TSIC Alum Stephen Helwig's Story



TSIC Alum Stephen Helwig

Take Stock in Children Director of Alumni Affairs, Kevin Bulger, recently had the opportunity to speak with TSIC alum Stephen Helwig. Stephen’s story is an excellent example of how TSIC continues to shape lives. Read the full interview below:

 

Take Stock: Can you tell us a little bit about your background? Where did you grow up? Where did you go to college and what did you study?

 

Stephen Helwig: I was born in Jamaica and moved to the United States when I was eight years old. Until 7th grade I lived in Boynton Beach, just south of West Palm. At the start of 7th grade my family moved to Palm Bay, FL and I attended Covenant Christian School. Eventually I switched to West Shore Junior/Senior High School in my sophomore year. I received the Take Stock in Children scholarship in the 11^th grade. At first I did not receive a mentor, but I was very fortunate to be matched with one during my senior year.

I attended Brevard Community College (BCC) and received my AA degree; afterwards I moved to Orlando and attended the University of Central Florida (UCF). In 2007 I got my bachelors degree in Management Information Systems (MIS) from UCF.

 

TS: What has been your career path after college? Can you tell us about your current job?

 

SH: After I moved to Orlando in 2006 to finish my college degree, I began looking for internships and entry level positions before I finished my college coursework. I was fortunate enough to have a friend who was interning at Siemens, which is an international electronics and electrical engineering firm with their Energy Division US headquarters in Orlando. He told me that Siemens was looking for student interns with MIS majors, and, with his help, I was able to secure an internship there, which later turned into a full time position.

In total, I worked at Siemens for 6 years and made my way up the ladder to become a Level 2 IT Architect. However, the farther I moved up the chain at Siemens the less they asked their employees to develop their technical skills, which was a skill set I still wanted to develop. I also wanted to transition from internal IT support, to working on a product that was a revenue stream for the company. This led me to accept my current position as IT Architect at Silverpop, which is based in Atlanta, GA. At Silverpop, I get the opportunity to further expand my technical skills building an email marketing solution using cutting edge cloud and web technologies.

 

TS: When did you first become involved in Take Stock in Children?

 

SH: My guidance counselor at West Shore actually brought it to my attention during an English class. At first I brushed it off and didn’t pay any attention to her. But she persisted, called my family, and eventually I was forced to sign up. A year later I found out that I received this scholarship.

 

TS: Who was your mentor? Can you talk about your relationship with your mentor?

 

SH: Dyer Matlock was my mentor. In the beginning, I wasn’t paired with a mentor, and, at first, I didn’t think I needed a mentor because I thought only the kids who got into trouble got mentors. I was never a kid who got into trouble. But, in my senior year, I was paired with Dyer who has become a lifelong friend and role model for me. In the beginning, we met once a week and after high school graduation we would work on cars together and do woodworking together. Over time he became like a family member to me and we still talk regularly over the phone. In fact, he and his wife are planning to make a visit to Atlanta to see me and my wife. We’re looking forward to their visit!

 

TS: Would you say Take Stock in Children impacted your life? How so?

 

SH: Take Stock in Children impacted my life in many different facets. First, Take Stock introduced me to Dyer, who as I mentioned, is someone who I will be friends with for the rest of our lives. Second, the scholarship got me on track to obtain a degree and not get burdened by student debt. I only had to take out loans to pay for my living expenses while at UCF, which was very minimal. This investment also had a great impact on my family because with my college tuition paid for, it allowed my mother to help afford my brother’s college expenses. In the end we were both able to get jobs and improve our family’s future prospects.

Take Stock congratulates Stephen on all of his accomplishments, as he stands as a real role model for current TSIC students!

Scholar Spotlight: Laura Gomez

Laura Gomez, an honor student from George Jenkins High School, was selected in 10^th grade by the Polk Education Foundation’s Take Stock in Children scholarship mentoring program to receive a Ronald McDonald House Charities/Tampa Bay Florida Prepaid tuition scholarship valued at approximately $5500.

 

As a senior this year, Laura has continued to apply for scholarships and is now a national finalist for the Bill and Melinda Gates Scholarship and was recently selected by Florida Southern College as one of five George Jenkins Scholars who will receive a full scholarship for all unmet financial need, including room and board, when she starts in the fall. The scholarship also includes $2,000 per semester living stipend. Rounding out the package with her Bright Futures, State scholarships and PELL grants, Laura has set her sights on a Masters degree in Nursing.

