PAHOKEE — As a result of a partnership with the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County and Ventus Charitable Foundation as part of the State of Florida School District Education Foundation Matching Grant Program, the ‘Stepping Up STEM in Pahokee’ program at Pahokee Middle High School is a shining example of how public education is unlocking incredible potential. Two exceptional members of this program are making history. Elizabeth Robles and Alondra Campos have been awarded the prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship, covering all college expenses for an incredible TEN years each.

Elizabeth has been named Valedictorian for the Class of 2025 at Pahokee Middle High School and she, along with Tarik Dyke, also received the Andrea C. Cameron Full Ride Scholarship. These achievements are a testament to the transformative impact of community collaboration in support of public education through one of the many Education Foundation of Palm Beach County programs.

But that’s not all. Giovani Mendez-Leon, a 10th grader and member of the program at Pahokee Middle High School, has secured a paid internship with Google this summer, where he will learn computer programming from a Google software developer. Giovani has even developed an app that uses A.I. to translate text prompts into Sign Language.