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 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,” said VyStar SVP/Foundation President Patricia McElroy. “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 Florida
- Jennicia Potter, Gainesville High School, Gainesville, Florida
- Shahee Summerville, Jones High School, Orlando, Florida
- Yaraliz, Pace Center for Girls, Ormond Beach, Florida
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.
More than 700,000 Florida children are living in poverty. Half of these children are concentrated in just 15 percent 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.
“We congratulate these students and their families for their incredible dedication and impressive academic achievements thus far, despite challenges that may have come their way” said Florida Prepaid College Foundation Director Cynthia O’Connell. “The student scholarship recipient selected from the Pace Center for Girls will be using the two-year college scholarship to attend Daytona State College to begin her nursing program. We are thrilled to be a part of this student’s journey and support her with a path to education.”
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.
Learn more about the Path to Prosperity Scholarship Program and the Florida Prepaid College Foundation at www.
To learn more about VyStar, please visit vystarcu.org
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About VyStar Credit Union
VyStar Credit Union is the second-largest credit union headquartered in Florida, with over 80 branches and now serves more than 975,000 members with assets of over $14 billion. VyStar is the top mortgage lender in Northeast Florida and major employer in the region with over 2,500 employees across the communities it serves. VyStar membership is open to everyone who lives or works in the 49 contiguous counties of Central to North Florida, 29 Georgia counties, and past and present military members and their families all over the world. For more information, visit vystarcu.org, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn.
About the Florida Prepaid College Foundation
Since its founding in 1990, the Foundation has committed to giving aspiring students the opportunity to build a better future for themselves and our state by providing college scholarships funded through partnerships with individuals, businesses, educational foundations, and the Florida Legislature. The Foundation administers several innovative scholarship programs, including Project STARS and the new Challenge Match Scholarship Programs, designed to help students achieve their dream of earning a college education. To date, the Foundation has awarded more than 58,000 Florida Prepaid College Plan scholarships, and more than 36,000 Foundation scholarship recipients have gone to college using their benefits. The Foundation is the 501(c)(3) direct support organization for the Florida Prepaid College Board. To learn more about the Florida Prepaid College Foundation, visit here.
Vystar Credit Union
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Dawn Ofodile Regional Community Engagement Manager
- June 24, 2024
- (904) 908-2666
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