Jaclyn is a go-getter, a mentor, and now a high school graduate

FORT MYERS – Tabitha Moore tells a story of the time she woke up at 3 a.m. to get a drink of water and was startled to find her daughter, Jaclyn Williams, doing math homework.

That’s followed by stories of waking in the morning to begin her day and finding Jaclyn doing math homework.

What happened to the days of mom telling her daughter to do her homework?

“I noticed a shift,” Tabitha said. “She made up her mind that she could do this.”

The “shift” came in a talk Jaclyn had with Christine Sferlazza, the principal of Rock Christian Academy, the K-12 private school in Fort Myers that Jaclyn attends with the help of a Florida education choice scholarship managed by Step Up For Students.

“A really stern talk,” Jaclyn said.

Principal Sferlazza, then the incoming principal, had reviewed Jaclyn’s transcript and found she was behind in math. Jaclyn, who was headed into ninth grade at the time, would have to take two math credits that year if she wanted to get back on track to graduate with her class.

She did, and the determination needed to tackle the extra work continued through her high school years. Jaclyn graduated in May with a 3.5 grade point average.

“I’m very proud of her,” Tabitha said. “She doesn’t settle for less.”

Rock Christian Academy is affiliated with The Rock Church of Fort Myers. For years, Tabitha and her children have attended the church, located across the Caloosahatchee River from their Cape Coral home.

Jada, Tabitha’s oldest daughter, graduated from Rock Christian Academy last year. Her sons, Sedrick (ninth grade) and Rome (seventh), also attend the school.

The school didn’t accept Florida’s educational choice scholarships until the 2024-25 school year. Paying out of pocket for her four children often placed a financial burden on Tabitha, a single mom at the time. But she was determined to keep her children at the school.

“When the announcement was made about the scholarships, I wanted to celebrate, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up because it wasn’t definite,” Tabitha said. “But I had faith, a lot of faith, and when it became definite, it was a shock. What a relief.”

Principal Sferlazza said she saw that relief across the board among the parents.

“Once we got all the scholarship requirements done, the funds started coming in, and it opened up a huge door for all families, an enormous door,” she said. “I felt the relief across so many families. I don't think the students know, but from my perspective, I could see the change, because the family was affected, the student was affected, and their education was impacted.”

Tabitha likes the faith-based education, small class sizes, and the individual attention the students receive from their teachers. Students work at their own pace, and Principal Sferlazza monitors their transcripts to ensure they are on track to graduate.

“I want to know where they are,” she said. “Where are they going to land? Is that going to be enough for graduation? What's the game plan here?”

After Principal Sferlazza became aware of Jaclyn’s progress in math, the two had their talk and came up with a game plan: Jaclyn would have to double up on math in the ninth grade by taking pre-algebra, followed by algebra. It would take tutoring and possibly summer school. Plus, Jaclyn would have to make time in her day for the extra math.

Jaclyn admitted she was not a fan of math at the time. But the talk with her principal took root.

“It was really just my future, to be honest,” Jaclyn said. “Because I was getting to the point where I was like, ‘Do you want to excel? Or do you want to keep falling behind?’ And I said, ‘I want to excel. I want to do better. I want to do more. I want to do it on time and not have to graduate a year later.’”

“It just shows her tenacity,” Principal Sferlazza said, “what she’s capable of doing.”

That’s not a surprise to those who know Jaclyn.

She is heavily involved in her church. She sings in both the youth and adult choirs and volunteers in the church’s ministry. Plus, she works after school at Style Encore, a women’s clothing store in Fort Myers.

Jaclyn’s post-high school plans will likely include the Hope Corps program, which is offered by Wilson University, a Christian-based college in California. Students attend the program virtually and receive college credits in theology and missionary studies. It concludes with a mission trip. Both Tabitha and Principal Sferlazza completed the program.

After that, Jaclyn has considered becoming a pediatrician because she likes working with children. Both her mom and principal think she would be an ideal teacher, perhaps a kindergarten teacher.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to that,” Jaclyn said.

Whatever path Jaclyn chooses, her mom believes she will be successful. Her character is stronger, forged by her beliefs, and her education has a solid foundation based on her years at Rock Christian Academy, which she attended since third grade.

“She’s a go-getter,” Tabitha said. “She’s a mentor. She’s a leader. I see her being able to make her own decisions, using sound wisdom, reflecting on her younger years and what she's been exposed to and what she's seen in life. I see her just excelling greatly as an adult.”

Roger Mooney, manager, communications, can be reached at [email protected].