SOUTH BAY — Only three 2020 high school graduates from the Glades area of Palm Beach County, plus Glades and Hendry counties, competed this year for KTM (Kings Tutoring and Mentoring) Foundation Inc.’s annual college trunk giveaway.
SOUTH BAY — Patriana Vickers, valedictorian from Glades Central High School’s Class of 2020, is shown with the gifts that she’s taking with her to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville.
Barbara King, head of the foundation, said Friday (Aug. 28) that she and foundation helpers just finished KTM’s fifth annual essay contest, which she’s sure attracted only a handful of applicants/contestants because of the ongoing novel coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is my fifth year doing this, and due to the coronavirus … usually I will have a student from each town — Belle Glade, South Bay, Pahokee, Clewiston and Moore Haven — but this particular year I only had three that responded, and two of them actually received the trunks,” said King.
She switched up the rules a little this time around to match the strange context of the events that have occurred in this very unusual year of 2020, which have affected every family with children, especially those planning to go outside the area for their four- or more year college or university education.
SOUTH BAY — These are among the “First Time College Student Trunk & Dorm Room Essentials” assembled for PHS grad Antensia Woods.
When they first announced this year’s contest earlier this summer, King wrote on her social media pages: “We are doing the giveaway differently this year … we will select a few first time college students in the Glades communities and neighboring cities … who are leaving for college. Students must submit a short description of how COVID-19 has affected their family and why he/she should be selected for the giveaway for the college trunk.”
SOUTH BAY — Pahokee High School Class of 2020 graduate Antensia Woods, shown with her trunk items, is starting her fresman year at Webster University in St. Louis.
Their essays
This the essay submitted by Patriana Vickers, the GCHS valedictorian of the Class of 2020, who is attending the University of Florida:
“Things are even harder now. Before the pandemic, my family and I were struggling with my mom raising us as a single mother. Now that COVID-19 has happened, finances have been cut even shorter with this pandemic impacting her job. We have to cut back on meals some days to make sure there is enough for days ahead.
“There’s not much happiness within the home now. I should be selected for the giveaway because you would be investing in a person that will definitely give back to the community in the future. I really could use the help. It would be such a blessing and an honor to receive anything from your organization.”
This is the essay submitted by Antensia Woods, a Pahokee High School 2020 grad, who is attending Webster University in St. Louis:
“My name is Antensia Woods, and COVID-19 has affected my family a lot. I’m 18 and I live with my mom and my younger siblings. COVID-19 has made my family daily life routine more careful; we are staying inside more, wearing masks everywhere we go and being more careful around others. My mom had us taking all types of medicine trying to make sure were safe as well as herself.
“My mom works in a prison, and I pray every night that she’s safe because of COVID and makes it home. God has carried us through COVID and he will continue to, and I thank God we’ve all been safe.
“I should be selected for the trunk giveaway because this is the first for me and my mom, she’s all I have, and I’m her first college student — it’s an experience for the both of us. I’ll be forever grateful for all the things you guys have, and it’s all new for me and mom so we’re not really sure what to expect or to get. Thank you for the chance.”