June 2023

The final bell has rung and school is out for summer! It has been an exciting year and we are proud of what HEF has been able to accomplish to continue to support thousands of students, teachers and schools through our programs.

It filled my heart to see so many families celebrating students' achievements at the end of the school year, especially those of our graduating seniors, including the seniors in our mentoring program. We wish them success as they begin this next chapter in their lives.

I hope everyone has a great summer and students and staff enjoy a well-deserved break. At HEF, we are already ramping up for the new school year and will see you in August!

Senior Spotlight: Congratulations, Class of 2023!

Hillsborough Education Foundation is extremely proud of the more than 80 graduating seniors in our Take Stock in Children mentoring program!

In middle school, they made the commitment to work hard, maintain good grades and regularly meet with their mentor and college success coach throughout high school to help keep them on the path to success. Their dedication has paid off! They'll be graduating with a 2-year college scholarship and are making big plans for the future.

▶️ Check out the videos as we recently surprised three of our seniors!

🎓 Veronica, an Alonso High School Senior, received the Tampa Bay Seminole Club's 4-year scholarship to Florida State University.

🎓 Kaysar, a Chamberlain High School Senior, was named our 2023 Outstanding Senior and received a new laptop.

🎓 Zuhe, an Alonso High School Senior, was named the winner of the CTRL Your Future Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP Free Laptop contest.

These seniors have risen to the top of their class as Valedictorian or Salutatorian, including our mentees who earned the top two rankings at Chamberlain High!

Mentor Appreciation Celebration

Mentor of the Year, Joanne Sudman.

Congratulations to our 2023 grads!

Check out more photos from the event.

The future is bright for students in our Take Stock in Children mentoring program thanks in part to the caring volunteer mentors who devote their time to the academic and personal success of their mentees.

At HEF's Mentor Appreciation Party, we wrapped up the school year by celebrating all our mentors and graduating seniors in attendance. We also revealed Joanne Sudman is HEF's 2023 Mentor of the Year and recognized two other finalists, Maylin Pino and Joan Khan, who consistently go above and beyond to make a lasting impact on their mentee's life.

A new class will be committing to our program this fall and we are in need of even more mentors to help support students this upcoming school year. It only takes about 30 minutes of your time, twice a month. The benefits of your guidance can last a lifetime.

A big "THANK YOU!" to Citi for hosting and, once again, sponsoring the celebration.

CEOs in Schools: Expanding the Impact

Since its inception four years ago, CEOs in Schools has grown from a one-day event, where business leaders can visit and learn about our public schools, to many CEOs now providing year-round support and opportunities for students and teachers.

We are grateful for business' continued involvement and are excited to share these examples of how the program is serving as a model and expanding its impact in Hillsborough County, across Florida and the country.

Recently, the Nashville Chamber visited Tampa for a leadership trip and HEF CEO Kim Jowell took part in their panel: Highlighting the Importance of Business Partnerships in Schools. She discussed our CEOs in Schools program and the benefits of launching a similar program in Tennessee.

Leaders from across the state joined the Consortium of Florida Education Foundation's webinar to learn more about CEOs in Schools. Kim shared the positive community engagement in public schools that we have experienced through the initiative and provided tips to other education foundations to start their own program.

Tampa Bay Wave CEO Linda Olson has been paired with Rampello K-8 since CEOs in Schools began. This year, she founded a Kids Entrepreneurship Club. The after-school program concluded with five middle school students pitching their entrepreneurial ideas for tackling challenges such as affordable healthy eating and clean waterways.

Erin Messano from Sylvan Learning surprised Summerfield Elementary staff with treats to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week.

Gaston Merideth from Gaston's Culinary Services provided lunch for staff at Mango Elementary, his paired school.

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