Take Stock in Children Scholarship & Mentoring Program for Middle School Students - Interview with Jim Wheeler

 

One of the best opportunities for our children in middle school is the St. Johns County Take Stock in Children program, which is a non-profit program that provides selected students with a mentor through high school, upon completion of this program, the students will be provided with a $7000 scholarship to be used at a Florida post-secondary school of their choice.

Jim Wheeler, program director of the Take Stock in Children program in St. Johns County says, "I don't emphasize the scholarship as much as I emphasize the mentoring, and really the coaching part of it from the staff end, because it can help students make good decisions about the high school courses they take." 

Wheeler says "A lot of the time the parents or guardian will hear the word scholarship, but the reality is that the scholarship is worth about $7000. That's important, and that's not a small amount of money, but that's not nearly what it would cost to go and complete a four-year program. Even if you go to St. Johns River and stay at home for the first 2 years, and then let's say you go to UNF for the 3rd and 4th year to get your 4-year-degree, and that's probably the least expensive path you can take, by the time you pay for books and housing, that's still a $40,000 - $50,000 cost."

When asked about the process for how applications are evaluated, Wheeler explains that the finances are the first level of consideration, because it is a state-sponsored program, and income guidelines need to be met. "We'll typically get a pretty good number of actual applications, but then the family or guardian does not always supply the necessary income verification. That's the first level of consideration."  

After going through the applications that meet the income guidelines, "then it becomes the quality of the student's academic history, their attendance history, and their in-school behavior," Wheeler says. "The income of the family is the first sort of marker, and then once you get past that, it really becomes about the student and what commitment they've shown and have been able to show, or them wanting to succeed in school."

About The Take Stock in Children Application Process:

• The 2021 application period is open between October 4th - December 3rd, 2021
• Make sure to send in your taxes - they need the first 2 pages
• Make sure to fill out the financial information
• The income requirements are the same as for free and reduced lunch.
• The tax papers have to list the child, who the application is being made for. They have to be listed as a dependent on the tax return.
• For children of divorced parents, parents only have to submit the tax returns for the parent who claims the child.
• The family only has to go through the qualification portion one time, so as long as they qualify at the time of the application, anything that comes after that will not have an impact.
• If you have a problem with supplying the tax information requested, contact Jim Wheeler for advice, as you may be able to qualify through your family's participation in other state programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, etc.

If a student is accepted into the Take Stock in Children program, they will have to agree to maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5, remain drug-free, and graduate. If they honor this agreement, the program will provide them with a scholarship that covers 2 years of higher education.

Once a student is enrolled in the program, they will be assigned a volunteer mentor, and this mentor will remain with them through the end of high school. The students will be required to meet with this mentor once a week, and the mentor will then help guide them through their middle and high school years and offer advice on college and careers.

"I do a lot of work in the high school," Wheeler says. "Once the school year starts, a big part of what I do is actually working with the student one-on-one. My role is separate from that of the volunteer mentor. I work with them as sort of an academic coach, and then as they near high school graduation as a coach for both the student and the family on how to get to whatever it is that they want to do. Whether it is going to technical school or going to a state college like St. Johns River or a 4-year university, that's where some of my expertise and experience gets applied and supports the families and the student."

The Take Stock in Children program is a statewide program, which has been in St. Johns County for 26 years. To date, more than 24,000 students have been able to take advantage of this opportunity throughout the state of Florida. Our recent West Augustine Student Success feature Germari Rickerson was one of the 2021 graduates from the St. Johns County Take Stock in Children program.

When asked what advice he has for students, who do not make it into the program, Wheeler says, "It's a competitive program. We give preference to 8th graders, but if a family applies in 7th grade and does not make it, because we've run out of spots, then we actively encourage them to reapply next year." This year the aim of the program is to enroll 20 - 25 students, and there is no limit per school, it is simply based on the applications and based on the amount of spots available due to funding. Most of the students applying and accepted into the programs come from R.J. Murray Middle School, Sebastian Middle School, and Gamble Rogers Middle School. 

Wheeler has some advice for students, who do not make it into the program or simply do not qualify. "I've been through it," he says. "There's no one way to pay for college these days. You really have to know all of the different places that you can get grant money and scholarship money. There's no one solution that can pay a student's way all the way through college. You have to know how to put the pieces of the puzzle together so that college can be affordable for every student."

He expands by sharing some of the advice, which he usually gives the students, who enter the program. "The first thing I tell all of our students, who are in the program to do, is to go meet with your guidance counselor as a 9th grader. Find out who your guidance counselor is, and let them put your name to your face, so they know who you are. They are a wealth of information, and they are also the person most likely to fix something for you at high school."

The Take Stock in Children volunteers and staff spend a lot of time ensuring that they advise the students and families about what classes to take. "At St. Augustine High, you'd be amazed at how many 9th graders I see, who have two PE classes ... for the average student, who wants to move forward, that might not necessarily be the best choice."

Wheeler encourages parents and students to ask questions. "The thing that the younger students will hear me talk about first and foremost is learning how to be your own advocate and how to communicate. That's one of the benefits of the Take Stock program, learning how to communicate with a mentor, who's an adult who is not their parent. 

There are some of those skills that grow because of that mentoring. The ability to communicate, the ability to let someone know what you're concerned about, it is how you get things changed in the direction you want them to be changed, if it is at all possible. The student just introduces themselves to their guidance counselor, which can be a big step for a 14-year-old, but that small thing can make a world of a difference for the rest of their high school career."

How To Apply to The St. Johns County Ink! Take Stock in Children program:

• Go to the St. Johns County ink! website to read more about the program.
  
• Fill out the Take Stock in Children application between October 4th - December 3rd, 2021.
• Submit your tax returns 

 

If you have any questions:

The contact person at Murray Middle School is Mrs. Gordon in the guidance office.

The contact person at Sebastian Middle School is Mrs. Fortune in the guidance office.

You can also contact the program director of the Take Stock in Children program in St. Johns County Jim Wheeler at 904-547-7121 or you can email him at James.Wheeler@stjohns.k12.fl.us if you have any questions.

Make sure to follow our College Tips series here at the St. Augustine News Connection or click the link in the sidebar. 

* This piece was originally posted on the West Augustine News Connection on August 13, 2021.

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