A South Florida family is helping students in our community achieve their college dreams, and these future leaders are hoping to one day pay it forward. Donovan Campbell has tonight’s 7 Spotlight.
Alicia Guillaume realized she wanted to become a nurse back in 2010, when a devastating earthquake struck Haiti. Her parents created a foundation to help the victims.
Alicia Guillaume, nursing student: “My parents are from Haiti. The care that they had for the people, the selflessness, and being able to put themselves in those peoples’ shoes and be sympathetic and be empathetic with them, really put a passion in me to want to get into nursing.”
The passion was there, but money to pay for nursing school was not.
Alicia Guillaume: “My parents are very, very, very hard workers, and like I said, they’re immigrants. I didn’t want to be that burden to them, because I know that they have a lot on their plate as well.”
Then halfway through her junior year at Barry University, Alicia learned she had won a scholarship.
Alicia Guillaume: “I was jumping for joy. Like, I was ecstatic. I ran downstairs when I found out. I told my mom. She was crying, I was crying.”
Less than a month before graduation, the 22-year-old was again shedding tears of joy, this time thanking the couple who made the scholarship possible.
Alicia Guillaume: “Thank you for believing in students like me. Your impact will live in the patients I care for, the lives I touch and the nurse I’m becoming. Thank you for being a part of my story.”
Matt Allen, foundation co-founder: “We don’t need a ‘Matt Allen’ building or a ‘Lisa Allen’ building. You know, we need Alicias in this world.”
The husband-and-wife team launched the Matt & Lisa Allen Family Foundation in 2022 with a mission to help kids and teens in our community.
Matt Allen: “We want to be able to support the organizations that have been along, that are established, that have great mentoring programs. Education and health care are our two main goals.”
Lisa Allen, foundation co-founder: “It’s a lot of work. We have no overhead, no employees. We do a lot a strategic planning.”
The pair hosted a fundraising auction at their Miami Shores home last month, hosted by yours truly.
Donovan Campbell: “I’m your host for this evening.”
Students must have good grades, commitment and community service hours to be considered for a college scholarship.
Donors got to hear directly from the high school students who have benefited from the foundation.
Asante Brooks, Coral Glades High School: “I’m gonna major in history because I want to become a lawyer.”
Tiana Penn, Blanche Ely High School: “I’ll major in medicine, aiming to become an orthopedic surgeon.”
Matthew McCallum, Atlantic Technical High School: “I can go to college without the worry of, you know, being in debt, basically debt-free. You guys set me up on my career path.”
At the fundraiser, we met 18-year-old Kelan Dennis.
Kelan Dennis, Crockett-Allen Scholar: “We get the exposure to our future, but also the means — financial and professional means — towards our future as well.”
Kelan will graduate from Blanche Ely High School later this month, also earning his associate’s degree from Broward College. He was accepted into 18 universities and ultimately decided to attend FSU.
Kelan Dennis: “I want to pursue mechanical engineering as I enter Florida State University in the fall of 2025, and ultimately gain a deep understanding on mechanics and how to apply these mathematical principles from the textbook to the real world.”
The foundation has raised more than $3.5 million in less than three years.
Matt and Lisa hope giving back has a ripple effect as these young people chart their own career paths.
Matt Allen: “They’re receiving now, but they’re gonna be the givers of the future.”
Alicia says she definitely plans on giving back.
Alicia Guillaume: “Honestly, I’m very excited to see what the future holds for me.”
Alicia’s goals include earning her master’s degree, becoming a nurse practitioner and one day opening her own clinic.
Donovan Campbell, 7News.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Matt & Lisa Allen Family Foundation
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