A Beacon of Service: A Scholar’s Journey to Healthcare Leadership

Article by Nicole Scheidel, 2024 Scheidel Foundation College Success Fellow

The Herbert W. Scheidel Leadership in Action Award, a prestigious scholarship at Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ), annually recognizes a student who embodies Mr. Scheidel’s passion for community engagement. Each year, the award recognizes one student and two finalists who demonstrate exceptional leadership through immersing themselves in their communities and volunteering to expand opportunities to the underserved. In 2024, Francine Calayag received this award for embodying these qualities and attributes. 

Francine’s Commitment to the Healthcare Community

Francine (pictured second from left, accepting the Leadership in Action Award) exemplified the service attribute of the award by fully immersing herself in giving back to the community through her dedication to her volunteer work. Since March 2023, Francine has volunteered over 150 hours at the Mayo Clinic, demonstrating remarkable discipline while juggling a full-time college schedule, maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA, and working two part-time jobs. For Francine, volunteering is not simply an obligation. Instead, it is a fulfilling endeavor that brings her joy and allows her to make a tangible impact, even though it may seem trivial. “You may not see it, but you really do make a great impact on those people, and they will really appreciate it,” she said. 

Francine’s fascination with healthcare started when she first learned to read, and has since blossomed into a career aspiration. Currently pursuing pre-nursing studies at FSCJ, Francine’s extensive volunteer experience has solidified her desire to become a Nurse Educator. This goal stems from her firsthand observation of healthcare professionals’ burnout through her studies and volunteering experience. Ultimately, through Francine’s dedication to volunteering and contributing to the healthcare field, she was able to find a deeper sense of purpose giving back to the community while solidifying her passion for the healthcare industry as well.

How Service has Shaped and Cultivated Francine

Beyond Francine’s direct contribution to her community, her volunteering experience also greatly contributed to shaping her character and skill set. “When it comes to healthcare, I learned that patience is the key to living a peaceful life. Being patient and more understanding allows me to focus on my work. Communication is also key to expressing and achieving my goals,” Francine said. She credits her experiences for these skills which she deems essential for a successful career in healthcare. “Always remaining curious and asking questions allows me to grow and develop leadership skills.” These skills have added significantly to her growth as a student and for her future as a Nurse Educator.

On top of these practical skills for her career, she also learned and grew stronger mentally through her experience volunteering. Francine expresses that even though volunteering is an unpaid experience, “it’s very rewarding for one’s emotional, social, and mental health. Nothing can go wrong with volunteering.”

Francine emphasizes the emotional and mental rewards of volunteering, noting how it has led her to develop a meditation practice to maintain balance amidst her busy schedule. Her Christian faith, she says, has been a driving force, motivating her to create a life of purpose and positive representation. Her dedication to improving healthcare from within, coupled with her unwavering commitment to service, marks her as a rising leader in her field and a worthy recipient of the Scheidel Award.

Receiving The Leadership In Action Award

The Leadership in Action Award has provided Francine with more than just recognition and has become a powerful motivator in her personal and professional journey. “This award has impacted me to become more committed to the craft I am doing,” Francine reflects. “Previously, whenever I felt unmotivated, I thought about my Christian faith and making a great story of my life. After winning the scholarship, I have something tangible to look back to — It truly represents a great milestone for the life I created and want to create. “

Recipients are granted the opportunity to make a charitable donation, allowing them to further their community impact. Francine has chosen Pace Center for Girls in Jacksonville as the beneficiary, whose mission is to empower young women through “education, counseling, training, and advocacy.” Francine expresses great appreciation for the support system she had while pursuing her college studies and finding her passion, and wants to provide as much help as she can to pay this forward for those who do not have the same. 

As Francine expresses: “One of my mantras in life is to represent myself as someone my younger self would be proud of. I hope that my younger self is and continues to be proud of me for what I have achieved”. Wherever Francine is in her life or career, she hopes to always continue to give back to her community as best as she can. 

by Natalie Scheidel, 2024 Scheidel Foundation College Success Fellow

The promise of a college degree carries with it the hope of increased earning potential, expanded career opportunities, and improved quality of life. However, recent studies suggest that merely providing a means for a student to attend college is not enough to ensure successful outcomes. True opportunity and success can only be achieved when students are provided with comprehensive resources and support systems that address the multifaceted challenges they face.

Research highlights that low-income and first-generation students—those whose parents have not completed a bachelor’s degree—face a myriad of challenges throughout their educational journeys. These barriers are deeply intertwined with social stratification, perpetuating generational inequality. The result is an entrenched academic achievement gap in the US.

The journey of first-generation and low-income students is often fraught with obstacles that extend far beyond the financial realm. These challenges are deeply rooted in social structures and perpetuated through generations, making it hard for students to break the cycle of inequality without significant support.

Holistic Support for College Success

The Scheidel Foundation provides grants to organizations that emphasize comprehensive approaches to supporting first-generation and low-income college students. These models go beyond traditional scholarship programs by addressing multiple facets of student success, recognizing that financial assistance alone is insufficient to ensure long-term socioeconomic mobility.

