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Dear Community Partners,
Welcome to the May edition of the Three Programs, One Mission Community Newsletter! You may notice a new look! Our "Take Stock Tribune" is now the Three Programs, One Mission Community Newsletter. We're still the same team, but now serving all three of our programs: College for Kids, Take Stock in Children, and TradeUp.
Last month we proudly hosted our first TradeUp Student Orientation, welcoming 11 new students into the program and expanding our impact by connecting students to meaningful career pathways and future opportunities. We also hosted this month's Future Makers Series, where students continue to gain valuable insight and inspiration from industry professionals.
Looking ahead, we are excited to celebrate our seniors at our 3rd Annual College Decision Day on May 11th at the South Florida Fairgrounds. This special event honors students as they take the next step toward college, careers, and beyond. We are thrilled to welcome keynote speaker Nicole Cummings, a leader in aerospace innovation who serves as a Program Manager supporting NASA’s Artemis mission. A Florida Atlantic University graduate, Nicole brings both technical expertise and leadership to one of today’s most groundbreaking space initiatives. We hope to see you all there!
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Thank you for being part of our College for Kids family. Your support continues to open doors, strengthen pathways, and shape brighter futures for students across Palm Beach County. We’re grateful to step into another month of impact together.
Warmly,
College for Kids, Take Stock in Children PBC, and the TrapeUp Team.
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A Milestone Moment: TradeUp Welcomes
Inaugural Cohort
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On April 21st, TradeUp reached a major milestone by hosting our very first New Student Orientation. It was a night filled with energy and ambition as we officially welcomed 11 new students into the program. The event was a true family affair; students and their loved ones joined us to celebrate the start of this journey, and the sense of pride in the room was palpable. We are incredibly proud of this inaugural group and can’t wait to see the great things they will achieve.
Our Founder, Jeff Firestone, and his wife, Susan, were both in attendance to share the story of how the TradeUp vision was born. Their passion for empowering the next generation set an inspiring tone for the evening, highlighting our commitment to providing students with the mentorship and skills needed to thrive in the trades.
While we are celebrating our first cohort, we are still looking for more students! We are actively recruiting 9th-11th-grade students in Palm Beach County. If you know a student who would benefit from this opportunity, please reach out to our Initiative Lead, Zana Sledge, at ZSledge@CollegeForKids.org or call 561-206-4034.
Thank you to our TradeUp sponsors who helped make this possible, Peter H. Kamin Family Foundation and William R. Kenan Charitable Trust. Thanks to you, we look forward to seeing the incredible impact these young professionals will make in our community!
| | A Mentor Brunch to Remember | | |
We’re thrilled to share that mentor Audrey Ades hosted a truly wonderful brunch to introduce potential mentors to our program. Her generosity, hospitality, and commitment to our mission made the event shine.
The brunch also featured a powerful moment from Take Stock alum Sandra Rose, who spoke about her experience as a student in our program and the tremendous impact her mentor, Carla Patrick, had on her journey. Hearing firsthand how mentorship changes lives reminded everyone in the room why this work matters.
We are incredibly grateful to Audrey for opening her home, her network, and her heart to help grow our mentor community.
| | | Future Makers: Exploring New Worlds | | |
Our Future Makers series—our biweekly group sessions where we invite speakers from various organizations and career fields—brought two exciting experiences this month:
- A Marine Biologist, who opened our students’ eyes to ocean ecosystems, conservation, and what it means to build a career in science.
- Cyber Minds Research Institute, a local nonprofit dedicated to expanding cyber education, who led an engaging session on digital safety, cybersecurity careers, and the importance of tech literacy.
These sessions continue to broaden our students’ horizons and spark new passions.
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Mentor Round-Table: Wisdom in Every Direction | |
We also hosted a dynamic mentor round‑table on April 18th featuring four of our dedicated mentors: Sally Robilotto, Tiqkia Barrow, Nohelia Zuniga, and David Gibson. Their presentations covered topics ranging from financial literacy to self‑esteem, giving students practical tools and personal insights they can carry forward.
