.org
Twenty-five Suwannee County students were recognized on Tuesday, Aug. 22, during the Goodwill Industries and Take Stock in Children New Student Orientation. Joining them were volunteers who work together to make the scholarship program available to students, including Lesley Fry, the Take Stock in Children College Success Coach for Suwannee County and Karen Phillips, Chief Real-Estate Officer for Goodwill Industries.
Take Stock in Children program was established as a nonprofit organization in 1995 with the goal of breaking “the cycle of poverty through education.” This
became the mantra of Goodwill Industries, and happens to be something Fry also feels very passionate about. As a result, two years ago, Goodwill Industries and Take Stock in Children joined forces to ensure high school students have every resource available to go to college.
Fry was a teacher with the Suwannee County School District for 30 years. Although she retired, her fire for helping students was still blazing within her. She refused to sit on the sidelines, knowing there was more she could do for the youth around her. Upon hearing about Take Stock in Children’s cause and effect, along with the rapidly growing results with Goodwill Industries’ involvement, Fry saw the opportunity to assist more students.
"Last year, our program delivered 526 mentor sessions. That's 325 hours of 'just showing up',” Fry said. “When I joined the program, I reached out to several outstanding human beings I knew would love to be a part of a movement like this. Mike Jones, Donnie Allen, husband and wife Crystal and Douglas Udell II, Stacey Henderson, Grace Henderson and Elisa Hall each immediately said yes without hesitation and dove into the program, giving more themselves than anyone could have imagined...They are why I believe this is not a program, but a movement. I believe this will change poverty in our country through education. We allow kids to chase their dreams, go to college and become anything they want."
Last year, Suwannee County surpassed expectations with community involvement and mentors who took the challenge personally to ensure each child received unwavering support and guidance. Therefore, surveying the landscape, Goodwill awarded students of Suwannee County 26 scholarships to incoming high school freshmen. With the support of Goodwill Industries, the students in Suwannee County will receive an astonishing 18 percent of all students who will receive a scholarship through the Take Stock in Children program. Now, in the span of just two years, Suwannee County has 40 students and mentors involved in the program.
Fry brought forth two speakers to assure the recipients of these scholarships understood how their lives are forever changed from this point forward. These are not just scholarships to make sure high school students have the opportunity to go to college, but to reinforce to them that the program ensures they have a mentor with them through the remainder of their education, both at the high school level and beyond.
Phillips, a 23-year Goodwill of North Florida Leadership team veteran, was the first to speak. Along with her many duties of being the Chief Real Estate Officer of Goodwill, she is charged with enhancing the industry’s presence in the communities it serves.
"For over 28 years, the Take Stock in Children program has been changing the lives of Florida's youth, graduating students from high school and ensuring there is a path to post-secondary education," Phillips said. "Goodwill's mission is to remove barriers to employment through training, education and career opportunities. Goodwill provides jobs in our stores, government contracts, business-to-business contracts and a landscaping service.” She added how approximately 92 cents of every dollar are spent directly on mission programs. "The Take Stock program is how we elevate our community. We are proud to be the lead agency for Take Stock in Children in Duval, Putnam and now Suwannee Counties. Last year, we had a 100 percent graduation rate in our class of 100 students – all with prepaid scholarships for 60 credit hours anywhere in Florida."
Crystal Udell, 2006 alumni of Suwannee High School, was the next to speak to the incoming students. She, herself, was awarded the Take Stock in Children four- year scholarship, among others. She went on to graduate from Florida State University in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in economics, and later graduated from the University of Phoenix with her master's degree in accounting. Today, Udell is the Accounting Coordinator for Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative. She is also the wife of Douglas Udell II and the proud mother of one daughter. In addition to being a full-time employee, she is a member of various boards and outreach programs that help strengthen the youth of Suwannee County. She also works with her husband at Douglas M. Udell Funeral Home and is an active board member of the Suwannee Education Foundation of Excellence. Udell is excited about joining the mentorship program and ensuring children have the support they need to succeed. She spoke to the recipients about her faith and her experiences through the program.
"I came from a one- parent home who did everything she could to ensure I had the best opportunity, but without my faith in God and the Take Stock in Children program, I would not be where I am today," Udell said. She then implored each student not to get distracted. "Don't give up; don't lose focus of your ultimate goal, and that is to make a positive influence in the world. Set short-term and long-term goals. You are setting yourself up to enhance your future and someone else's. Build your foundation. What you are doing today is setting the stage for your tomorrow."
Upon the conclusion of Phillips and Udell’s speeches, Fry concluded the presentation by acknowledging each of the 25 recipients of the 2023 Take Stock in Children Mentor Program and Scholarship. The students awarded include: TreDarius Ferico; Amy Diego; RaDarian Griffin; Zakayla Griffin; Clay Johnson; Teann Kramer; Marah Malone; Jamiya McKennon; Jo'Keria McMullen; Arianna Morgan; Angel Pena; Elizabeth Peterson; Ana Pino; Ka'Mari Thompson; John Tuckey; Shiloh Tuckey; A'Niyha Vought; Keshari White; A'Jari Williams; Megan Williams; Bryan Clark; Lacey Holick; Xander Wiggins; and Tavia Williams.