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SOS Graduation 2012

With less than 50% of foster children graduating high school and even fewer attending college, it is always with an amazing sense of accomplishment and pride that SOS honors our graduates each June.

Once again all four of the young adults aging out of the Village this year earned their high school diplomas, one of our alumni returned to the classroom to earn his GED and another alumnus received her Bachelor's Degree from the University of South Florida.

Guynette is an SOS alumnus who is returning to South Florida this summer after receiving her bachelor's degree. It is extremely important to her that she sets an excellent example for her young siblings who also grew up at SOS. She plans to pursue her masters degree but wants to make sure she can also support herself, so this fall her job comes first.

Brandon aged out of SOS several years ago and chose at the time to drop out of high school. But working hard to make a living and support himself helped him to reassess his goals and return to school to earn his GED. He is currently working as an intern at SOS and attending Atlantic Technical School to earn his certificate in auto mechanics.

Selenia is following in the footsteps of her two older brothers who also grew up at SOS. She is already attending summer classes at Broward College and has moved into a house shared by several other former foster children. Always creative, she is also continuing to pursue her passion for art.

Jennie graduated high school a semester early this past January. An ambitious young lady, she is already attending classes at Broward College and holds a job in the County Clerk's office. She is already well on her way to fulfilling her dream to someday be a lawyer.

Griffin lived at SOS for three years with his older brother Zach. Their brotherly bond is still tight. Today they are sharing an apartment in Palm Beach and both attending college.

Danni lived as SOS for less than a year. But she has made the most of her time at the Village. While not yet 18 years old, technically she is still in foster care until the fall. She is working hard this summer to save up money and attending classes at Broward College before she moves over to FAU in the fall. She has set a goal to earn her bachelor's degree before she turns 21 and plans to pursue a degree in medicine.

Seventy-five foster children call SOS home and they need the same kind of care, support and encouragement that our graduates received. You can make sure they receive it by supporting our annual Back to School and Ready campaign this year.

SOS thanks Jarden Consumer Solutions, the employees of American Express, Debby Glick, Diane Saffran, Sheryl Garfield, Kristina Stein, Kristin Hollander, Noelle Ferguson, Lucy Colston, Marcy Falcone and all of our other friends who contributed toward our family graduation party and gifts for each of our graduates.

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