The conversation was honest, empowering, and deeply impactful. We’re planning another session in May 16th, and we know several others expressed interest in presenting—we’ll be reaching out soon to include them.
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This month, we were honored to be selected to receive a $100,000 grant from Impact the Palm Beaches. It was truly a special night attending their 11th Annual Awards Celebration at the West Palm Beach Marriott and experiencing the power of women coming together to create real change.
We arrived as one of five finalists, and after a short presentation from each, it went to the live vote. We are beyond grateful to the Impact Palm Beaches' members for selecting College for Kids as one of their three $100,000 grant winners, along with Florida Outreach Center for the Blind and the Glades Initiative. The Center for Family Services of Palm Beach County and St. Ann Place Outreach Center each also received $9,000 merit grants for a total of $318,000, going directly to help those most in need in our community.
This grant will support our new TradeUp program. With a matching donor, this investment will provide 50 students with the opportunity to enter high-demand skilled-trade pathways, offering mentorship, training, academic coaching, and a future they can step into with confidence.
Thank you again to all of the Impact the Palm Beaches members, and a special thank you to outgoing co- presidents Nancy Feiwel and Melissa Haley for your amazing leadership. And also, congratulations on the announcement that Impact the Palm Beaches is now officially its own 501(c)(3).
Thank you again to everyone who made this night possible and for believing in our mission
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Admedstone is a graduate of Alexander W. Dreyfoos Jr. School of the Arts who is now thriving at Florida State University, fully embracing campus life, school spirit, and the connections he’s built along the way.
Majoring in Finance, he is a member of FSU’s premier finance organization, Noles on Wall Street — a competitive, year-long apprenticeship program that prepares students for careers in investment banking. Through dedication, preparation, and mentorship, Admedstone has already achieved major milestones.
He recently secured a private equity internship in South Florida at a firm managing over $1 billion in assets, along with an investment banking internship in New York for Summer 2027.
Admedstone’s journey highlights the power of hard work, opportunity, and mentorship — and we’re excited to see what’s ahead.
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Current Take Stock Mentors, don't forget to check out the Mentor HUB for regular updates and info!
| | Building Futures. Changing Lives. Together. | | Imagine a child waiting for the support and guidance that could change their life - knowing time is slipping by. If 400 of us give just $10 a month, we can move one student off the waitlist every month and give them the chance they’ve been hoping for. That’s the impact of showing up together when it matters most. | |
Every day, students in our community carry burdens far heavier than most people realize - instability at home, financial uncertainty, and the pressure of being the first in their family to imagine a different future. Yet they continue to show up, work hard, and hold onto the hope that education can change everything.
A $10 monthly Stockholder gift gives the students we serve the stability, mentorship, and opportunity they need to stay on track and keep moving toward the futures they deserve.
Become a Stockholder today - a child’s future shouldn’t have to wait.
| | We appreciate your time and interest in our organization. Through College for Kids, Take Stock in Children, and TradeUp, we serve Palm Beach County students across every stage of their journey — from middle school to college to skilled trades. College for Kids provides academic enrichment and group mentoring starting in 6th grade, building the foundation for future success. TradeUp offers hands-on training and industry certifications in high-demand skilled trades, creating direct pathways to stable careers. Our Take Stock program alone holds a "best in class" rating from the Florida Legislature, with students achieving 99% high school graduation and a 74% attainment of postsecondary credentials. Take Stock in Children is the single-largest nonprofit purchaser of Florida Prepaid College Foundation Scholarships, with assets over $250M, and over $23M awarded locally. Scholarship plans are purchased at half price and matched dollar-for-dollar, enabling us to use your funds to serve twice as many students. Together, we're not just changing individual lives, we're strengthening our entire community, one student at a time. Thank you for being part of this mission. | | | | |