The Foundation’s College Success grants focus on ensuring that individuals receive the assistance needed to attain a post-secondary credential. These grants help launch, enhance, or scale efforts that aid students in completing a certificate, or a two or four-year degree from an accredited college or university, and successfully begin a career journey.  

These initiatives often include elements such as:

  • Mentorship and Coaching
  • Long-term Support 
  • Community Engagement & Referrals
  • Non-Scholarship Financial Support (microgrants, emergency funds, etc)

 The following 2024 College Success grantees demonstrate a range of holistic, effective approaches:

In addition, the Scheidel Scholar program at Florida State College in Jacksonville (FSCJ) utilizes a dedicated staff person to advise scholars on available academic and community services, guide them through the college system, provide them with a sense of community, and help them develop skills for persistence.

While the problem of the achievement gap goes far beyond any one program’s ability to solve, the importance of these comprehensive, holistic strategies becomes increasingly clear: in order to create greater ability for first-generation, low-income students to attain a college credential, we must provide a greater breadth of support.

Cited: FirstGen Forward, Consider This Data; The Pell Institute, 2024, Indicators of Higher Education Equity in the United States 2024: 50-Year Historical Trend Report

Part 2 of 2 articles about Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education

by Aaron Merlos, 2023 Scheidel Foundation College Success Fellow

In the last article, The New Horizon of AI in Higher Ed, we spoke about the pros and cons of using artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education. In this article, we’ll discuss how two of the Scheidel Foundation’s grantees have recognized the utility of AI in higher education and have incorporated this resource into their frameworks. Both have established AI-powered, behavioral science-driven chatbots that students access as an app on their phones.

Florida’s Take Stock in Children‘s chatbot is named Sunny, the AI chatbot (“Sunny”). Because TSIC’s students attend college across the state, the chat box is made to contain data on Florida’s 40 public colleges and universities. The data on these colleges and universities include orientation deadlines, financial aid office links, drop-add dates, bill payment deadlines, mental health and counseling links, career services, and other information vital to student persistence and success in their postsecondary studies. All of this information is at the students’ fingertips in one place in real-time whenever a student has a question. Sunny also contains institution-specific “nudges” and sends quick polls to determine if students meet deadlines and milestones.  This allows TSIC’s College Completion Coaches to track, and coach students with any further assistance or information they might need to continue their postsecondary studies. Sunny also houses the questions TSIC students ask, enabling TSIC to create more personalized support for their students year-round. 

Student on subway car, gazing at mobile phone screen.

College Success Foundation – District of Columbia (CSF-DC) is another of our grantees implementing an AI chatbox for their students. The chatbot, named “Chippy” can communicate in over 100 languages with their students and parents 24 hours daily with the use of proactive and reactive communications. Chippy uses an Intelligent Conversational Platform to provide targeted academic resources for their students. The chatbot is programmed to identify academic resources with a specific focus that supports key performance metrics for increased academic achievement. In addition to providing resources for academic success, Chippy reminds students of regular meetings with their CSF-DC Advisor and sends nudges and check-ins on milestones within “Seven Life Domains” (like Finances & Employment, Housing, and Physical & Mental Health). Chippy provides CSF-DC parents and staff with data-driven feedback to keep children on pace for college achievement. As CSF-DC is a community-based organization with students attending colleges across the U.S., the AI chatbox greatly assists with its reach and efficacy as an organization. Chippy works with CSF-DC and students in all aspects needed to succeed and keep them on track for college success. 

With the development of these two AI chatbots, Take Stock in Children and the College Success Foundation use artificial intelligence to help their students in a more tailored and impactful way. Take Stock in Children has served communities across Florida for over 28 years and helps 15,000 students annually in their higher education journey. The College Success Foundation has worked in the District of Colombia for 17 years and serves nearly 1,200 students annually. Both of these incredible organizations have created lasting impacts across their communities and with their innovation of AI chatbots, the future continues to be bright for their students.

Part 1 of 2: Artificial Intelligence in Higher Ed

Article by Aaron Merlos, 2023 Scheidel Foundation College Success Fellow

Nearly 77% of all devices today use some form of artificial intelligence technology. The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) has been nothing less than incredible. Its very concept has been popularized to the point of being used across nearly every industry and profession, and it is increasingly touching our personal lives. Despite its popularity amongst many professionals and students, many in higher education have reservations about the use of AI, believing it could compromise or further exacerbate certain conditions:

  • Data privacy, algorithmic fairness, and already-existing biases and educational disparities.
  • Educational standards, critical thinking, and innovation.
  • The authenticity and originality of students’ work.
  • Interpersonal interaction between students and professors.
  • Confidentiality and privacy of student information.
  • Development of crucial components of education, such as social skills, curiosity, relationship development, and knowledge transmission.

