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Kids get hand to hold, not just a college handout

In the Doorways Scholarship Program, mentors help low-income students keep their eyes on the prize: college.

When Long Vong, 17, heads off to college next fall, perhaps to the University of Florida in Gainesville, he will have a new set of challenges ahead of him. Vong, a senior in the International Baccalaureate program at St. Petersburg High School, will balance the responsibilities of an electrical engineering major with the demands of learning the layout of a new town and making new friends.

One thing he won't have to worry about is how to pay for much of his college education. Vong is one of about 3,000 Pinellas County students in the Doorways Scholarship Program, which matches promising youth with mentors. The Pinellas Education Foundation started the program to assist students who need financial help to go to college. Last Wednesday, Vong helped usher scholars, guests, sponsors and mentors into their seats at the 14th annual Doorways celebration at Tropicana Field. The St. Petersburg resident said the program has been an enormous influence in his life.

"You get so much more than just a scholarship; you get a better future. Many scholarships look for bright, prospective students, but few will help you develop into one. They help keep you on track from an early age and even give you a mentor. You feel that they really believe in you, because they devote so much time, energy and money to each recipient. You really feel special, and it motivates you to succeed," he said.

Vong said his mentor, Eric Zimmer, has been an adviser, friend and confidant.

"I didn't realize how much Eric would help me through the years. He has helped me with everything from advice about girls and the upcoming dance to finding scholarships and getting through college. We talk about almost everything. I am extremely lucky to have Eric share the wealth of his knowledge and experiences with me," Vong said.

Zimmer, vice president of retirement services at Franklin Templeton Investors Services, is a foundation board member as well as a Doorways mentor and sponsor. Zimmer collaborates with Meadowlawn Middle School volunteer coordinator Sue Habert to match company employees who want to volunteer with students who need a mentor. Franklin Templeton also provides money and other support, like an annual school supply drive, in its partnership with Meadowlawn. Zimmer said that all children should have the same opportunities for success, regardless of financial situation.

"I believe that many of society's problems can be improved or helped by education. The sooner you intervene and help a child, they can become more productive adults," he said.

Though the program has found funding for nearly 3,000 scholarships, Zimmer pointed out that there is still a need for more.

"The challenging part is that in Pinellas County, out of 115,000 students, about 40,000 are eligible for free and reduced lunches. It's very sobering that over a third of the students in the county are eligible for free lunch, and therefore the Doorways scholarship," he said.

Eighty-five percent of the students in the program complete it and graduate from high school, said Rich Engwall, senior vice president of the foundation. "We're seeing the first Doorways students who started the program in the fourth grade (in 1992). They've now graduated and are out embarking on their professional careers and coming back to the organization, saying "How can I help?' " he said.

Engwall said the response from the community has been overwhelming, to the tune of nearly $20-million in funding thus far. Engwall, who has attended each of the Doorways celebrations, said the event recognizes the students and thanks sponsors and mentors who contribute to the program.

This year, entertainment was provided by the Boca Ciega High School Marching Pirates, the Tarpon Springs High School Jazz Ensemble and the Soulful Arts Dancers from St. Petersburg. The kids were particularly excited about special guests rhythm and blues boys band B5 and Orlando pop group TGK.

Kristi Whitcher, a Clearwater High School graduate and student at the University of South Florida, shared her experiences as a Doorways scholar with the crowd. Shannon Antone, a senior at Lakewood High School, and Jacquelyn McCullough, a junior at Boca Ciega High School, acted as emcees.

In a poignant tribute, Cynthia Villavicencio, a Riviera Middle School sixth-grader, received the Joanna Cruz Memorial Doorways Scholarship, named for a former Doorways student. Cruz, a 2003 Northeast High School graduate and former Riviera Middle School student, was fatally shot at a RadioShack in St. Petersburg last November. Cruz's mother, Nancy Vasquez, made the presentation to Villavicencio.

Nominations are open to fourth- through ninth-graders who are on the free and reduced-price lunch list. Selected students receive a Florida Prepaid College Fund scholarship if they maintain at least a C in all classes, study for tests, do their homework and remain drug and crime free.

The scholarship pays for two years at a Florida community college and two years at a state public university, or technical school training. Students like Vong, who wish to attend all four years at a public university, must pay the difference between the cost of a community college and the university for the first two years.

To date, the program has enrolled close to 3,000 students, with about 500 either attending college or having graduated. The state matches every $4,500 of funding secured from corporate, civic or individual sponsors.

To nominate a student for a Doorways scholarship or make a donation, visit the Pinellas Education Foundation Web site at www.pinellaseducation.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Doorways.Home