All our dreams can come true ...if we have the courage to pursue them
-Walt Disney
On behalf of the Board of Directors and Staff of Take Stock in Children of Manatee County we are excited to announce our 2020 Seniors.
This year our graduation looks a little different well….very different.
Our 2020 Senior class is a class like no other. They were born the year our great nation was attacked on September 11th and they are now graduating during these unprecedented times. In a world of uncertainty, we are certain that our scholars will achieve their full potential and go on to be successful and accomplished adults.
Our virtual graduation will be held on Thursday, May 14th at 6:30 pm.
Please email ann@takestockmanatee.org for the Zoom link.

Congratulations to the Class of 2020
Arlette Alanis
Joshua Amaya
Cassandra Anzelone
Aaliyah Arguez
Katherine Ayala
Colby Bringas
Alyssa Caso
Deshanti Collins
Riley DiCosola
Tina Dinh
Manoela Dos Santos
Kelci Elliott
Jennefer Etienne
Dir'ia Gatheright
Karina Gomez
Aaliyah Guthrie
Gyvalia Henry
Marlin Hernandez
Ashton Ivey
Geneira Jaimes
Irada Karpthip
Corinne King
Cansica Mettelus
Elizet Moreno
Summer Parinello-White
Minerva Perez
Jessica Quach
Hilario (Lito) Ramos
Xavier Rosado
Maximer Ruiz
Tyler Simons
Sierra Smith
Haley Stults
Alexis Theiss
Elizabeth Uribe-Munoz
Nathen Wallis
Scholars will be sending their mentors a thank you video over the course of the next couple of weeks as a token of appreciation for their time, effort and energy. We truly appreciate each and every one of our mentors who bring their unique perspective and experiences to help move our program as well as our scholars forward!

*****

We will be graduating 36 seniors next week! Our scholars will be matriculating to higher education institutions such as Emory University, Florida Gulf Coast University, University of Central Florida, Manatee Technical College, State College of Florida and so many more!

*****

Our mentors have completed 296 mentor sessions through our Take Stock in Children app and ZOOM since the beginning of April! We truly appreciate everyone's patience with learning the intricacies of the app in such a short period of time!

*****

Scholars will be participating in our End of the Year meetings via ZOOM over the next couple of weeks. The meetings offer the scholars an opportunity to review the Take Stock in Children standards, share best practices and discuss the importance of the mentoring aspect of our program.

*****

Take Stock in Children is always looking for mentors. If you could share our mission and help put us in contact with potential mentors we would be grateful. We anticipate bringing in a large group of new students in the Fall of 2020. Please visit our website at www.takestockmanatee.org/mentors for more information.
Meet Tyler Simons
Tyler entered the Take Stock in Children Program in his 9 th  Grade year at Bayshore High School. He continues to excel in Math and Science taking many Dual Enrollment courses at the State College of Florida. He plans to take his interest into Engineering at Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland for the fall semester. Tyler and his mentor David Fair have developed a strong relationship during the four years they have known one another and will definitely stay in touch through college.    


Meet Manoela Dos Santos
Manoela will be graduating from Lakewood Ranch High School with a 4.51 weighted GPA. Manoela is a member of the National Honor Society, Lakewood Leaders Club, Rowing Club, Mustangs Ahead Journalism, UNIDOSNOW and Blood Drive Committee. She will be attending Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia in the fall! Manoela and her mentor Jahna Allen have been together since Manoela came into our program in the 8th grade. We are beyond proud of Manoela and wish her the best in her future endeavors!!!

Be the One for Take Stock in Children Manatee was a huge success!
#BeTheOne #WeAreOne #GivingChallenge2020


As I write this letter I am humbled by the support of our community!

To all our donors and mentors, thank you for your continued support of our mission. Because of you, we will continue to support the students of Manatee County through scholarships, mentors, and hope.

Because of you, we are changing lives in Manatee County.

So pat yourselves on the back and know you have made a difference!

Thank you for stepping up to Be The One!

With a grateful heart,

Anne L. Heller
Executive Director
Take Stock in Children of Manatee County
Take Stock in Children of Manatee County and The Stanley G. Tate Florida Prepaid Foundation are proud to announce that this year's graduating class total scholarship worth is over $485,000 .
Think about that for a minute.
It really does take a village. With the help of our Take Stock family, donors, mentors, school district employees, corporate sponsors, and the many people who help make our mission possible, our grads are off to a well earned, post-secondary education! Spread your wings Class of 2020! It's your time to shine!

Business Partner Shout Out
Take Stock in Children has had a long standing business relationship with FELD Entertainment. Our former Board Chair - Vin Foderingham has made sure that as laptops are taken out of use at FELD, they are donated to us so that we can help our students succeed with college readiness. To date, Take Stock Manatee has received over 50 laptops that have been handed out to our deserving students! Thank you FELD Entertainment!!
ARE YOU FOLLOWING US?
The Take Stock Manatee Facebook page features program information and images! Follow us today!