ORLANDO, Fla. – More than two dozen high school students got to learn firsthand Saturday morning from career experts, including more about the STEM field.
The event was free, thanks to donors and sponsors. It was all part of the inaugural Level-Up Brother program, an initiative of the Cloud Family Foundation aimed at advancing the next generation.
Justin Cloud is the program founder of Level-Up Brother.
“They don’t get all this in school sometimes. We wanted to give the stuff they don’t get in school,” Cloud said.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
Oak Ridge High School senior Martain Grant got his weekend started learning from the best of the best in different career fields. He and about 30 other high schoolers from all across Orlando learned more about engineering, financial literacy, marketing and so much more.
Grant said he wants to attend North Carolina A&T State University next year before pursuing a career in marketing and public relations.
“This is helping me learning how to prioritize, learning how to utilize the community that has provided so many resources,” Grant said. “I value people who pour into young people.”
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings shared his journey of becoming the county’s first Black mayor after also making history as the first Orlando’s first Black police chief and the county’s first Black sheriff. He hopes his story can inspire these teens, that they too can be successful.
“I’m here to talk to the members about the art of preparation, and to get to be the Orange County mayor there was a lot of preparation I had go through,” Demings said.
Caleb Windbish, who attends Orlando Christian Prep, said the program Saturday was so beneficial for him.
“My career goals are to go into business or finance and I think this is an opportunity to learn what I am trying to do,” Windbish said.
The nonprofit Cloud Family Foundation gives scholarships to deserving students. To find out more about the programs, click here.
Learn more about Level-Up Brother by visiting its website.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: