Denise Strachan began her undergraduate education at Florida State through CARE’s Summer Bridge Program. The Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE) supports and encourages those students who are the first in their families to attend college, and who may be economically, educationally, or culturally disadvantaged.
Being cared about has made all the difference in her success, says Denise. The Staff continually reassured her and her fellow classmates that “whatever we lacked in being fully accepted to the University at first would not be the determining factor in our college careers.”
With her eyes on that goal, Denise excelled academically. In return, she was honored with numerous scholarships—the Bobby E. Leach Scholarship, the Florida Fund for Minority Teachers Award, the McMannis Education Trust Fund Scholarship, the Beaumont Family Fund, and the Emanual and Theoligia Joanos Scholarship. Now, she’s working toward her master’s degree in Exceptional Student Education with a Specialization in Transition.
Soon, with graduation nearing, Denise will have come full circle. She has decided to serve the community in a classroom setting, teaching students who are at a disadvantage, students with disabilities.