EEF'S 2024 Million Dollar Scholar Brunch

With moving speeches and tearful goodbyes, this year’s Million Dollar Scholar Brunch hosted by the Education Equalizer Foundation had a cohort that collectively brought in over $1 million in scholarships.

The brunch happened on Saturday at Upper Room Ministries at 3575 NE 15th St. in its fellowship hall.

11 of the 14 EEF scholars were present at the brunch, and each spoke at the podium and shared where they are graduating from and which college and university they will be attending.

Porshè Chiles, EEF’s program manager, introduced the scholars and thanked the audience for attending.

“Thank you for spending time with us to encourage our future leaders,” Chiles said. “Remember scholars, you are not going by yourself, you have a support network.”

The high school seniors who attended were Allison Austin, Amarion Cason, Antoine Clark, Caleb Little-Thomas, Che Reed Jr., DaMar Wims, Jayden Miller, Kristen Cooper, Ny’Auri Mosley, R’Nia Walker, and Raenecia Bryant.

Ny’Auri Mosley is a senior at P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School and plans to attend Bethune Cookman University in hopes of becoming a lawyer one day.

“This [EEF] is very beneficial to the youth, especially to the youth who don’t have opportunities,” Mosley said. “This opens the door to many other pathways.”

Mosley admired being a part of mock trials in teen court when she was growing up and watching Law & Order increase her interest in becoming a lawyer.

“Push through and persevere,” Mosley said. “Times will be hard, but keep going. Greater is coming.”

DaMar Wims, a senior at P.K. Yonge DRS said she is withholding where she will be attending college for a reveal party she will host with family and friends.

Wims said she would pursue a degree in criminal justice and continue to play basketball.

She said she appreciates the help from EEF in her college process.

“They taught me about what to look for in a school and take advantage of opportunities,” Wims said. “I had great mentors directing me to move forward with the process.”

Jayden Miller, a senior at Gainesville High School, said he will be attending Bethune Cookman University to pursue a degree in exercise physiology.

“Growing up, I always strived to stay fit and played sports, especially basketball,” Miller said.

He said EEF taught him everything he needed to know about college and encouraged upcoming seniors to cut distractions off and stay focused.

“It definitely opened my eyes to what was expected of me to get into college,” Miller said.

EEF Chairwoman Kandra Albury, Ph.D., presented EEF Partner Awards to Boderick Johnson, FAMU National Alumni Association Alachua County chapter president; and Rev. Ron and Judge Meshon Rawls.

The keynote speaker for this year’s brunch was Adam Maxwell.

Maxwell currently serves as an executive assistant at the Office of Equity and Inclusion for the City of Gainesville.

In 2018, he served as the State Student Government President of the Florida College System Student Government Association, representing Florida’s 28 colleges and roughly 850,00 students.

He graduated from Santa Fe College with a bachelor’s degree in organizational management.

In his keynote speech, Maxwell talked about never attaching your worth to the college or university you are attending.

“Where you are for a season is not your destination,” Maxwell said. “You are bigger than the academic institutions who chose you or didn’t choose you. You were created for something bigger, your purpose is far greater.”

Maxwell encouraged the EEF scholars to have the onward and upward mentality to handle life’s challenges.

“Accidents and poor decisions will happen and everything may not go as intended or planned, but never allow negativity to get to you,” Maxwell said. “Aspire for higher.”

Lizzie Jenkins, founder of The Real Rosewood Foundation, awarded a $500 scholarship to EEF scholar Caleb Little-Thomas; and Edwina Hurst, EEF’s director presented a $500 scholarship to EEF’s Gap Fund on behalf of City Food Hall.

Hurst said EEF’s Gap Fund was created to help meet the needs of the scholars who need extra financial assistance for college.

Chanae Jackson, an EEF board member, shared how she wants the community to make monthly donations to EEF and its Gap Fund to help the students more financially.

“Let us be more deliberate in finding a way to pour in these programs and showing up and doing what we need to do,” Jackson said. “Let’s do what it takes so it would not be a [financial] burden to families taking their children to college.”

Nasseeka Denis, EEF’s program manager, announced that this year’s scholars were accepted to dozens of colleges and they have accumulated over 1.3 million dollars in scholarships.

“It’s exciting to see what you all are going to do,” said Dr. Kerwin Scott, EEF co-founder. “Thank you to the families for raising these kids and trusting us to help them.”

He thanked his wife Carjie Scott, Ed.D, EEF co-founder, for her vision and sacrifices to make the foundation a success.

“Every day, she finds a way to help EEF,” he said.

Carjie Scott also works as the executive director of strategic planning and innovation at Tennessee State University and makes sure EEF scholars apply for FAFSA and provide SAT/ACT prep to the students.

“I love you all so much, and I’m grateful that you were a part of the program,” she said.

Article written by Voleer Thomas via the Gainesville Guardian.

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