June 2020
        
 

  
Join HEF in celebrating  the graduating class of 2020! Throughout this newsletter you will be able to read about some of the outstanding TSIC Seniors graduating this school year!

Go to HEF's  Facebook page for additional Senior Spotlights honoring our TSIC graduates. Click here to check it out!

A Special Send-Off for Seniors

It was a bitter-sweet ending to the school year for our TSIC family.  It's sad to say goodbye to our seniors as they take their next steps after high school, but we are so proud of all they've accomplished!
 
This Senior Workshop (that we held virtually this year) was a chance to celebrate our seniors and provide them with the tools they'll need to be successful in college! Good luck Class of 2020! We are always here for you!
HEF's Take Stock in Children Senior Workshop
HEF's Take Stock in Children Senior Workshop

 

Name

Diego

 

College Attending
Hillsborough Community College

 

Major Pursuing

Computer Engineering

 

What part of college are you most looking forward to? 

I'm looking forward to learning more about my chosen career and earn my degree

 

What is your favorite memory of the TSIC program/HEF? 

My favorite memories of the TSIC program are meeting my mentor, Mr. Joe Gross, and attending all the fun events in the program. 

 

 

 

 


CEO Kim Jowell's statement on the death of George Floyd, 
Racism and the Need for Change




Let's Talk About Race
How to Start the Conversation

As a men tor, you may be wondering how to start a conversation with your mentee about the many racially charged incidents that have led to civil unrest in the United States. The TSIC team encourages those conversations, but we also recognize that many people feel they do not have the information needed to discuss race in a way that is candid, safe and respectful of other viewpoints and experiences. We strongly encourage mentors to educate themselves on these topics before engaging their mentee in dialogue- if the conversations are not handled with care, they can cause more harm then they do good. 

The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture launched  Talking About Race , a new online portal designed to help individuals, families, and communities talk about racism, racial identity and the way these forces shape every aspect of society, from the economy and politics to the broader American culture.

The online portal provides digital tools, online exercises, video instructions, scholarly articles and more than 100 multi-media resources tailored for educators, parents and caregivers-and individuals committed to racial equality.  

Talking About Race: A Sneak Peak
Social Identities &  Systems Of Oppression

The following activity is an example of the types of exercises that are offered in the  Talking About Race portal that was previously mentioned. 

Systems of oppression are individual, institutional, and societal and their effects on people have a long history deeply rooted in American culture. Watch this video with your mentee to learn more.

How to Understand Power - Eric Liu
How to Understand Power - Eric Liu

A social identity is both internally constructed and externally applied, occurring simultaneously. Social identity has these three characteristics:
  • Exists (or is consistently used) to bestow power, benefits, or disadvantage.
  • Is used to explain differences in outcomes, effort, or ability.
  • Is immutable or otherwise sticky (difficult, costly, or dangerous) to change.
Click the link below to download a PDF that will help you explore and reflect on you and your mentee's social identity:

It can be difficult to understand the relationships between social groups, privilege, and oppression. For this reason, sociologists have developed tools like The Matrix of Oppression (below) to help us more clearly see and think through how different social groups experience American society. Tools like this remind us that  although we all live in one America, our individual experiences can be profoundly different.


 

 To learn more about Social Identities and Systems of Oppression please click here!


Name

Madison

University Attending

Florida Gulf Coast University

 

Major Pursuing

Environmental Engineering

 

What part of college are you most looking forward to? 

I look forward to gaining new experiences and opportunities that will benefit my future.

 

What is your favorite memory of the TSIC program/HEF? 

My favorite memory from TSIC has been meeting my mentor, Andrea. She is amazing and I'm so happy I met her! I especially enjoyed going to the HEF sponsored event- The Trinity Cafe- with her and serving food to those in need and having conversations with them.

