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Barbara Bush Foundation For Family Literacy Honors Teen Mentors

by Sharon Aron Baron June 10, 2015

by Sharon Aron Baron June 10, 2015 26 views

Pictured left to right: School Board Member Heather Brinkworth; Kabir Ibrahim, West Broward High School; Sarah Callahan, Cooper City High School; Maya Prempin, Pompano Beach High School; Felicita Devlin, Cooper City High; and Student Activities Liaison Michael Roland.

By: Chris Brunner

The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy recently honored Broward County Public Schools student mentors with Teen Trendsetters Excellence Awards for their leadership and service and three of the 15 students were from local schools in our area.

Throughout the school year, student mentors in the Foundation’s program assisted first through third grade students with weekly reading tutoring sessions.

“On average, participating first grade students started the school year seven months behind their peers in reading, but more than half ended the year on grade level,” shared Liza McFadden, president and CEO of the Foundation. “We couldn’t be prouder of these teen leaders, who are positive role models to our next generation of learners.”

Congratulations to the following Teen Trendsetters Excellence Awards honorees:

Nicole Bonczek, Stoneman Douglas High School
Sarah Callahan, Cooper City High School
Rose Katherine Calnan, Westglades Middle School
Ruth Colmenares, Atlantic Technical High School
Felicita Devlin, Cooper City High School
Bridget Guzman, West Broward High School
Kabir Ibrahim, West Broward High School
Gabriel Mason, Blanche Ely High School
Lindsay Massa, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
Jenna Kopec, McFatter Technical High School
Maya Prempin, Pompano Beach High School
Lyndaziah Roberts, Deerfield Beach High School
Emmily Sarmiento, Flanagan High School
Allegra Warley-Moore, Northeast High School
Sarah Williams-Ravello, Stranahan High School

Atlantic Technical High School student Ruth Colmenares, one of the awardees, serves as an excellent example leadership. Her commitment and leadership for the Teen Trendsetters program is evidenced by perfect attendance despite her academic workload and many miles of travel to and from school.

“Ruth never loses her patience. She communicates deep respect for everyone she meets, and her friendly smile and positive nature make her a favorite with the youngsters and her peers. With dedication and integrity unequaled, Ruth is definitely her team’s leader,” said her program advisor, Donna Cardwell.

The Barbara Bush Foundation is the nation’s leading advocate for family literacy. Since the inception of the program in Florida in 2002, more than 40,000 teens and elementary schools have benefited.

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Sharon Aron Baron

Editor of Talk Media and writer for Coral Springs Talk. CST was created in 2012 to provide News, Views, and Entertainment for the residents of Coral Springs and the rest of South Florida.