Thomas Williams | PLANit Sarasota Director
The Class of 2020 STRIVE Awards honorees’ personal stories of grit and courage describe how they defied potential setbacks and unexpected life experiences to keep reaching toward their goals. They refused to let obstacles derail their plans, realizing that their futures couldn’t wait.
These students model the reason for our work in PLANit Sarasota, where I have the privilege of serving as director. A cross-sector group of educators, youth services organizations and funders, PLANit Sarasota is convened by the Education Foundation of Sarasota County and focused on increasing the rate of students, particularly among those historically underrepresented in higher education, who pursue an education beyond high school.
Yet, for every student who succeeds, others lack the support, encouragement and motivation to persist, or they can’t see past temporary challenges to realize longer-term rewards. Sarasota County Schools has a graduation rate of nearly 89%; the college-going (postsecondary) rate is 70%, which is below the state average. Keep reading.