March 2016

Jim Moran Scholar prepared for a great future

Dayshon has been accepted into graduate programs at Harvard, Princeton and Stanford.

With a love for learning, Dayshon Mathis, our 2013 North Florida Jim Moran Scholar, will graduate this summer with a dual Bachelor's degree in physics and math and a minor in computer science from Florida State University (FSU). He plans to further his education by earning a Ph.D. to become a theoretical particle physicist.

Dayshon recently shared with us his experiences as a Jim Moran Scholar at FSU:

"I graduated from Stanton High School located in Jacksonville, Florida in 2013. By the time of my graduation I had already known I was attending Florida State University (FSU). I had chosen FSU due to its exceptional physics program and its supportive atmosphere. My going to FSU was made even more certain by the financial support awarded to me by The Jim Moran Foundation. This aid removed a huge weight from me and my family, allowing me to learn what I loved: physics.

I have always had an inexorable desire to learn about nature, and majoring in physics and mathematics fits that inclination perfectly. In my undergraduate career at FSU I learned a great deal of science, ranging from quantum fields of fermions to the evolution of the universe itself. I directly correlate my success at FSU to the support of The Foundation, without it I wouldn't have been able to focus on my scholastic endeavors. My eagerness to learn, I believe, is indicated by my graduation time and I am proud to say that I will have graduated with a dual degree in my junior year of college education. My dissertation is in this field of physics and is titled 'Constraints on the strange quark parton distribution function from weak vector boson production.'

I have learned a great deal here at FSU and I have made lifelong friends. FSU and The Foundation have been an indispensable stepping-stone propelling me into the future. Physics' goal is nothing short of the description of the totality of nature and I am happy to say that I will be able to contribute to mankind's attempt to understand reality. I am both proud and extremely appreciative to be a Jim Moran Scholar and it is a title that I will happily carry with me into graduate school and through the rest of my life."

The Jim Moran Foundation, in partnership with FSU, annually recognizes two African-American high school seniors from South Florida and North Florida who are role models with an identified financial barrier. Each Scholar receives a four-year, needs-based scholarship with funding provided through the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship.

Read about the Jim Moran Scholars here.



Delivering emergency food and services to seniors

The Emergency Meals Program will serve hundreds of elderly clients this year.

Through a first-time partnership with The Jim Moran Foundation, Broward Meals on Wheels has established an Emergency Meals Program for homebound seniors who have recently been released from a hospital, rehabilitation center or long-term care facility. The focus of this funding is to improve senior nutrition, support a healthier recovery and reduce the risk of re-hospitalization.

"Since receiving the grant from The Jim Moran Foundation, we've been able to provide two weeks of emergency meals to nearly 50 seniors, most of whom have come home from the hospital and found they had no food in the house and no way to go out and get the food they need to start the recovery process," said Winnie Francois, Social Work Supervisor of Broward Meals on Wheels. "Within those 2 weeks, our Social Work staff is able to visit them in their homes and connect them with other community resources to keep them safe and nourished in their homes."

Learn about Broward Meals on Wheels.


Improving opportunities for children

Yuridia attends FWCC's Bridge program.

Yuridia's father, a seasonal farmworker, was deported seven months ago. From that moment, her mother, Silvia, became the sole supporter for the family's three children ranging from two to seven years old.

Through the Farmworker Coordinating Council of Palm Beach County (FWCC), they receive social services as well as needed items such as food, clothing and toiletries. When Silvia mentioned that Yuridia struggled in her third grade class, their case manager recommended FWCC's BRIDGE (Bringing Resources and Information to Develop Gains in Education) program to help her through educational assistance and family engagement.

Yuridia attends the BRIDGE twice a week after school. Her grades have improved from "Needs Development" to "Proficient," and she feels more confident about herself and her abilities. After seeing Yuridia's achievements, Silvia enrolled her son in the BRIDGE Pre-K Program.

Connect with the Farmworker Coordinating Council.