Welcome Back
NEW ADDITIONS TO THE TAKE STOCK TEAM!
Nora Wood, FB College Success Coach
Nora Wood is a dedicated educator who hails from Fort Thomas, Kentucky. She discovered her passion for teaching at an early age, which led her to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education at The University of Louisville. Nora furthered her academic journey, obtaining a Master's degree in Education from Indiana University. 

Aside from her thriving career of 17 years in Elementary Education, Nora finds immense joy in her role as a wife and mother. Fernandina Beach has become the cherished home for her family, consisting of her husband and three children. She is an active member of the community participating in the PTO and proudly supporting her son's baseball and basketball teams and her daughters’ swim team.

Her educational background, combined with teaching experience and involvement in the community, have prepared her to excel in the College Success Coach position. She is excited to begin working with Fernandina Beach High School and Middle School students in the Take Stock in Children Program.  

Outside the education field, Nora finds happiness in activities such as reading, boating, walking along the beach in search of shells and shark teeth, going to amusement parks, and engaging in family geocaching adventures. She also has an intriguing hobby—collecting PEZ dispensers. With over 200 colorful and unique pieces in her collection.
Chason Forehand, Board Member
Chason Forehand is a Community Banker originally from Moultrie, GA. He and his wife Daphne fell in love with the Fernandina Beach area after vacationing here for many years before moving here in April of 2020. His interest in finance developed at a young age and was nurtured by a mentor, guiding him to a fulfilling career in banking. Chason holds a bachelor’s degree in modern languages and a Master of Arts in Spanish from Georgia Southern University. He has been in the finance industry for over 5 years, and loves helping his clients achieve their financial goals. Beyond finance, Chason finds joy in simple pleasures such as playing the guitar, reading, and embracing the serenity of the beach. He is an active participant in his community, dedicating his time to mentoring with the local Take Stock program, acting as an ambassador for the Chamber of Commerce, and serving on the Fernandina Beach Main Street organization council. An interesting fact about Chason is his fluency in three languages, allowing him to connect with diverse cultures and perspectives.
SENIOR GIFTS PROVIDED FOR FIRST TIME
Due to the generosity of Giving Tuesday donors and a Walmart grant, Take Stock seniors had a new opportunity made available this school year. They were able to select to shop at Walmart for items for their dorm, receive a laptop, or have the funds deposited in their school account for use on campus. For those choosing to shop, board members and staff were on hand to help out!
TAKE STOCK NASSAU EARNS PERFECT SCORE!
Take Stock in Children of Nassau County has garnered the Take Stock Luminary Award and Gold Level of Excellence for 2022-23. This is the fifth consecutive year the local TSIC program has received the Luminary Award. The awards were announced at the annual Take Stock Leadership Conference, recently held in Orlando. Local TSIC programs that provide college readiness and mentoring supports to middle and high school students vie for the awards each year.
To earn the Gold Level recognition, local TSIC programs must meet or exceed 10 key performance indicators on the state organization’s Balanced Scorecard. The Balanced Scorecard is an internal measure of a TSIC program’s performance and adherence to the requirements of the Florida Department of Education. TSIC must meet these rigorous criteria that include a data reporting system that measures student readiness, the number of students recruited, mentor matching rates, and mentor contacts. Luminary Awards are presented to local TSIC programs that exceed the state organization’s targeted goals and earn a PERFECT score. It is an honor to be recognized in this group of high-achieving organizations! 
Smashing Into a New School Year with New Partnerships: AI Court Classic & Omni Resorts
Amelia Island Court Classic, a 501©3 non-profit organization, hosted a fun-filled pickleball clinic at Omni Resorts for students TSICN. Volunteers from the tennis and pickleball community introduced the exciting sport to the students. The event was generously hosted by Omni on Saturday, August 12 at the Racquet Park at Omni Amelia Island. Omni Resort Managing Director, Theo Schofield, Resort Manager, Joshua Summers and Recreation Director, Gary Bleil presented TSICN students with thousands of dollars of donated school supplies from Omni personnel. Students, parents, and mentors participated in TSICN 101 and financial literacy workshops, followed by lunch and pickleball.  
(Pictured L-R) Omni Resorts Manager, Joshua Summers, Omni Managing Director Theo Schofield, Jacque Banks and Robin Lentz of TSICN, and Gary Bleil, Director of Recreation. Omni presented TSICN with donated school supplies for their students.
Newly inducted students and parents participated in Take Stock 101, an interactive lesson on what to expect as a TSIC Scholar and TSIC Parent and how to handle different scenarios.
Hilliard Middle-Senior High 8th grader, Tammy Varnes, tries her hand at pickelball under the coaching of Amelia Island Court Classic volunteers.
Hilliard Middle-Senior High 9th graders, Andrew Burgess and Emmanuel Mendez team up to take on Jaxon McGee from Yulee Middle and Andrew's, brother, Austin Burgess.
The Amelia Island Court Classic has chosen Take Stock in Children of Nassau as the benefactor for its second annual tennis and pickleball charity tournament held in November. The racquet sport event is open to the public and 100% of the proceeds are donated to TSIC, Nassau County.
Registration for the charity tournament is now open and interested players can sign up at the following websites:
Take Stock Nassau would like to express their sincerest gratitude to Omni Resorts and Amelia Island Court Classic for making our "Back to School" event a smashing hit! We are thankful for their support of our program and students.
TSIC STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN BOWL PAINTING PARTY
There was no shortage of hard work or creativity at the bowl painting party held on July 28, to benefit Barnabas Center and their annual Empty Bowls event! Ten nonprofits came together for the event, with Nassau County Council on Aging hosting. In addition to bowl painting, students were able to string beaded bracelets, thanks to the generosity of Front Porch Beads. The event concluded with a pizza party, provided by Community Hospice and Palliative Care.
Student Spotlight
FBHS Senior, Naserian McClurg and Fernanda Rodriguez, recent FBHS graduate, attended a star studded celebration at Carnegie Hall in honor of being named 2023 National Medalists in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards this summer. Naserian won a Gold Medal for her entry, "Tired Feet." Fernanda was awarded a Gold Medal for her work, "Nopal En La Frente," and an American Vision Medal for "Esperanza."
FBHS Senior, Sydnei Harris, attended the National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC). High school students from across the globe come to the NSLC for an opportunity to meet with and learn from world leaders, academic experts and their peers. The program helps students develop their own leadership potential while exploring some of today’s most exciting professions. Sydnei was part of the Sports Managment program.
YHS Sophomore, Cloud Byrd, third from the right, back row, was recently elected to the Youth Advisory Board for Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT). He is one of four students selected from Region 2 and he recently attended a weekend meeting in Leesburg, FL. SWAT is Florida’s statewide youth organization working to mobilize, educate and equip Florida youth to revolt against and de-glamorize Big Tobacco. SWAT is a united movement of empowered youth working towards a tobacco free future.
WNHS Sophomore, Kaelyn Touchton, was selected to attend ROTC camp at The Citadel in South Carolina during the summer. The event is comparable to a one-week boot camp. Students woke up to the sound of revelry at 5 AM, had uniform inspection and then participated in activities such as rifle shooting, obstacle course completion, and squadron games. They finished every day with room inspection.
Jaydin Combs & Laurel Strong
This month's student-mentor spotlight is on Jaydin Combs and Laurel Strong, matched since May 2020.