 

 


Grab & Go Meals
SUMMER UPDATE  
Hillsborough County plans to continue feeding children this summer. Beginning next week, they will launch their Summer Fuel Up initiative. From June 8th to July 30th, they will provide Grab-and-Go style meals at select school sites. Distribution will take place Monday through Thursday from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. Please see below for a list of schools.
 
Students 18 years and younger (21 years and younger for students with special needs) are eligible for these balanced meals, which will include a hot lunch, along with breakfast for the next day. Every Thursday, our learners will receive enough food for both Thursday and Friday.
 
Families will be required to provide either a student number or the child's name and birthday so HCPS can properly track their distribution process. Children do not have to be present to receive food.

MENTOR OF THE MONTH
Barbara Hancock
How did you become involved with mentoring through the Hillsborough Education
 Foundation? 
I became interested in becoming a mentor in July of 2015 at our annual Joint Principals and Supervisors "Back to School" meeting. Superintendent Jeff Eakins introduced a young man that he mentored for several years. Both he and the mentee spoke about how powerful that relationship was and the gratification both received from the experience. He challenged us to consider becoming a mentor and that was all it took! I have mentored 4 amazing young ladies at Sickles and at Chamberlain since 2015 and as they graduate we continue to stay in touch. They will always be a special part of my life.

Anjelica (left) and Barbara (right) on the evening that Anjelica was named the JROTC Marine Corps Commanding Officer at her school.
What has been the most rewarding part of mentoring?
Each mentee possessed unique talents and challenges. Yuli overcame a January move during her senior year from Sickles to Osceola High School where she quickly made friends and did well academically. I traveled to Kissimmee to see her receive her scholarship and again to attend her graduation. As a result of an illness, Lauryn is losing her sight. I learned so much about the visually impaired services our district provides for students such as Lauryn. Thanks to her very supportive family and teachers she persevered and never let her diminished sight be an excuse. All who interacted with Anjelica, a recent Chamberlain grad, lauded her exemplary leadership as the school's JROTC Marine Corps Commanding Officer.  As a rising sophomore, Amberlyn's proactive approach to tasks with careful planning and attention to detail are evident in all she does.

What do you believe is the key to being a quality mentor?
I believe that the key to being a quality mentor is consistency, being a good listener as well as cheerleader for your mentee. Being a mentor is a commitment that should not be taken lightly. Mentees count on us and keeping a consistent schedule is critical. Listening is important because it is not always the academics that are the challenge. Sometimes students need guidance with time management to balance the responsibilities of school and work. Finally, I love being a cheerleader for my mentees. I enjoy celebrating their academic achievements, attending choral and drama performances, JROTC events, athletic events and award ceremonies.

When you are not working with students, how do you prefer to spend your free time?
After 38 years in education, I retired from the school district in February.  I volunteer for the American Cancer Society to support Relay For Life; I serve as a lector and Eucharistic Minister at St. Paul Catholic Church and enjoy daily walks and reading.

What do you hope your mentee(s) will learn from you?
I hope that my mentees will know how much they have enriched my life. I also hope that I have modeled a positive attitude and the importance of showing compassion for others.



Name

Adam

 

College Attending

University of South Florida

 

Major Pursuing

Computer Science

 

What part of college are you most looking forward to? 

I am looking forward to attending the college sporting events and also being one step closer to becoming a software engineer. 

 

What is your favorite memory of the TSIC program/HEF? 

My favorite memory of the TSIC program was the day I met with my mentor and showed him my drastically improved SAT score- which later got me accepted into USF. 

 



Laptop Contest Winner !

Strawberry Crest HS Senior, Kaitlin, has won a brand new lapt op!  We want to give a HUGE thank you  to the Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP for giving our students this amazing opportunity!

We surprised Kaitlyn on a ZOOM call to tell her the good news! You can see her surprised expression in the picture below. Kaitlyn's previous laptop was being held together by pieces of duct tape, so she is very excited to use this new laptop to succeed in college and beyond!

