Lutheran Services Florida
Our very own Simeon Baxter, Family Navigator for Community Collaborations for Strong Families, was invited by Hillsborough Community College (HCC) to be the guest speaker for their 2021 HOPE Scholars and Collegiate Virtual 100 Graduation & Award Ceremony.
HCC’s HOPE Scholars program is housed in the Office of Equity, Diversity, & Special Programs. They work to close the achievement gaps in male African American and Latino students by providing academic, motivational, and personal support.
Simeon is an HCC Graduate and a HOPE Scholars alumni. After receiving his AA in liberal arts, he went onto the University of South Florida to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Social Work. Before working in Community Collaborations for Strong Families, he worked on the Family Services Team in Early Head Start.
LSF is lucky to have Simeon on board as an employee who strives to grow individually, professionally, and is always working hard for our children and families. Thank you, Simeon for your compassion.
Simeon shared a special thank you to the program participants and his own trailblazing story,
“I definitely experienced some adversity applying to schools and knowing what I wanted to do….through the people around me and be able to take advantage of those who were willing to help, I was able to apply to USF, and get in. That was a huge moment for me. I’m the first in my family to be able to go to a University.”
Watch Simeon’s address to the graduates and award recipients:
