The faces looking back at Da’Shaun Holmes appeared familiar. They looked like Da’Shaun. Well, a younger version of Da’Shaun.

They were students at Academy Prep Center of St. Petersburg, Da’Shaun’s alma mater, and they were eager to hear what he had to say. Da’Shaun was ready for the challenge.

“I was there to inspire,” he said.

On an early spring day, Da’Shaun, 23, visited his old school and told the students about his burgeoning career as an advanced manufacturing engineer for Honeywell Aerospace in Clearwater, where he works on electrical components for space and military craft.

He explained that he once sat where they sat and how a few weeks at a science camp at Eckerd College during the summer after fifth grade altered his life. That’s where he was introduced to STEM, coding, environmental science, and chemistry. That’s when Da’Shaun first had the idea of becoming an engineer.

“My roots and foundations came from Academy Prep, and I told them how it translated to me now as an adult, as an engineer,” Da’Shaun said. “And I wanted to express to the kids, ‘Hey, this is where I came from. This is where you are. You can take the same routes and steps as me. This is where you could be.’ ”

Like most of the students at Academy Prep, Da’Shaun attended the private, grades 5-8 school on a Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC) that is supported by corporate donations to Step Up For Students.

The FTC also enabled Da’Shaun to attend high school at Canterbury School of Florida in St. Petersburg.

From there, he attended Florida Atlantic University. He graduated in December 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.

“I think (the FTC scholarship) is a beautiful thing, because without it, I wouldn't be here,” he said. “I wouldn't have had the foundation to become the man that I am today.”

***

Truth be told, young Da’Shaun didn’t want to attend Academy Prep. The long school days – 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. – and summer classes didn’t appeal to him. Neither did the idea of leaving his friend from his district school behind.

But his mom, Tansheka Riggens, didn’t feel Da’Shaun was being academically challenged at his district school. A friend told her about Academy Prep, which is a 20-minute ride from their St. Petersburg home. She and Da’Shaun toured the school.

“It aligned with what I wanted for him,” Tansheka said.

In addition to the core subjects, Da’Shaun learned how to cook. He learned to critique movies after joining the movie club. He learned how to play chess. He bought the book, “The Chess Player’s Bible.” He still reads it today.

“My mom wanted me to have the best chance in the world as I could,” he said. “I guess Mom knows best.”

During the eighth grade, he was inducted into the International Rotary Interact Club.

At Canterbury, Da’Shaun was a member of Mu Alpha Theta, Science National Honors Society (SNHS) and the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS).

He received the P. Michael Davis Award (“For outstanding honor, integrity, respect, trustworthiness, character scholarship and leadership by a member of the Junior Class”) and the John F. Kenyon Male Award (“For unfailing perseverance, encouragement of others and quiet leadership”) as a senior.

Da’Shaun also received the DAV Jesse Brown Youth Volunteer Scholarship for his volunteer work with disabled American veterans.

At FAU, Da’Shaun and his team earned both the People's Choice Award and the Judge's Choice Award for a design project during his senior year.

He received the job offer from Honeywell after interning with the company the summer before his final semester.

“I will say, and it might sound crazy, but I'm honestly not surprised with what Da’Shaun has accomplished,” Tansheka said. “Because there's one thing for your parents to instill things in you. There's another thing for you, the child, to be receptive, retain it, and then act on it. And Da’Shaun has always been very studious. And he's very disciplined. I am in awe of how disciplined he is.”

Education is important to Tansheka. She began working on her associate degree after graduating high school in 2002.

“It took forever and a day,” she said.

Life came at her fast. First, she was a single mother raising Da’Shaun. Along the way, she adopted a niece and a nephew. Then she began caring for her father, whose poor health had resulted in numerous hospital stays.

Motivated by Da’Shaun’s academic success, Tansheka persevered. With the help of the Complete Tampa Bay Program, she earned her associate degree in liberal arts in December 2023, graduating from St. Petersburg College the same month her son graduated from FAU. Her next goal is to become certified as a licensed practical nurse and then return to St. Petersburg College for her bachelor's degree in health services administration. She currently works for an agency that helps people with disabilities.

“Da’Shaun has been a great source of encouragement,” she said. “He reminds me that your progress might not be as quick as you wanted it to be, but slow progress means there is some progress and not regression.”

***

The graduate support department at Academy Prep keeps track of the school’s alumni. It wasn’t unusual to see someone from Academy Prep at one of Da’Shaun’s football or baseball games at Canterbury. Or at an award ceremony where Da’Shaun was being honored.

They stayed in touch with Da’Shaun when he was at FAU, often inviting him to have breakfast with the students whenever he was in town. Given all that Da’Shaun accomplished, it’s easy to see why he’s asked to tell his story in front of the current student body.

“That door is open to all our graduates, and Da’Shaun is one who has run through it,” said Lacey Nash Miller, Academy Prep’s executive director of advancement. “This is a place where he can make a real difference. He can really motivate these kids. So, I think it's a perfect fit.”

It's important, Nash Miller said, for the Academy Prep students to see someone who looks like them, has the same background as them, and has taken advantage of the same opportunity they have to be successful.

“When I was in school, to see someone go through the process that I've been through, and then come back and talk to me, tell me these things, that would make such a huge difference,” Da’Shaun said. “So, I want to be that change now in the community.”

 

 

ST. PETERSBURG – Jaydis Kincade sat at a picnic table in the shade next to the vegetable garden maintained by his classmates at Academy Prep Center of St. Petersburg and set up a chess board.

Out came the rooks, the bishops, the knights. The pawns, the king, the queen.

He aligned them in their correct positions – Black on one side, White on the other – and began to play.

Jaydis vs Jaydis.

Jaydis won.

“Checkmate,” he said after a flurry of moves.

Jaydis, 12, is in the seventh grade at Academy Prep, a grades 5-8 private school located 10 minutes by foot from his St. Petersburg home. He attends the school on a Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC), which is made possible by corporate donations to Step Up For Students.

This is his third year at Academy Prep, and like he does when playing against himself in chess, Jaydis is winning.

He receives high grades and has the respect of his peers, teachers, and school administration. He is the secretary of the Student Leadership Council. He recently learned to play chess, competing against an app on his iPhone at least five times a day. Often more.

“A lot more,” he said. “I’m getting good at it.”

After receiving the FTC scholarship, his mom, Latarriea Bradford, exercised her education choice rights and moved Jaydis from his assigned school to Academy Prep.

“I felt like this was an opportunity for Jaydis to push himself academically, to challenge himself,” she said.

Since enrolling, Academy Prep Assistant Head of School Brittany Dillard said Jaydis “represents a powerful example of the transformative impact that education, support, and personal determination can have on an individual’s life trajectory.”

“Jaydis gets it,” Latarriea said. “I really don’t have too much to worry about since he started school here. He is keeping a 3.0 grade point average and keeps focused on the right things.”

Jaydis said he loves to be challenged academically, otherwise school is “boring. It’s not fun.”

“I like the dopamine release when I get a question right on a test,” he said. “It makes me feel good about myself, and I can move on to the next challenge.”

Part of the Academy Prep experience is the school’s mentorship program. That’s where Jaydis met Ebrahim Busheri, who works in the financial industry. The two have been meeting at least once a week since October. They sometimes meet on the weekend to visit an art gallery or try a new restaurant since Jaydis loves to try new foods.

“I'm trying to just be there for him and to encourage him,” Busheri said. “From my perspective, I think he's an amazing kid. He's incredibly smart and has an incredibly warm personality.

“It’s tough to, in my opinion, teach either of those things. It’s a gift that he has, so I've tried to encourage him and make him realize that without hard work, those things will not help. I want him to recognize that he's got to work hard, and his grades have to be consistently good.”

Jaydis called Busheri “a great role model for me.”

Busheri entered his life at the right time. Jaydis has not had any contact with his father since he moved to New Mexico three years ago. This upsets Jaydis. It upsets his mom, too.

“The mentorship program is something that is beneficial to Jaydis,” Latarriea said.

Latarriea added that sometimes, kids have a hard time expressing themselves. Having someone like Busheri to provide another ear is a big help.

“It's hard as a mother to try to really understand boys. They don't listen like girls,” she said. “Their attention span is very short when it comes to that, so I have to make (my message) quick and to the point.”

Jaydis was recently honored at the Rising Stars Awards event, an annual event hosted by Step Up For Students. Dillard, who nominated Jaydis for the honor, described him as fearless, hopeful, and reflective.

“I've been in education a really long time, and Jaydis is one of those students who is a diamond in the rough,” Dillard said. “I want Jaydis to take those great gifts that he has and use them for the greater good and one day show other students who are in his shoes that life may not be easy. You will have challenges, but you endure, and you will reap that benefit and that reward of being successful.”

Jaydis has big plans for himself. He wants to attend Princeton University (“I want to be more diverse in my studies,” he said) and own a clothing business. His two favorite subjects – math and Spanish – play an early role toward his career goal. Math will help him on the business end, and the ability to converse in Spanish will help him increase his clientele.

Jaydis is thinking a few steps ahead, which is how you win at chess.

(more…)

Jacob Lebron is growing up with Aspergers Syndrome. In elementary school, his mother told a panel of state lawmakers, "he was different, so other kids called him weird."

Then, in middle school, it got worse.

At another parent's suggestion, his mother, Evelyn Rivera, applied for a Gardiner Scholarship*. She used the education savings account to pay his tuition at Temple Christian School in Titusville, Fla. There were no more bullies. New opportunities, like a chance to try out for the basketball team, opened up.

"It was such a turnaround," Rivera said. "He's made friends who accept him. He's been involved in all their activities."

Jacob himself asked lawmakers to support a new school choice program for children who are victims of bullying and violence.

"I want every student to have the same sense of acceptance as I do at my current school," he said. (more…)

Eliya McDonald was in ninth grade when everything fell apart.

