Two long-time friends of FLOC - Ellen Sudow and Joe Higdon - have just doubled the size of the Fred Taylor Scholarship Fund endowment, by making a stock donation worth more than $500,000! In making this generous gift, Joe and Ellen pledged their "continuing support for FLOC's overall mission to provide youth with the resources to achieve educational and personal success and faith in FLOC's vigorous leadership to fulfill the vision of FLOC's founding director, Fred Taylor, that all the youth of the District of Columbia shall have the opportunity to successfully complete a postsecondary education." Ellen and Joe also believe "that doubling the size of the Fund's endowment will not only help eliminate financial barriers for FLOC's youth to gain a higher education; but also provide additional support and encouragement for FLOC's growing, comprehensive Educational Guidance & Advocacy Program."
The Fred Taylor Scholarship Fund (FTSF) is designed to provide gap funding for students in FLOC's Educational Guidance & Advocacy Program. Since it was endowed in 1999, the FTSF has provided grants to 80 students totaling $257,000! Fifteen of its scholars have graduated from college. Currently, 32 Fred Taylor scholars are attending postsecondary institutions. This donation comes on the heels of this summer's Fred Taylor Scholarship Dinner which was held on June 16th. Our high school graduates gathered with families, staff, and Fred Taylor Scholarship board members to celebrate their educational accomplishments and scholarship awards.
The event was held at the Embassy Suites Hotel and included an opening speech to the scholars by Fred Taylor Scholarship Board Chair Ellen Sudow, speeches by alumni Brianna Bourne and Amaoge Jesus, Executive Director Tim Payne, and Educational Guidance and Advocacy staff members Sara Maddox, Kathleen St. Villier, and Hannah Hermanson, as well as a slideshow of students, and award plaques presented by Fred Taylor. Fourteen students received the scholarships to attend post secondary and vocational schools. Congratulations to the 2008 Fred Taylor Scholars: Shaniqua Blake, Jeremy Chriss, Matthew Devonish, Ronald Edwards, Dileydis Grullon, Brittany Harris, Julius Johnson, Giang Nguyen, Chaquonna Price, Lawrence Robinson, Eva Tailbi, Kimberly Tam, Jazmyne Wade, and Brandon Whiting!
