Deerfield Beach, Fla. - The Jim Moran Foundation (The Foundation) announced that the Jacksonville recipient of the 2006 North Florida African-American Youth Achiever Award is Shaunte Yates, a senior at Terry Parker High School. The Award is presented on behalf of Jim Moran, founder of The Foundation, and his wife, Jan, Foundation chairman and president. It is a needs-based, four-year scholarship to Florida State University (FSU) available only to high school seniors who qualify for financial aid and have been accepted for admission to FSU.
Yates, 17, is student council president, captain of the Terry Parker Jazz Dance Ensemble, captain of the varsity cheerleaders, and was named Miss Terry Parker High. She was also first runner-up in the 100 Black Men of Jacksonville, Inc.'s Enterprising Youth of the Year competition, and was selected as a participant in the National Youth Leadership Conference held in Washington, D.C. A member of the National Honor Society, Yates volunteers at First Coast Support Services, a group home agency for people with developmental and physical disabilities. Her dedication to serving the community and helping others extends to volunteering her time to teach dance classes to young people at Center Stage Dance School.
All these activities are in addition to working part time as a showroom cast-member at Chuck E. Cheese. As she pursues her degree at FSU, Yates plans to major in exercise science with a minor in dance. When asked of her goals, she says she would like to open an affordable dance studio so that more children can have the opportunity to discover the joy of dance.
"There is a saying that says 'Your feet can move but only your heart can dance,'" Yates said. "I live by this saying, and given the opportunity, I would enjoy sharing this beautiful art form with others for the rest of my life."
Yates' goals also include advocating for the establishment of additional performing arts high schools and magnet programs, citing the fact that students in the arts often have higher math and reading scores than average.
"Shaunte's enthusiasm, positive attitude, good grades and commitment to helping others make her a real stand out among her peers," said Jim Moran, who is also founder and honorary chairman of diversified automotive company JM Family Enterprises, Inc. and subsidiary Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC. "Her achievements show us that even when life sometimes throws a curve ball, you can beat the odds by staying focused on your goals," he added.
About The Jim Moran Foundation
The mission of The Jim Moran Foundation is to improve the quality of life for the youth and families of Florida through the support of innovative programs and opportunities that meet the ever-changing needs of the community. It is located at 100 Jim Moran Boulevard, Deerfield Beach, Fla. 33442. To learn more about The Foundation, visit
www.jimmoranfoundation.org or call 954/429-2122.
About JM Family Enterprises, Inc.
JM Family Enterprises, Inc. (JMFE) (
www.jmfamily.com ) is a $9.4 billion diversified automotive company ranked by Forbes as the 17th largest privately held company in the U.S. The company is also ranked on the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For list, its eighth consecutive year and No. 77 on the InformationWeek 500 listing of the nation's leading information technology innovators. The company's primary subsidiaries and divisions include: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET), the nation's largest franchised distributor of Toyota vehicles; World Omni Financial Corp., a diversified financial services company; JM&A Group, one of the largest independent insurance and extended warranty group of companies in the U.S.; JM Service Center, the company's internal shared services center; JM Lexus, the largest volume retail Lexus dealership in the world; and JMsolutions, a dealer-focused technology products and services division. Headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Fla., JMFE has major operations in Jacksonville, Fla., Mobile, Ala.; Commerce and Alpharetta, Ga., and St. Louis, Mo.