“I was enthralled. It got me thinking about college and how it could be a viable avenue for me.”

The impact that the Fancelli Family Future Leaders Scholarship had on Francisco Alvarez was tremendous. He received the scholarship in 2003 when he graduated from Walter Caldwell Elementary School in Auburndale. The scholarship caused him to think about the doors it would open for him. “Being Hispanic, it may have been unlikely that I’d go on to a university,” he said. “I was very grateful. It fascinated me that someone somewhere would be interested in a ten-year-old boy in fifth grade. They chose me. It got me thinking about the concept of philanthropy. Although I didn’t know that was what it was called at the time.” The ripple effect also caused Francisco to look at his life differently. “I was enthralled. It got me thinking about college and how it could be a viable avenue for me,” he said.

As a Fancelli scholarship recipient, Francisco entered PCC’s Educational Talent Search (ETS) program. ETS encourages at-risk students to stay in high school, graduate, and go on to college. While other Fancelli students leave the program after a year, Francisco’s connection with ETS and PSC continues today. He currently is in the 11th grade at Haines City IB School, and for the past two years he has served as a volunteer at PSC. On most any weekend, he can be found helping in the Student Services office. “Since receiving this scholarship, I decided to give back to the College.”  Far more mature than his peers, Francisco is a unique teenage. “I’m not very superficial. I’m very detailed oriented,” he said. “I always plan ahead. I always have been concerned with forming a good personal character.”

His parents, Javier A. Alvarez and Maria Guadalupe, served as his mentors. They are both kind individuals who go out of their way to help others. Francisco is concerned about his community, and his goal is to help shape its responsible development. He has set his sights on being an urban planner and will be majoring in civil engineering and Latin American studies at college. He has been chosen to be part of Youth Leadership for Haines City and Northeast Polk County. This is a training program that is perfect for Francisco. They will be taking different tours focusing on different aspects of creating a good community in the areas of business and industry, education, and city government. After six local tours, the group will travel to Tallahassee to meet with the state legislature and learn about state government.

He is very involved in his community and school. He is a member of the National Honor Society and Lakeland Sister Cities Youth Ambassadors. He is planning to form an interactive service-learning group, and he has founded the non-profit Polk Scholar Society and runs its website: www.polkscholarsociety.350.com. “Students can use the website to connect them to the educational and community service opportunities available in Polk County,” Francisco said.

Pedro Rodriguez, Director of ETS, said Francisco is a “true testament of an ambitious young man eager to reach the stars and to seek the means necessary in achieving his educational goals."