Before, I was just a boy with a dream. Now, I am a man with
a plan. My dream in life was to build a snowboarding shop in Alaska to let all
of my friends snowboard for free. Now I am a well-educated University of Florida
graduate pursuing a career in biomedical engineering. It was my mentor, Sheldon
Friedman, who helped make my way of thinking – my way of living – more
realistic. Over our eleven year adventure through life together, it has been
such a unique journey for the both of us. I have matured well beyond my years
because of his guidance and wisdom, and still for some reason he claims to have
gained just as much from me as I have from him. As Shelson always says, “It’s not WHAT you know – it’s WHO you know.”
My parents divorced when I was six and I stayed with my
mother – a wonderful and loving woman. She always made sure that the bills were
paid and that my two younger brothers and I were well fed. At the age of eleven, I was enrolled in
Take Stock in Children and assigned a mentor Sheldon. When Sheldon’s wife read
the letter that Sheldon would be mentoring Jake Rosenzweig, her heart dropped a
few feet – her maiden name was also Rosenzweig (spelled exactly the same way
too!). We were off to a good start! I would meet Sheldon once a week at school,
where he brought me lunch. Oh, how I savored those Subway subs and chocolate
milk! It was during these meetings that he would ask about my life. It is with my infinite gratitude
that he has shared his experiences with me as well. What I liked most about our
meetings is that he never tried to make me into something I didn’t want to be.
He knew I wanted to be a scientist. As he always says, “Youth mustn’t be
molded, but unfolded.”
Sheldon has given me a significant portion of the momentum
needed to achieve my academic goals. I dual enrolled at Florida State College
at Jacksonville while attending my senior year of high school and earned my
Associate’s soon thereafter. I transferred to the University of Florida and
graduated cum laude with my B.S. in chemistry, with minors in education and
classical studies
A few months after I graduated my mother became very sick
with brain cancer. She passed away earlier this year and in the slowest and
most deteriorating way imaginable. Sheldon and his wife visited me and my
mother in hospice during the roughest of times, but they made all the
difference. My mentor gave me the confidence I needed to tie up all unfinished
legal business: guardianship of my brother who has cerebral palsy, refinancing
the mortgage, managing hospital bills, child support, SSI, utility bills, etc.
Despite the recent changes in life, Sheldon helped me cope with my situation.
He made me realize that not just anyone has the strength or optimism to carry
on, but I made him realize that he has instilled those qualities in me. As he
always says, “If not you, then who? If not now, then when?”
Jake Rosenzweig agreed to meet the requirements for
a Take Stock in Children Scholarship in 6th
grade, graduated from Duncan U. Fletcher High
School and graduated from Florida State College at Jacksonville with an Associate’s
Degree and from the University of Florida with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry.
He works as a full-time tutor in math and chemistry and is planning to return
to earn an advanced degree in research and neurobiology
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