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A Mother's Dream
November 2015 Newsletter
 Dear Dear Community Partner,
The Ed Fund collaborates with community based organizations. local government agencies, city recreation departments, West Contra Costa Unified School District and Contra Costa College to provide resources and support to aid students and their families with college access, readiness and completion. Lavonne is a proud parent of one of our scholars and her story reminds us of why our work is so important:
As a single parent raising two African American males in Richmond, I feared for the future of my son LaVontae. As a single mother I knew if I didn’t stay focused, my dream and LaVontae’s dream of attending college would never become a reality.
So I made sure that the violence of the streets and the environment that LaVontae was in did not deter him from excelling in school. When he was in elementary school, I dropped him off and picked him up from school every day, even though his school was right around the corner from our home. I believed that if he had supervision before and after school, it wouldn’t be so easy for him to get in trouble. I joined the school site council which provided me with the opportunity to be involved in LaVontae’s education process.
In junior high, LaVontae wanted to play a sport so I signed up to be the team mom. Once again, there was little time for him to venture off and get off track. This plan worked, as he was still on the honor roll and able to play sports and in my own way, I was still able to monitor him.
By the time LaVontae reached high school, his grades were excellent and his before and after school time was pretty much accounted for. The friends that he had were pretty much still his early childhood friends that I had given him permission to hang out with. We were fortunate that the partners in the Ed Fund's College Access Network helped mentor LaVontae through the preparation process for college. They directed him to the correct AP courses to take, sent staff out to Kennedy High to assist him with his homework, prepared him for college assessment exams, and offered scholarships. My dream of LaVontae going to college was becoming a reality.
I am proud to say my son graduated from Kennedy High school in 2013 being the only African American male to graduate with top honors. He now attends Sacramento State University where he has continued to make the Dean’s list for the past two years. He is majoring in Kinesiology and has a part time job tutoring children at the YMCA in Sacramento.
Each one teach One. Thank you Ed Fund! You took the time out to tutor my child and he is now taking the time out to tutor another child. With the help of the Ed Fund, both of our dreams are now a reality.
We hope that you found Lavonne's story to be as inspiring as we did. We know not every parent can take the time Lavonne was able to do with LaVontae. That is why the work of the Ed Fund and our partner organizations is so important to ensuring that every child has a caring adult actively involved in their life. Lavonne will be one of the parent's featured in our video that we will be showcasing at our inaugural Making the Change that Matters annual breakfast. We hope that you will join us at this special event to hear other stories on the impact of our work.
Sincerely,
Joel Mackey
Executive Director
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 Brag about that great teacher in your life in West Contra Costa County by nominating them for the Teaching Excellence Awards for 2015-2016. Click here for the nomination form due Friday, December 18, 2015.
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Local College Scholarships
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In addition to the Scholarship Program that the Ed Fund manages, we are pleased to promote other local scholarships.
Making Waves' College & alumni Program (CAP) Bay Area
Utilizing Making Waves 25-year history of excellence in supporting college success, the organization is widening its support to encompass students from the larger Bay Area. Through a rigorous application process, 100 low-income Bay Area students will be selected to receive 1:1 coaching and up to $5,000 annually (based on need) to complete a 4-year college degree. Apply by December 1.
William F. King Scholarship - Chevron Richmond Black History Awareness Scholarship
This scholarship honors Dr. William F. King, a distinguished Chevron employee of more than 27 years who was a pioneer of the Richmond Technology Center and who worked tirelessly on behalf of Richmond youth. Chevron is proud to honor King’s memory with an award recognizing local students who have demonstrated scholastic achievement, community involvement and leadership skills. To be considered, applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 and plan to attend a 2 or 4 year college or university in the next academic school year. Apply by December 7.
For more information on other local scholarships, visit our website.
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The Perfect Gift for Any Holiday or Occasion
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Don't know what gift to get that special person for the holidays or special occasion? Give the gift of education. Your tax-deductible donation to the Ed Fund in their honor is a meaningful gift to give a loved one. Your recipient will receive a notification of your gift. Ideal as a last-minute gift.
Send a gift from the heart
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