 

Congratulations on all of your accomplishments, Laura. We are so proud of you!

Recuerdo Madrid – Greetings from Madrid!

A first generation college student, Take Stock in Children graduate and 2012 Leaders 4 Life (L4L) Fellow, Alfonso Mejia represents what the TSIC model is all about: when students are provided with support, motivation and accountability, they will excel personally and academically.

A 2012 graduate from Charles W. Flanagan High School in Broward County, Alfonso Mejia is the first person in his family to pursue a college degree.  President of his high school class for all four years, he graduated within the top 2% of his class.  He aims to continue his involvement with student government at the University of Florida, where he is currently studying Accounting and Finance and plans on going to law school to become a lawyer and work in the non-profit sector. 

In an attempt to make the most of his college experience, Alfonso is currently studying abroad at Antonio de Nebrija University in Madrid, Spain through UF’s School of Business.  Alfonso’s family is Colombian, so he is fluent in Spanish, but in an effort to perfect the language and gain an appreciation of the culture, he enrolled in the highest level Spanish course offered.  He explains, “Part of the reason I chose [to study abroad in] Spain was because I wanted to master my Spanish and have a solid foundation [of the language].  Second to English, the Spanish language plays a significant role in the business world and is almost essential [to know].”

Refining his Spanish is just one component to his experience abroad, as he will also have the opportunity to teach children once a week and volunteer to feed the homeless.  “Living abroad has taught me to value other cultures and ways of life.”  It is this altruistic and motivated spirit that sets Alfonso apart, making him a great example of what being a Leaders 4 Life Fellow is all about.

The Leaders 4 Life Fellowship was created in partnership with the Asofsky Family Foundation and recognizes TSIC students who have emerged as leaders.  Of L4L, Alfonso says:

Whenever I feel down, I remind myself how fortunate I truly am.  Being a L4L Fellow means to me a life-long commitment of gratitude and generosity.  The L4L Fellowship was created through genuine principles that must be reciprocated by the fellows.  For now, we must focus on our studies and finish strong, but when we are done with school we must remember where we came from and who gave us the opportunity to be what we will become in the upcoming years.  I plan on giving back to society in the same way that L4L does: giving a student the power of an education.

In the future, Alfonso plans on mentoring youth, starting his own scholarship fund similar to the Leaders 4 Life Fellowship, and one day hopes to be on the Take Stock in Children Board of Directors.  We are so proud of all of Alfonso’s accomplishments and wish him buena suerte – good luck – for the rest of his semester abroad in Spain!

Scholar Spotlight: Ha Tran's Travels to Ghana!

Photo from www.uniteforsight.org

Originally from Santa Rosa County, Ha Tran is a Take Stock in Children alumna and was named a Leaders 4 Life fellow in 2011.  In her second year at Duke University, Ha is majoring in neuroscience with a concentration in global health.  Her focus on global health has led her to become involved with the organization Unite for Sight, and will culminate in an eight week trip to Ghana, Africa this coming summer.

Ha writes, “I started looking into this program though my global health course here at Duke. Our yearlong case study focused on an NGO and I chose Unite for Sight.  Aside from the obvious benefits of this program, what I think is most significant is that UFS is quite literally breaking down the barrier for access to health care.”  Ha continues that she has taken a variety of global health courses throughout her time at Duke and finds UFS to be a role model for all other organizations to follow.  “In our class, we looked at everything from tax forms to end-of-the-year reports to analyze the effectiveness of this organization.  As with any program, there are things to be improved. I hope to help improve those aspects during my eight weeks in Ghana.”

Ha will specifically be working in an eye clinic to screen for eye disease, implementing education programs, and assisting in surgery for children and adults.  Traveling to rural villages, she will be providing eye care to those who do not have access to an eye doctor.  Ha’s family emigrated from Vietnam, where there is a saying “Cho ánh sáng,” meaning “the ability to give light.”  Through Ha’s commendable efforts, she will be providing vision, light and hope to the people of Ghana.  Aside from this trip, Ha has also personally collected over 825 glasses to donate and has completed over 30 hours of medical training for this trip, as well as an additional 60 hours of outside training through Unite For Sight and her global health courses at Duke University.  We are so proud of Ha’s efforts, and we encourage you to check out her web page here to learn more about this remarkable program.

If you have any questions about her trip, you can contact Ha at ha.tran@duke.edu or call her at (850) 686-6067.

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 7^th 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!