Business, School Leaders Award Path to Prosperity Scholarships to Elementary School at Heart of Florida’s Poorest Zip Code

Six kindergartners receive scholarships for their first year of college

Six kindergartners and their families at John G. Riley Elementary School in Tallahassee have received a life-changing surprise: Path to Prosperity scholarships to cover tuition for their first year of college.

The inaugural Classroom Connection Scholarships at Riley Elementary, awarded in February 2025, came as the result of donations from five local businesses and one family participating in the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce Classroom Connection Program, which allows the business community to support students and teachers during the first years of elementary school by adopting a kindergarten or first grade classroom.

The six donors wanted to make a lasting impact on the students they mentor each month through Classroom Connection, and to break the cycle of poverty through higher education. Riley Elementary sits at the center of the state’s poorest zip code, 32304, and is among the 150 highest-poverty Florida zip codes where students can qualify for Path to Prosperity Scholarships through the Florida Prepaid College Foundation in partnership with the Florida Chamber Foundation.

Each of the Riley Classroom Connection sponsors contributed funds to the Foundation for Leon County Schools, and the Florida Prepaid College Foundation matched the donations 1:1. The scholarships will cover one year (30 credit hours) at any of the 28 Florida Colleges.

The businesses and individuals who donated toward the scholarships are: Carroll and Company CPAs, Kessler Construction, MillCreek Financial, The Moore Agency, the Mullin Family, and Sparkle Boutique.

The students who received scholarships are:

• Alayna Manning
• Gael Alberto Mejia
• Jahmir Johnson
• Bryson Lee
• Laila Robinson
• Taylor Jones

We are excited to see what the future holds for these amazing kindergartners!