Laurel Strong, Mentor
What do you consider to be your hometown? How long have you lived in Fernandina Beach?
My hometown is St. Louis, Missouri. I have lived in Fernandina Beach for 22 years.  

What made you decide to mentor with Take Stock?
I became a mentor when I got a call from an acquaintance that Take Stock in Children wanted someone who would be supportive to students. I responded with a resounding "Yes!"  

How many students have you mentored?
This is my first mentoring effort for TSIC.

What have you gained from mentoring Jaydin?
I have met an incredible person in Jaydin. Strong, intelligent, curious, talented and witty. I enjoyed meeting with her and watching her grow. I learned much from Jaydin and can't wait to see what she does after high school.

Jaydin Combs, Hilliard Middle-Senior High School Senior
Why did you want to apply for Take Stock?
I believed it would allow me to have a reason to stay on track in school, and that it would give me knowledge or assistance on what to do after high-school. It was something to look forward to, because at the time the program was offered to me, I was honestly lost and scared of what on earth I was going to do with myself, not knowing how to reach my goals.

What have you learned from your relationship with your mentor, Ms. Strong?
I learned to be more strict with myself and how I use my time. She also helped me build alternate routes of how I could succeed to live the life I hope to earn.

What is your favorite memory from TSIC?
The day I met Ms. Strong, it was refreshing and amazing to see that I was given a mentor who I could trust and get along with, she makes me feel heard.
What are your plans after you graduate high school and TSIC?
I will find the college that fits the person I am, one that will help me become an even better version of that self.