First her mom was diagnosed with frontal lobe epilepsy, a condition that caused frequent seizures and forced her to quit working. Before long, the family was homeless and car-less, living in a roach-infested hotel with most of their possessions gone. Then Eliya was diagnosed with Graves disease, a thyroid condition that caused symptoms like insomnia, mood swings, weight and hair loss.

Until that point, she had been an excellent student, first at a charter school for the performing arts, and later – with a Florida tax credit scholarship – at Academy Prep, a highly regarded private middle school in Tampa. But now in a top-tier private high school, and rocked by everything she and her family had to endure, she began to fall behind.

Her GPA fell to 2.33. Worse, the once-boisterous girl with the loud, infectious laugh and Cheshire Cat smile crawled into a shell.

“That year was really rough,” Eliya said. “I was in and out of school, and when I was in school I didn’t really fit in. I wasn’t able to keep up.”

“It was really heartbreaking,” said Eliya’s mom, Ebony Smith. “That was not my daughter. It was totally out of character. Her nerves were horrible.”

Thankfully, the scholarship helped Eliya and her family rise above. (Step Up For Students, which publishes this blog, helps administer the scholarship program.)

Ebony raised Eliya and two older sisters in West Tampa, a neighborhood she described as “drowning in poverty.” She was determined to lift them out, using school choice as the ladder. She enrolled them in charter schools, where Eliya discovered a talent for singing and acting, then secured Step Up scholarships so they could attend private schools.

“My girls are not going to live the way that I have had to live, and I made that pledge to them,” Ebony said. “Education is the only thing that’s going to save them.”

Things finally stabilized for Eliya when she and her mom began to find the right medications, and a non-profit charity donated money to get the family into an apartment that is still home today.

Eliya transferred to Tampa Bay Christian Academy to get a fresh start and a better fit. But she was still in her shell. She didn’t know if she was in the right school, yet.

“In 10^th grade, you hardly knew she was there,” said Natasha Sherwood, head of TBCA. “She was scared to move or talk. Her eyes didn’t look up. You’d see the top of her head more than you could see her face.”

Eliya isn’t sure how, but an English and drama teacher named Selma Grantham found out about her performance background and pushed her to sing in a chapel service.

Slowly the shell began to crack, as Eliya started asking questions in class. But the big breakthroughs were performances as Baloo in “The Jungle Book” and Rafiki in “The Lion King.”

As Eliya stretched her vocal chords, she rediscovered her self-esteem.

She became a leader. Her grades bounced back. She earned two scholarships, one for $10,000, to Southeastern University in Lakeland. (more…)

When fifth graders enroll at Tampa's Academy Prep Center, they usually haven't played chess before.

But they learn quickly, as a group of sixth- and seventh- graders showed when they traveled to a state chess tournament in Miami last weekend, and came home with a win.

They took the top two spots in their division, and four out of the top 10 in a field of about 50 students. The five students who entered in the K-8 Under-900 division all placed in the top 20, and their team brought home the state trophy (find the full results here).

Their private school caters exclusively to low-income students. It teaches all of them chess.

Michael Young, who teaches Academy Prep's chess classes and coaches its teams, said learning the game can help students develop important skills: Focus, patience, pattern recognition, creative problem-solving.

It can also give them a chance to travel to other cities and compete with more affluent peers. The students who competed in the Florida State Scholastic chess Championship hadn't been exposed to the game before they arrived at the school. (more…)

Private schools. A private school in an economically depressed Tampa neighborhood helps strengthen the surrounding community and educates low-income students who rely on tax credit scholarships. Mindshift. The Tampa Tribune profiles Academy Prep Center, which caters to low-income students in St. Petersburg. More on the school from StateImpact.

Digital learning. The Tampa Bay Times looks at the "flipped classrooms" and other forms of blended learning.  Alachua schools roll out reading software. Gainesville Sun.

Special needs. A Broward student is allowed to bring his service dog to school, a Broward judge rules. Miami Herald. The Marion County school district settles a lawsuit brought by the family of a child with autism who said he was mistreated by his teacher. Ocala Star-Banner.

Lawsuits. The lawsuit against Florida's tax credit scholarship program is a "dead bang loser," a separate Saint Petersblog guest post argues. The program is administered by organizations like Step Up For Students, which co-hosts this blog and employs the author of this post. The Lake County school board faces a lawsuit after thwarting middle school students' attempts to create a gay-straight alliance. Orlando Sentinel.

School grades. A South Florida charter school gets an A after an appeal. Sun-Sentinel.

Testing. Unlike some districts, Manatee schools officials say they're ready for new state assessments. Bradenton Herald. A Saint Petersblog guest post takes a jab against vouchers while talking about testing. Leon County parents and teachers react to testing changes. Tallahassee Democrat.

School boards. Volusia school board members should understand each others' viewpoints before hiring a new superintendent, a Daytona Beach News-Journal columnist writes.

Teacher pay. St. Johns teachers try to negotiate raises amid the shift to a performance pay system. St. Augustine Record.

(more…)