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A Night to Remember in Fort Pierce 

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (May 1, 2026) â€” The ¹û¶³´«Ã½ River State ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Foundation honored 104 students at its Take Stock in Children Awards Ceremony. This event showed how the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ River State ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Foundation celebrates Take Stock in Children student success.

The event took place at the McAlpin Fine Arts Center. It was held on the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ River State ¹û¶³´«Ã½ campus. 

The evening celebrated two remarkable groups. First, 52 high school seniors earned their long-awaited scholarships. Second, 52 new ninth graders entered the program and signed their scholarship contracts. 

¹û¶³´«Ã½ the Take Stock in Children Program 

Take Stock in Children connects low-income, academically motivated students with mentors and college scholarships. Students who join sign a contract with clear expectations. 

Each student agrees to maintain good grades and stay out of trouble. They also agree to avoid drugs and alcohol. Students must also meet with a ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Success Coach who provides college prep resources. In return, they earn a four-year college tuition scholarship. 

The scholarship covers two years tuition at ¹û¶³´«Ã½ River State ¹û¶³´«Ã½. Students then complete two more years at ¹û¶³´«Ã½ River State ¹û¶³´«Ã½ or another Florida public state college or university. 

Additionally, the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ River State ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Foundation serves as the lead agency for four counties. Those counties are ¹û¶³´«Ã½ River, Martin, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie. As a result, the Foundation secures local funding, mentors, and resources for all recipients. 

This year’s graduating class includes students from all four counties. Each graduate met every requirement of the program. Moreover, every one of them will attend college in the fall. 

Among the graduates, Leonardo Garcia of Treasure Coast High School served as Outstanding Senior. He addressed the audience and represented the class of 2026. 

The complete list of 2026 graduates includes: Jarely Aguillon-Ramirez, Gabriela Aguirre Garcia, Victoria Aguirre-Najera, Veronica Andres Francisco, Cristofer Arcos, Keila Avila, Fils Barber, Michelle Campos, Jennifer Carranza, Peyton Cooper, Moises Deleon-Andres, Andrew Edme, Gisselle Espinosa-Olvera, Alicia Flores, Jason Fuegel, Alejandro Garcia, Daysy Garcia, Leonardo Garcia, Jennifer Garcia-Garcia, Emilio Gomez, Alyza Hernandez, Brenda Hernandez, Gabriel Hernandez, Melanie Hernandez Perez, Juan Herrera, Tonasia Jackson, Angel Jaimes, Leo Luna, Giselle Mandujano-Pena, Azaria Medler, Areana Neil, Shedlensdj Notrecide, Gabrielle Oddo, Vanessa Perez, Mathias Perez Espin, Julieta Ramirez, Aerrlet Ramos, Brylee Raulerson, Juan Rodriguez, Yarisely Rojo, Alicia Salazar-Rendon, Emily Serrano Torrijos, Gabriela Silva, Mariana Soberanis, Isabella Torres, Cristhopher Turner, Felicita Vasquez, Evelyn Villarreal, Isiah Williams, Felix Witkamp, Clarissa Zamora, and Roxana Zapeta-Mejia. 

In addition to the graduates, the Foundation welcomed 52 new scholarship recipients. These students are entering tenth grade this fall. 

They now commit to the same standards that guided the class of 2026. Furthermore, each new recipient gains access to a dedicated mentor. That mentor will support them throughout all four years of high school. 

