Monday, November 5, 2012

Scholar Spotlight - Tia Brock!


Originally from Green Cove Springs, Florida, Tatila Brock graduated from Clay High School in 2010, upon which she then enrolled at the University of Florida with a major in Journalism and minor in Non-Profit Organizational Leadership.  Tia loves to write and blog, and even has her own blog dedicated to promoting the importance of mentorship and scholarship called Inspiring Mentoring Succeeding, of which she writes, “The blog is geared toward all teenagers, especially girls.  It’s a guide on how to get to college, and advice on what to do when you get there.”  Check it out here!
 
Tia credits Take Stock in Children as one of the reasons she was able to attend the University of Florida.  She became a TSIC student in 7th grade, Tia writes:

[Take Stock in Children] had a huge impact on my life and changed it for the better in several ways.  It is the reason I’m at the University of Florida, and the reason I’m so determined to succeed in life.  It’s also the reason I want to create a blog geared towards mentoring.  It’s changed my life…It truly gave hope to my life and taught me how to conduct myself as a student and professional so I could be seen in a positive light to others.

As a testament to her commitment to TSIC, Tia’s post-graduate plans not only include working for a magazine company, but she would also like to be a student advocate for Take Stock in Children as well as a mentor of the program.  Tia credits much of her success to her own mentor, Mrs. Janice Tucker, the vice principal of her middle school and the school’s director for TSIC.  Of Mrs. Tucker, Tia writes:

I never met anyone who cared about students getting a good education more than her. Anything school related she backed me 100%. She encouraged me to make good grades, challenge myself, and work hard so I could have a better tomorrow. She took me places my disabled aunt couldn’t; she was able to do this because she became my big through Big Brothers, Big Sisters.  She took me to architecture firms because at the time that’s what I wanted to be…went to different TSIC events together, such as football games, career workshops, and volunteer opportunities.

Even when she didn’t believe in herself, it was Mrs. Tucker’s steadfast encouragement that helped Tia during her college application process.  “When senior year rolled around it was crunch time. [Mrs. Tucker] and I worked on scholarships daily that we learned about through the guidance office at school and TSIC.”  Tia continues:

We went to the University of Florida’s career day and explored different college options over the Internet. Even though [Mrs. Tucker] encouraged me to look at a university. I doubted I could get in so I decided I wouldn’t apply…and I didn’t have the money to pay for the applications fees. Right then [Mrs. Tucker] whipped out her checkbook and wrote me two tickets to places that could offer me opportunities I had never dreamed of. I submitted the applications that week and waited for the results to come in. In February, they arrived that I didn’t get into one, but I did get into the other. I was now a part of the Gator Nation because my mentor believed in me even though I didn’t believe in myself.

The story of Tia’s relationship with her mentor reveals what Take Stock in Children is all about: by equipping deserving students with a support system and scholarships, opportunities become endless.  Tia is a true scholar and inspiration to us all at Take Stock in Children for her perseverance, dedication, and altruism. 
These qualities are further exemplified in her commitment to involvement on campus.  She is the Historian for the Gator Chapter of the National Association of Black Journalist, a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, the former Historian for the Jamaican-American Student Association at University of Florida, and most inspiring, Tia is the current President and one of the founders of the Take Stock in Children Alumni Alliance club at University of Florida.  She writes:

Being the leader of the TSIC [Alumni Alliance club] is an honor and I would say it has empowered me because the executive board and myself are working hard to make the organization successful. It is allowing us to take things we learned as leaders of other organizations and implement them into what TSIC is all about.  When the opportunity presented itself I was all for it because of our mission: to implement the goals and objectives of TSIC by breaking the cycle of poverty, raising awareness, and providing opportunities to reinvest in our communities and out TSIC family.
At a Take Stock in Children contract signing event Tia talks about her life and her experience with Take Stock in Children, which you can view a recording of here. “Being a leader [of the TSIC Alumni Alliance club] has empowered me to make this organization successful because I believe it is, and will be, a great resource for TSIC scholars or anyone one who wants to see the next generation of college students prosper.  Take Stock in Children salutes Tia for all that she has accomplished, and we look forward to all that the future holds for her!

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