- January 14, 2025
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When Christopher Evans was about to complete eighth grade, he was accepted into the Take Stock in Children scholarship and mentoring program.
Evans had several requirements: He had to stay in school, maintain a 3.0 GPA, and stay crime- and drug-free.
At the beginning of his freshman year at Spruce Creek High School, Evans was partnered with two mentors who guided him and pushed him to do better. They helped him with time management and homework. They even prayed for Evans.
Growing up in the projects, Evans' father was never in the picture and the only father figure he had was his mentor. According to Evans, he wanted to be like his mentor, Fran Markette, who he called "Poppa Fran."
Through the TSIC program, Evans was also able to attend seminars and events where he met other students with similar goals. The program also taught Evans about financial aid and how to apply for federal student aid. The program acted as a guide for Evans until the day he graduated high school, when he received a TSIC scholarship for college. His mentors continued to be there for him throughout college.
"The most valuable piece of information I’ve learned from this program is to pay it forward," Evans said. "I wouldn’t be the man I am today if it wasn’t for TSIC."
Evan said that he made a vow to himself and his mentors that when he was able, he would pay it forward. Evans said he will make sure to do this and assist someone that is less fortunate just as others have done for him. Evans is now a mentor himself and is mentoring in the same way his own mentors taught him through TSIC.
In 2016, Evans graduated from the University of Central Florida and was then offered a job at Brown and Brown Insurance Co., where he is now an account executive.
"There were numerous times where I felt like I just wanted to give up and follow my peers and go down the wrong path," Evans said. "However, I knew I had my TSIC family and my mentors. They wouldn’t give up on me, so I knew I couldn’t give up on them. That’s what kept me on the right track."
Evans is one of many students who have completed TSIC in Volusia County. The program, run through the FUTURES Foundation, was created in 1995 as a way to combat the school dropout rate.
"The main goal is to break the cycle of poverty through education," Shimene Shepard, FUTURES Foundation student services and mentor coordinator, said. "We work with lower-income students, and our goal is to get them through high school and college."
Each year, program officials ask for five applications from eighth-graders in each of the Volusia County schools. Students applying must have at least a 2.5 GPA, must qualify for free or reduced-price school meals and have letters of recommendation. Students who are accepted into the program will have a mentor who guides them through high school, and if the student follows the requirements to maintain good grades and be crime-free, once they graduate they receive a four-year scholarship for college.
Currently, there are 65 students in the program, with 13 of those students being from Spruce Creek High and Atlantic High School.
"We're able to impact the students a lot more because we're having more of a reach," Shepard said. "It's a great program."
Applications for the TSIC program are being accepted until Thursday, Feb. 15. For more information on the program, visit futuresvolusia.org.
