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
Student Spotlights, Beyond the Scholarship, Home Education, Homeschool, Hybrid Learning, Personalized Education Program, School Choice, Step Up For Students
For this family, hybrid home education includes a class at the district high school
Dec 19, 2025 • By Roger Mooney
Student Spotlights, Beyond the Scholarship, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, Personalized Education Program, School Choice, Step Up For Students
Florida ed choice scholarship gives young missionary a 'well-rounded education'
Mar 9, 2026 • By Roger Mooney
Step Up For Students, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, Scholarship News, School Choice
New report shows scaling Florida scholarship program 11 times more effective at improving student performance than increasing public school funding
Mar 5, 2026 • By Lisa Buie
Student Spotlights, Beyond the Scholarship, Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options, School Choice, Step Up For Students, Step Up Honors
The goal is the Oval Office, and the journey there includes the Olympics
Feb 24, 2026 • By Roger Mooney
Student Spotlights, Beyond the Scholarship, Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options, Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, Rising Stars, Step Up For Students
With his mom as inspiration, and an ed choice scholarship leading the way, Mason is 'going places'
Feb 13, 2026 • By Roger Mooney
Student Spotlights, Beyond the Scholarship, Home Education, Homeschool, Personalized Education Program, Step Up For Students
PEP allows Lyra to fly through the air with the greatest of ease
Feb 9, 2026 • By Roger Mooney
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Browse More From The Blog
Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
Education choice scholarship a boon for this military family
E BY ROGER MOONEY MIRAMAR – William Ivins moved his family to South Florida ahead of his retirement from the United States Marine Corps and enrolled his children at Mother of Our Redeemer Catholic School, hoping they would reap the same rewards as he did from a faith-based education. But, as William and his wife, […]
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Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities, Gardiner Scholarships, Step Up For Students, Student Spotlights
How an education choice scholarship gives Hannah her voice, her strength and a horse named Snowflake
BY ROGER MOONEY OCALA – Seven years ago, Vicki and Tim Fouche were greatly dissatisfied with the care their daughter Hannah was receiving at her school for students with special needs near their Summerfield home. The situation was made worse by the fact that Hannah, who has cerebral palsy and is nonverbal and can’t walk, […]
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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 […]
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Elijah 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,” […]
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How 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. […]
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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'
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, […]
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A 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 […]
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Education 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 be 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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