The new recipients are: Camila Acosta Toro, Jamar Allston Jr., Madai Almanza, Maya Arismendi, Anthuane Cabrera, Daniela Carrera, Yovany Castaneda, Wendy Chiroy Mazariegos, Baily Citan, Jessica Cite Tamayac, Yesenia Colon, Emanuel Cortes Gutierrez, Julissa Diaz Morales, Gianna Ebanks, Keren Felipe-Aguilar, Diana Ferrer, Noemy Garcia, Jocelyn Gaspar, Vanessa Gil, Jeremy Graham Jr., Ian Gutierrez, Matthew Hicks, Kendyl Jarema, Lauren Lambeth, Lyric Leary, Belinda Lopez, Andre Madrigal, Claudia Maldonado Ordonez, Jazlyn Martinez, Phillicia Miller, Audree Morales, Autumn Morris, Ngoc Uyen Minh Nguyen, Eliam Olivera, Shahin Ouf, Kensley Paulemont, Elizabeth Perez Ortiz, Cristal Pineda Tejeda, Riley Quinones Crowley, Hunter Ramos, Jeremiah Reis, Laylah Roberts, Julieta Rodriguez, Jocelyn Rosales Trejo, Luis Salinas Jr., Giancarlo Sandoval Ochoa, Ireayomide Sangoyomi, Dylann Stewart, Santos Vasquez Jr., Eunice Villarreal-Perez, Kimberly Zamarripa, and Axel Zapeta Chiguil. 

Mentors Drive the Program’s Success 

Volunteers from across the region serve as mentors for Take Stock in Children students. This year, 46 mentors supported the class of 2026. 

Notably, four of those mentors are Take Stock in Children graduates themselves. They are Jennifer Lugo-Rodriguez, Lizeth Reyes, Julisa Sanchez, and Steven Toussaint. Their service shows the lasting impact of the program. 

Beyond that, mentor Robin Benet of Saint Lucie County spoke at the ceremony. Her remarks reflected the deep bonds that mentors build over four years. 

Elizabeth A. Gaskin, Vice President for Student Success at ¹û¶³´«Ã½ River State ¹û¶³´«Ã½, delivered the welcome address. 

“Tonight is a testament to what young people can do when given a chance,” Gaskin said. “These graduates made a promise as ninth graders and kept it. That takes real character, and ¹û¶³´«Ã½ River State ¹û¶³´«Ã½ is proud to welcome them.” 

Karen Aldana, Program Director for Take Stock in Children, guided the ceremony. She introduced both the graduating class and the new recipients. 

“Every one of these students chose to hold themselves to a higher standard,” Aldana said. “They delivered on that promise. We are also thrilled to welcome our new ninth graders. Their journey starts tonight.” 

Annabel Robertson, Esq., Vice President of Institutional Advancement at the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ River State ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Foundation, offered closing remarks. 

“This program works because of generous partners, dedicated mentors, and determined students,” Robertson said. “The ¹û¶³´«Ã½ River State ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Foundation is proud to connect all of those pieces. Tonight, we celebrate what that partnership makes possible.” 

The Take Stock in Children program depends on a strong network of partners. Together, these organizations fund scholarships and support program operations. 

Scholarship partners include Bank of America, Deerbrook Charitable Trust, and Helios Education Foundation. Additional partners are Hobe Sound Community Chest Inc. and John’s Island Community Service League. Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner and Smith Inc., Sailfish Point Foundation, and The Florida ¹û¶³´«Ã½ System Foundation also contribute. Several generous individual donors round out that support. 

Program partners include the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ River State ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Foundation and the Florida Prepaid ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Foundation. The School District of ¹û¶³´«Ã½ River County, Martin County School District, Okeechobee County School District, and St. Lucie County Public Schools also participate. 

¹û¶³´«Ã½ Take Stock in Children 

Take Stock in Children is a statewide nonprofit scholarship and mentoring program. It serves students from low-income families across Florida. The ¹û¶³´«Ã½ River State ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Foundation has administered the program locally for ¹û¶³´«Ã½ River, Martin, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie counties since 1996. To date, 1,466 scholarships have been awarded to deserving students. 

The ¹û¶³´«Ã½ River State ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Foundation supports the mission of ¹û¶³´«Ã½ River State ¹û¶³´«Ã½. It does so through scholarships, programs, and community partnerships. The Foundation connects donors with students who need resources to pursue higher education. 

For information about the Take Stock in Children program administered by ¹û¶³´«Ã½ River State ¹û¶³´«Ã½, visit irsc.edu/tsic  or contact Karen Aldana at 772-462-7252 or via email at kaldana@irsc.edu.