Guided by Mentors, Driven by Determination: Shandrea’s College Journey

Sometimes people ask, what difference can one person really make in this world? As Shandrea begins her first year at college, she is eager to answer this question, because she knows firsthand, one person can change an entire direction in your life. And in her case, it was a fortuitous introduction to Lordana Guillaume, a student success coach at the Education Foundation of Sarasota County. 

Life didn’t start out to be so challenging, but as circumstances shifted, Shandrea’s mother worked hard to care for her family on her own. Soon she was juggling three jobs and three kids as she tried to stay afloat. She sought and received help from her community, but still, it was too much. 

By high school, Shandrea had to find her own way. As a sophomore, she gave up her sport on the basketball team for a paying job so she could contribute to the family. She saw how hard her mom was working and she knew her mom was doing the best she could, but Shandrea wanted something more for her own life.  

When a friend invited her to attend an SAT prep workshop hosted by the Sarasota Housing Authority, shy by nature, she was hesitant to go—even though there was free pizza. Still, she made the decision to join her friend. There she met Miss Michelle, the director of resident services.  

Shandrea remembered seeing Michelle years earlier when her mom joined a family self-sufficiency program at the housing authority. But meeting her as a teenager was different. For the first time, Shandrea glimpsed what her own future might look like.  

When Shandrea expressed an interest in going to college, Michelle introduced her to Lordana, which would set Shandrea on a new path. Lordana has been described as being able to build rapport with students who, through no fault of their own, like Shandrea, are often slow to trust others. Michelle captured Lordana’s magic when she said, “Lordana helped with FAFSA, but even more, Lordana helped build confidence. She broke through those barriers immediately.” 

Shandrea and Lordana

Throughout her senior year, Shandrea met with Lordana several times each month. Together they filled out the FAFSA, drafted essays, searched for scholarships, and practiced for interviews.

Through Education Foundation’s Future-Ready Scholars Program, Shandrea took a bus tour with her peers to visit Florida Gulf Coast University. This summer, Shandrea attended FIU’s stop-out program, encouraged by Lordana to do so, even though the registration deadline had passed. As an FIU alum with solid contacts at the university, Lordana was able to help get Shandrea into the program.  

Shandrea was exposed to possibilities that she was unaware of. Simply having access to caring people, exciting places, and valuable resources opened doors for Shandrea, and for the first time in her life, she believed enough in herself to walk through them.  

“So many organizations have been there to lift her up, and she took the initiative to accept the support,”if  Lordana said. “She ended up being accepted into the two programs that we led—FIU and FGCU. Because of those tours of both campuses, Shandrea could envision herself at either school.”  

Shandrea is the first in her family to graduate from high school. Today, with the help of many deserving scholarships, including an Education Foundation Future-Ready scholarship, Shandrea is at FIU excited to start her freshman year where she will study health sciences.  

“Miss Michelle and Miss Lordana encouraged me to do more,” Shandrea said. “I couldn’t see how great I was from the outside looking in. They helped me see it. They took the time to check in, be proactive, and made me feel more secure that I could do whatever I put my mind to.” 

Shandrea is willing and determined to take 1,000 tiny steps to find out what else is out there. We can’t wait to follow the footsteps of this remarkable, resilient young woman. 

Can one person make a difference? Absolutely. But as a community, as partners, with sponsors and donors, together we will continue to impact many more lives, one student at a time.