Two Lee County graduates, Daniel Rodriguez and Lesly Amesquita, have been awarded the Earl Holland Memorial Scholarship to attend Florida SouthWestern State College this fall, thanks to the generosity of the Bobby Nichols-Fiddlesticks Charity Foundation.
Both Rodriguez and Amesquita overcame significant challenges on their path to graduation. As teen parents, they participated in the Young Parent Education Program through the Lee County School District, a program that supports young mothers and fathers in continuing their education while caring for their children.
Rodriguez was the first enrollee in the Level Up! Dads program at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Southwest Florida (CAC), an initiative designed to empower young fathers with life skills, parenting tools and personal development opportunities. Amesquita participated in CAC’s voluntary parenting classes based on the evidence-based Nurturing Parents Program, which focuses on building nurturing relationships, positive discipline strategies and healthy communication skills…