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Like Martinez, hundreds of low-income students at Bowers/Whitley face the daunting challenge of funding higher education and training after high school. Although they spend their 11th and 12th grades preparing for careers in fields such as automotive services, culinary operations, early childhood education and nursing assistance, many students are unable to afford additional training after graduation. “The problem is that 90-plus percent of the students are so poor that they have no ability to continue their education if they want to, even for a simple certification,” said William Hoffman, president of the Hillsborough Education Foundation. The grant provides opportunities for career center graduates where traditional scholarships fall short, said Principal Dr. Tony Colucci. Most scholarship programs entail credit and grade point average requirements, but at Bowers/Whitley, “We don’t do credits and GPAs like a regular school,” he said. For Ronald Francis, who also graduated in December, the grant pays for technical school, bringing him one step closer to his dream of becoming a master automotive technician. “I’m currently working at Toyota of Tampa Bay,” said Francis, 20. “They want me to go to school…and I have to come up with the money to go there.” The school – and the grant – are making his dreams possible. Said Francis: “I wanted a career.” |
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