Safe Children Coalition awards scholarships to Achievers and program alumni

Safe Children Coalition’s Achievers program recently honored graduates and awarded $23,500 in college scholarships to “Class of 2025” high school graduates as well as returning college students who were engaged with the program as teens.

A total of 20 scholarships – seven first-year college and 13 continuing college – were awarded. The program took place at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee Selby Auditorium. Contributing to this year’s program and scholarship funding were Sarasota County and Publix Super Market Charities.

Keynote speaker was Achievers alumna Dr. Damienne Flagler, who is a stylist, educator, entrepreneur and influencer. She is the founder of Flagler Financial and founder and CEO of hair and skincare brand Denine Defined.

Serving as “Mistress of Ceremonies” was Achievers alumna Kenya Woodard. Speakers included Safe Children Coalition (SCC) Vice President of Programs Sarah Hawk, USFSM’s Director of the Office of Access, Outreach and Opportunity Darren L. Gambrell, and Achievers Advisory Council co-chair Dr. Tracy Goodman. Program awards and acknowledgements were then recognized by program manager Jone Williams, program coordinator Maiyah Newsome, and administrative team member Sandra Eddins.

After the presentation of scholarship awards, attending Achievers participated in workshops titled “Be the Boss,” led by Dr. Flagler, and “You’re Not the Boss of Me,” led by Executive Coach Anthony J. Davis, Sr. of leadership transformation company Absolutely Determined.

The last hour of the event featured a job fair, attended by numerous local employers, including the U.S. Army, Chik-Fil-A, Chosen Financial, Fresh Kitchen, Paul Mitchell: The School, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, and the Sarasota Police Department.

The Achievers program empowers at-risk, minority and other disadvantaged students to set and achieve goals in both their educational and personal lives, encouraging continuous growth in the areas of personal development, college preparation, community service and leadership, cultural enrichment, and career options. The program ultimately increases student participation in school programs, decreases school absenteeism and dropout rates, and prevents delinquent behavior.

The program, which has served thousands of students in the community for over 30 years, is open to all middle and high school students in Sarasota County. Approximately 100 students participated in the Achievers program during the 2024-2025 school year. Career cluster programming this past year featured Achievers alumni as well as professionals from the community and surrounding areas currently serving in the education, health and medical industries, and more.

For more about Safe Children Coalition, visit sccfl.org.

About Safe Children Coalition, Inc.
Safe Children Coalition, Inc. (SCC) serves as the lead agency for community-based care for Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties. SCC is a collaboration between local community agencies who provide services to children and families in need. SCC is committed to protecting children, strengthening families, and building community. The core functions provided by SCC include child welfare case management, foster care, adoption, independent living, prevention, diversion, quality management, and support services. Visit sccfl.org or call 941-371-4799.