inspirED
Meet our scholars, educators, donors, and partners.
Transforming Our Community.
One Scholarship at a Time.
Step Up For Students Scholarships do more than fund education. They change lives. Students thrive in environments that fit their needs. Educators extend their reach to support vulnerable students. Communities grow stronger as educational systems improve.
This is inspireEd. Welcome.
Here, you will get an inside view of that transformation in progress. See what happens when students and their families discover the power of taking control over their academics. Watch as they forge new pathways to a better future. Find inspiration in their determination to achieve their dreams.
These are the stories of Florida students who have renewed hope because they have a school that better fits their needs or educational materials to unlock their potential. They are the stories of a community that has come together to support the belief that educational choice matters. Here, you can be a part of this incredible journey.
This is inspireEd. Welcome.
Here, you will get an inside view of that transformation in progress. See what happens when students and their families discover the power of taking control over their academics. Watch as they forge new pathways to a better future. Find inspiration in their determination to achieve their dreams.
These are the stories of Florida students who have renewed hope because they have a school that better fits their needs or educational materials to unlock their potential. They are the stories of a community that has come together to support the belief that educational choice matters. Here, you can be a part of this incredible journey.
Latest Posts
Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, Gardiner Scholarships, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
How one question and four education choice scholarships changed the lives of Emmaline's children
Nov 28, 2023 • By Roger Mooney
Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
Elijah wants to learn as much as he can, which is why his sights are set on Harvard University
Nov 20, 2023 • By Roger Mooney
Hope Scholarship, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
How did the Hope Scholarship impact Nick? 'It changed his life'
Oct 30, 2023 • By Roger Mooney
Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities, Gardiner Scholarships, School Spotlights, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
Unlocking the potential of neurodiverse children so they can 'light up a room like fireflies in the night'
Oct 20, 2023 • By Roger Mooney
Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, Rising Stars, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
A medical emergency, a call to 911 and a fireman's promise ignited Za'Niya's dream to be a firefighter
Oct 17, 2023 • By Roger Mooney
Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
Education choice scholarship helps fuel Mia's dreams of Ivy League college and med school
Oct 9, 2023 • By Roger Mooney
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Browse More From The Blog
Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, Gardiner Scholarships, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
How one question and four education choice scholarships changed the lives of Emmaline's children
BY ROGER MOONEY MIAMI GARDENS – The seismic shift in Quran Wright’s life occurred in a South Florida Walgreens while shopping with his mother. He was in the third grade at the time and not faring well in his district school. Emmaline Reddick and her son were talking about his classes. Emmaline told Quran that […]
Learn MoreElijah wants to learn as much as he can, which is why his sights are set on Harvard University
BY ROGER MOONEY PALMETTO BAY – Elijah Williams was in the fifth grade when he set his sights on a career in engineering. The best way to get there, he decided, was with an Ivy League education. So, he set his sights on attending Harvard University. “I want to learn as much as I can,” […]
Learn MoreHow did the Hope Scholarship impact Nick? 'It changed his life'
BY ROGER MOONEY Nick Guiley is in high school now, far away from the classmates who tormented him during middle school and made going to school so miserable that one morning, he refused to leave the safety of his father’s car and enter the building. Nick, 16, attends a magnet school with a technology-based curriculum. […]
Learn MoreFamily Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities, Gardiner Scholarships, School Spotlights, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
Unlocking the potential of neurodiverse children so they can 'light up a room like fireflies in the night'
BY ROGER MOONEY PALM HARBOR – Chase Benson is on the autism spectrum and has Down syndrome, a dual diagnosis that made it hard for his parents to find the educational setting that fit him best. Yet, Chase, 12, fits in at Fireflies Academy, a K-12 private school in Palm Harbor for children with neurodiversities, […]
Learn MoreA medical emergency, a call to 911 and a fireman's promise ignited Za'Niya's dream to be a firefighter
BY ROGER MOONEY NORTH MIAMI – Zabrina James had trouble breathing because of the intense pain in her left knee caused by a botched surgery nearly five years earlier. She couldn’t walk, which meant she couldn’t drive herself to the hospital, so she instructed her daughter to call for help and coached her on what […]
Learn MoreEducation choice scholarship helps fuel Mia's dreams of Ivy League college and med school
BY ROGER MOONEY JACKSONVILLE – Mia Boka’s father, Steve, was a giant of a man, standing 6-foot-6 with a personality just as large. He was demanding but fair with his children, instilling structure in their daily lives with constant reminders to study hard, work hard and always do their best. “Speak up and he heard,” […]
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Piano prodigy in perfect academic setting thanks to education choice scholarship
BY ROGER MOONEY COOPER CITY, Florida – It began with a toy piano. Something a toddler could peck at. Pling! Pling! Pling! Evan Sosa did more than that. In no time at all, he was playing “Hot Cross Buns.” “With two hands,” his father, Phillip, said. “I'm like, ‘This is not normal.’ He was barely […]
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Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, School Choice, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
Adoption plus education choice scholarships give Conner and his siblings a chance to be 'best version of themselves'
BY ROGER MOONEY The transformation of Conner Davis from a young boy filled with social anxieties to an honor roll student and class leader was achieved through two life-altering events. First, he was adopted by a relative, which brought stability to his life. Second, Conner received an education choice scholarship. That allowed him to attend […]
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An education choice scholarship has Carlos on the pre-med track at the University of Miami
BY ROGER MOONEY In August, Carlos Felipe Gutierrez-Carranza began his freshman year at the University of Miami with a clear vision for his future. He wants to be a doctor. That goal was set during the summer of 2022 when he shadowed a physician for one week as part of his high school’s externship program. […]
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Her name is Sidjourney and she wants to make big changes in her community
BY ROGER MOONEY Let’s begin with the name: Sidjourney. Cheryl Knight planned to name her daughter Sidney, but after the complications Cheryl endured during pregnancy that included seven months of bed rest, she realized she had been through quite a journey. The baby was born in April 2005 in a Brooklyn, New York hospital, and […]
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