JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Thousands of high school seniors in our area are starting to receive college acceptance letters, which is an exciting time for families when those letters arrive, but then the reality of paying for school starts to set in.
A Marine veteran in Jacksonville hopes to lessen the burden for some students.
Last year, Charlie Griffin and his daughter Carly started a scholarship fund worth $10,000 for students who want to attend HBCUs in Northeast Florida, but that's going to change this year.
"I said Carly, 'It's got to be better this year than it was last year so we decided to up the ante,'" Charlie Griffin said.
This year the Griffins and First Coast Community Development are offering 50 different $1,000 scholarships for high school seniors as well as undergrads at HBCUs who are pursuing a degree in a S.T.E.M. field.
"We wanted to make sure we have people who look like us and thinking like us and dedicated to helping the Black community and making the community come together as a whole," said Carly Griffin, who graduated from FAMU in December 2022.
Application qualifications are available on the First Coast Community Development website and can be found here.
One of the focuses of the scholarship is that applicants have completed at least 50 hours of community service.
"I think it's important to be invested in the community that you're going to live in and do something that you can truly be remembered for in your community because you never know who you're going to touch," Griffin said.
Charlie touches the community every week when he uses his retirement checks to pay for meals for the homeless in Jacksonville. The Griffins hope this money launches the next generation of leaders.
"We want to be in a position to put others out in the community and make a difference," said Carly Griffin. "I'm so grateful that we can do this for another year and grateful that there are so many eager students just a bit younger than me but still have that drive to make a difference."
The deadline to apply for the scholarship is May 1. Applicants are also asked to upload a 60-second video stating how they plan to use their degree to impact their community after they graduate from college. Furthermore, a bonus $500 will be awarded to the best video from both the high school ranks as well as the undergraduate ranks and if the video is related to PEP (post exposure prophylaxis) for HIV prevention, Charlie Griffin will give an additional $250 scholarship.
More information about First Coast Community Development and the services they provide are available on their website.
First Coast Community Development is located at 525 N. Newnan St. and can be reached by calling 904-379-8383. Their offices are open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Charlie serves meals to the homeless every Saturday from 12:30-2 p.m. in the First Coast Community Development parking lot.