Despite this, many also recognize that AI holds promise in the education sector for both students and educators. Some of the potential benefits of AI in education include: 

Personalized Learning

AI technology may examine a student’s learning history, performance, and preferences and offer diverse learning styles based on the student’s profile. For instance, AI can provide additional materials or activities to boost a student’s weak areas if they excel in mathematics but struggle with literature. To provide a more successful learning experience, AI may modify information delivery techniques, such as visual aids or audible resources, based on how a student learns best.

24/7 Support

AI chatbots and virtual assistants are able to offer rapid assistance to students around the clock. AI can provide prompt solutions and advice for any query a student may have, whether it relates to their homework, due dates, or just general counsel. This ongoing assistance can help students get the aid they need when they need it, including during late-night study sessions.

Enhanced Engagement

AI can make learning more interactive and interesting. The addition of gamification elements, for instance, has the potential to engage learners by turning tasks into challenges or competitions. Students can better absorb complex scientific ideas or historical events with the aid of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).

Early Intervention

Indicators of struggling or disinterested pupils can be more readily identified with the aid of AI, enabling teachers to offer prompt assistance and interventions to stop academic problems from getting worse.

Customized Curriculum

With the assistance of AI, teachers can improve their lesson plans and teaching methods. AI, for instance, might advise curriculum changes based on data analysis to better address the requirements of a certain student group. Due to its flexibility, the curriculum may be changed to meet changing educational requirements and trends while remaining successful.

Data-Driven Insights

Large amounts of data produced by students’ interactions with educational platforms may be analyzed by AI. To find trends and patterns in students’ learning, AI can examine this data. Teachers may learn which teaching strategies work best, which subject areas pupils find difficult, and where the curriculum can be improved.

Content Creation

AI systems can assist teachers in more effectively creating and curating educational information, such as quizzes, homework assignments, and lecture materials. AI can also help in the development of accessible educational resources for students with impairments, guaranteeing that all students can participate in education.

Regardless of the pros and cons being debated, students and institutions are finding new ways for AI to be used in their journey through higher education. Continued research will be needed to evaluate the ramifications of the increasing integration of AI into the higher ed experience.

Article by Aaron Merlos, 2023 Scheidel Foundation College Success Fellow

According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, only 49% of part-time college students who enrolled in shorter-term degree programs in Fall 2020 are persisting in their education, meaning more than half have “stopped out.” But the Scholars at New Futures in Washington, DC, are defying national trends. 95% of their 2022 Scholars continue to persist in their education, meaning only 4% stopped out—well below national rates. As of February 2023, 86% of Scholars selected in the last five years are persisting in or have completed their postsecondary programs. The Scheidel Foundation has provided grants to support their work for multiple years, finding that the organization fills an important niche: New Futures focuses on creating educational opportunities for rewarding careers by partnering with young people as they transform their lives through short-term postsecondary credentials. The Scholars have earned a total of 434 degrees since the organization’s founding in 1999. 

A New Futures graduate celebrates.
A New Futures Scholar celebrates graduation.

Support for Those Who are Traditionally Excluded

At the heart of New Futures’ mission lies a commitment to providing educational opportunities to those who might otherwise be excluded. Founded in 1999, the organization will serve nearly 270 Scholars in 2023, ranging from 17-29 years old. All the students New Futures serves are from households earning less than 80% of the median family income and nearly 90% of these students are the first of their families to attend postsecondary programs. Each of them faces systematic barriers that limit their access to higher education as well as the workforce, such as difficulties navigating postsecondary institutions, immigration challenges, insecure housing, conflicting parental obligations, or financial instability.

Despite these barriers, New Futures has helped its Scholars achieve the high 5-year average persistence and graduation rate of 86% by offering a range of support. The organization provides its students with scholarships, a community cohort approach, individualized holistic coaching, and other services to assist its students in pursuing higher education and early career opportunities.

Connecting Education to Workforce Development and Economic Mobility

New Futures sets itself apart by investing in young people with a deliberate combination of flexible scholarships, academic advising, career coaching, and a lot of heart to help its Scholars launch in-demand careers that will lead to financial security. All Scholars receive access to a career-readiness curriculum to bridge the gap between education and professional opportunities. The organization continually adapts to the needs of its students and has recently added workshops on financial literacy, mock interviews, resume writing, mock networking support, job search strategies, and much more.

New Futures provides Scholars the opportunity to boost their employability and provides a more seamless entry into the workforce by connecting them with real-world experiences that prepare them to launch in-demand careers. This focused strategy has been paying off: at least 85% of their 2022 graduates went on to obtain jobs or enroll in further education. Graduates of New Futures become qualified professionals in high-growth fields such as business, information technology, and health sciences.

Broader Community Impact

The organization’s emphasis on mentorship and leadership development fosters a culture of giving back. Graduates of New Futures often become peer mentors and role models for the next generation of Scholars, creating a positive cycle of support and inspiration within the community. This ripple effect leads to stronger social cohesion, increased civic engagement, and a more empowered citizenry. By breaking down barriers, creating opportunities, and fostering social change, New Futures is creating a brighter future for systemically excluded communities and contributing to a more equitable society.