Kaitlyn is attending Hillsborough Community College in the Fall and then transferring to USF once she earns her AA degree. Kaitlyn wants to major in Forensic Anthropology.
Top From Left to Right: Anna Corman (Director of TSIC), Elisabet Rivera (College Success Coach), David Maldoff (Partner at Butler)  
Bottom From Left to Right: Brittney Bagiardi(Business Development & Marketing Assistant Manager), Kaitlyn Wolfe (Surprised Laptop Contest Winner!)

Name

Yasmin

 

College Attending
Hillsborough Community College

 

Major Pursuing

Nursing

 

What part of college are you most looking forward to? 

I am looking forward to meeting new people and interacting with peers that are pursuing the same degree as I am. I'm also very happy because I'm finally just one step away from achieving my dream of becoming a registered nurse.

 

What is your favorite memory of the TSIC program/HEF? 

My favorite memory of the program was when I was first admitted and I attended the scholarship ceremony. I was able to meet new people and celebrate this amazing moment with my family. 

 



Online College Classes Are Here to Stay. What Does That Mean For Higher Education?
 
Though many things are uncertain about how American higher education will look in fall 2020, one thing is not: Online learning is here to stay. That doesn't mean that there will not be in-person instruction. Whether or not they are offering some in-person instruction, colleges will need to enable students to participate remotely. Since classroom space was at a premium even before the pandemic, once social distancing constraints are in place there is simply no way to deliver in-person instruction to all students. In addition, some students will be unwilling or unable to return to campus. The upshot is that for the foreseeable future the old way of doing business-in which colleges could tell students that they are required to be physically present on campus and in the classroom-isn't coming back any time soon. As a result, in fall 2020 and likely well beyond, there will be two categories of courses: 1) courses in which some of the students are in a classroom and others are online, and 2) courses offered exclusively online. Both formats raise major challenges for the higher education ecosystem. To read more, click here.
Source: Brooking

Experts Suggest Reducing Campus Dining and Housing in the Fall. Here's How That Could Impact Low-Income Students
 
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued  new guidelines  last week to help higher education institutions plan for the fall amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It described closing residence halls as the "lowest risk" option for housing and suggested alternatives like allowing fewer students to live in dorms. It also stated that closing communal spaces like kitchens and dining halls and providing takeout meals with disposable utensils instead, will be safer. As universities weigh these possible new realities, experts fear that limiting campus facilities - or keeping them closed - will exacerbate disparities for low-income students, even if it's the right call. "The decision to shut down campus as a response to a global public health crisis was the right decision," said Dr. Anthony Jack, assistant professor of education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. "But that does not mean that food and housing insecurity, economic scarcity, is not a fundamental problem ... We typically think that students [who] make it to college have a golden ticket and now all of their worries are done ... and that's fundamentally not true." Jack finds low-income students tend to rely on campus facilities for basic needs. His research showed that before the COVID-19 crisis, one in seven students typically stayed on campus for spring break, often because they couldn't afford to go elsewhere, he said. And even then, closed dining halls during that one week of vacation left students scrambling for affordable meals, as he detailed in an article for  The New York Times  in 2018. 
To read more, click here.  
Source: DiverseEd
The College Success Team 
 
 
 
Director of TSIC
( 813) 463-4283
Click the name of your assigned College Success Coach to email them.






College Success Coach
(813)574-0272
College Success Coach
(813) 574-0271
College Success Coach
(813) 574-0264
College Success Coach
(813) 574-0269

Mark Your Calendar

Date
Event
Audience
June 8th
Fuel Up Initiative Launches 
*Grab & Go Meals available at select schools*
All Students
June 11th
Middle School and High School Report Cards Availbale
All Students

For more detailed information about the events occurring in Hillsborough County Public Schools, click the link below:

For the 2019-2020 TSIC Calendar, click the link below: 
 
For more information, contact Anna Corman via  email