- The Education Foundation of Alachua County held its 2025 holiday luncheon at Eastside High School, highlighting student achievements and program successes.
- Take Stock in Children, a program celebrating 30 years in 2025, serves over 300 students with support for college readiness.
- Florida Credit Union donated $43,000 to the foundation for the 2025-26 school year, marking 39 years of partnership and over $420,000 invested.
The Education Foundation of Alachua County (EFAC) held its annual holiday luncheon in December 2025, offering team members, Board of Directors and community partners a chance to reflect and celebrate the achievements of the past year.
The event took place at Eastside High School’s Hungry Ram Cafe and featured a meal prepared and served by students in Eastside’s Institute of Culinary Arts, testimonies and stories on the foundation’s programs, comments from educational leaders, recognition of award winners and more.
Interim Superintendent Kamela Patton and Eastside Principal Leroy Williams were among the speakers who gave remarks during the program. Attendees also had the opportunity to hear from two Eastside students – Romonie Mack and A’Kayshia Ingraham – who shared their journeys within the school’s medical skills program.
By way of the program and support of partners like HCA Healthcare and HCA Florida North Florida Hospital, students like Mack and Ingraham are gaining hands-on experience in the medical field and will be able to graduate with professional certifications, giving them the confidence and knowledge for whatever step they may take after high school.
Also speaking at the luncheon was Samson Shulman, a Take Stock in Children (TSIC) student, and his mentors, Nelson Logan and George Arola, both of whom are residents of Oak Hammock in Gainesville. The three shared testimonies about their personal mentor and mentee relationship and the path to higher education.
TSIC, which is administered by the Education Foundation, “breaks the cycle of poverty by identifying high-achieving, low-income public school students who show the potential to go to college and providing them with holistic support,” according to the EFAC’s website.
In the fall of 2025, the Education Foundation celebrated 30 years of Take Stock in Children, which currently serves more than 300 students, according to the EFAC.
In addition to speakers, the luncheon was also a time to honor the 2025 Impact Award winners. According to the Education Foundation, the award recognizes people and organizations “that have made a tremendous difference through their work with the” EFAC.
The 2025 winners were.
- LaTorria Mosley Johnson (Alumni of the Year)
- Cox Communications
- The Consortium of Florida Education Foundations
Also, during the luncheon, representatives from Florida Credit Union presented the Education Foundation with a $43,000 check dedicated to the 2025-26 school year.
According to the EFAC, Florida Credit Union “has been a steadfast champion for the Education Foundation of Alachua County” for 39 years, investing more than $420,000 to empower local schools.
“We are profoundly grateful to April [Schroeder, senior vice president of marketing], Barbara [Bush, assistant vice president of marketing], and the team at Florida Credit Union for being such champion partners and for always going above and beyond to support Alachua County Public School teachers and students,” the EFAC said in its December 2025 Impact Report.
Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.
