HCA Florida Healthcare has donated $15,000 to the Public Education Foundation of Marion County (PEFMC) to support scholarships for the Take Stock in Children mentoring program, HCA Florida Ocala Hospital and HCA Florida West Marion Hospital announced today.
HCA Florida Ocala Hospital CEO Alan Keesee presented the donation during PEFMC's annual celebration of college-bound high school seniors who participated in Take Stock in Children and recently graduated.
Keesee noted that HCA Florida Healthcare awarded additional scholarships to two Take Stock in Children students. They are recipients of HCA Healthcare's JumpStart to Healthcare Scholarship, a workforce development initiative that provides up to $3,500 for tuition for students who exhibit academic excellence and express a desire to pursue a career in healthcare.
This year's JumpStart recipients were Cambriah Guyton of Vanguard High School and Isabella Padro of Belleview High School.
“We are proud to support outstanding students who, despite facing significant challenges, have remained focused and driven in both their education and personal growth,” Keesee said. “With the guidance of dedicated mentors and access to meaningful resources, these students are building strong foundations for long-term success. Programs like Take Stock in Children play a vital role in helping them realize their full potential, and we at HCA Florida Healthcare are honored to be part of that journey.”
“We are especially honored to award these scholarships to Cambriah and Isabella,” Keesee added. “They have demonstrated remarkable dedication to their studies and a genuine desire to pursue careers focused on serving others. We look forward to seeing the impact they will make in their communities.”
With this donation, HCA Florida Healthcare has contributed more than $60,000 to the Take Stock in Children program over the last four years.
Cambriah plans to go to Tallahassee State College and then transition to Florida State University. She intends to major in health sciences, with a minor in psychology, and hopes one day to work in either hospital administration or pursue becoming a radiology technician.
Isabella, who has been a member of Belleview High's Health Occupations Students of America program for four years, plans to attend the College of Central Florida and major in nursing with a minor in public health. While in HOSA, she served as parliamentarian and has placed first and third in regional competitions.
"We are so thankful for HCA Florida Healthcare’s partnership with the Public Education Foundation of Marion County. These contributions make college attainable for local, low-income, deserving students who want a career in healthcare," said Diana Scroggie, student service coordinator for Take Stock in Children at the PEFMC.
"I am very proud of our Take Stock students who went above and beyond and also applied for the JumpStart Scholarship. It was one of the highlights of our graduation event to have Alan surprise Cambriah and Isabella with the good news,” Scroggie added. “I am thankful for the hospital’s commitment because I am hopeful these two young ladies, as well as the nine other scholarship awardees, will eventually make their way back to Ocala/Marion County and become a vital part of our future healthcare community."
Take Stock in Children offers deserving low-income students an opportunity to escape the generational cycle of poverty through education. Students are selected during their 8th grade year, and to qualify, they must be eligible for free or reduced lunch. The students and their parents or guardians sign a contract agreeing to stay in school, maintain good grades, exhibit good behavior, remain crime-and drug-free, meet with their mentors at least once a week, and attend Take Stock in Children workshops and events. In return, they receive a scholarship covering tuition for two years at a public college or university in Florida.