Assistant Principal Curtis Davis directs a meeting of Lincoln's mentoring group.

(BRADENTON, FL - April 10, 2007) Turning the dream of going to college into a reality is the goal of a special mentoring program at Lincoln Middle School in Palmetto.

Started two years ago by Assistant Principal Curtis Davis and Guidance Counselor Virginia Massie, the mentoring program matches teachers at Lincoln with students at the school who are committed to maintaining good grades and positive conduct.

“Teachers meet with the students before school, after school, between classes or whenever they can meet during the day,” Davis said. “The most significant factor is that students are being held accountable for their behavior and academic success.”

Lincoln's mentoring program received an enormous boost of encouragement recently when 11 students were accepted into the Take Stock In Children scholarship program. The Take Stock program provides a four-year college scholarship to high-potential, low-income students as long as the students maintain good grades and positive behavior throughout high school.

Of the 11 Lincoln Middle students selected for the Take Stock In Children program, 10 have participated in the mentoring effort at Lincoln.

The students from Lincoln accepted into the Take Stock In Children program are: Chardonnae Baity, Mariana Barboza, Elizabeth Bazan, Calvin Bell, Amber Corigliano, Raul Gutierrez, Alexandria Lindsay, Rosbie Thompson, Ruby Vasquez, Samantha Vasquez and Jodeci Walker.

“It makes me feel happy to know that I'm going to be able to go to college and show my mom that I can do what she wants me to do,” said Ruby Vasquez, who would be the first person in her family to attend college. “It will also show my little brother and sister that you can be successful if you try hard and put your mind to it.”

Like most of the students at Lincoln accepted into the Take Stock program, Ruby took part in Lincoln's mentoring initiative. Her mentor was 6th grade Reading teacher Karla Sams.

“It's amazing that they are offering this wonderful opportunity to these hard-working students,” Sams said. “The great thing is, this is not just for students with straight A's, but it's for students who work hard and do well who are also involved in extra-curricular activities and other things.”

While students from Lincoln have been accepted into the Take Stock In Children program in the past, the number of students accepted this year was unusually high. Davis and members of the school's faculty attribute the increase to the school's own mentoring initiative, which includes 40 to 50 kids who meet weekly as a group.

“The teachers helped the students with their Take Stock applications, wrote recommendation letters for them and made sure they did everything to meet all of the application requirements,” Davis said. “The kids worked hard to receive this opportunity and the teachers who mentored them went above and beyond their level of obligation time and again to help them achieve it.”

Lincoln Middle scholarship receipients include (front row, left to right) Rosbie Thompson, Terrell Baity, Ruby Vasquez and Samantha Vasquez; (back row, left to right) Amber Corigliano, Calvin Bell, Mariana Barboza, Elizabeth Bazan, Alexandria Lindsay and Jodeci Walker, Assistant Principal Curtis Davis stands behind the students.