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Maria Gloria
AVON PARK, Fla. – June 18, 2026 – Maria Gloria, a Take Stock in Children (TSIC) scholar, was recently promoted to operations manager at the Fort Myers Branch of MIDFLORIDA Credit Union. She attributes TSIC for paving her way to college and teaching her about professionalism.
TSIC is a statewide program that provides at-risk children with a mentor and a college scholarship. In return, Take Stock scholars sign contracts in which they promise to remain drug-free, to avoid behavior that would get them into trouble with law enforcement, to attend school regularly, and to earn satisfactory grades. The students’ parents also sign the contracts and agree to provide home environments conducive to education. The South Florida State College (SFSC) Foundation is the lead agency for TSIC within the College’s service district of DeSoto, Hardee, and Highlands counties. The local program was established in 1996 and has awarded Florida Prepaid college scholarships to more than 667 local students.
Gloria, who calls Lake Placid home, is the child of migrant farm workers, who resided in Michigan and Florida through the agricultural seasons. While in high school, Gloria took dual enrollment courses at SFSC. She graduated from Lake Placid High School in 2017 and continued her education at Florida State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Finance and Management Information Systems in 2021. She is a first-generation college graduate.
After graduation, Gloria was offered a job with MIDFLORIDA Credit Union as a peak-time teller at its Lake Placid branch. During that time, she learned about MIDFLORIDA’s Associate Manager Program, a rotational development program that is open to recent college graduates who would like to pursue a career at a financial institution. Gloria entered the program and was transferred to work at various Sebring branches as associate manager for 18 months. And now, she is headed to Fort Myers in her new position as operations manager.
Gloria joined TSIC while in sixth grade and continued in the program through 2017, when she graduated from high school. Early on, she was paired with her mentor, Lake Placid attorney and SFSC alumna Pam Karlson.
“TSIC itself was an amazing program that encouraged me to consider college options not only through workshops, but quarterly check-ins, academic mapping, and college exploration,” Gloria said. “But more importantly, it brought me an amazing mentor who guided and encouraged me through middle, high school, college, and all the way to today. Mrs. Karlson has significantly influenced my life. She guided me in career options, encouraged me to get involved in school and the community, helped me with college applications, and has always been someone who I can turn to for advice. The advice and time she poured into me for over half of my life has been pivotal in my development as a professional and, more importantly, the person I am today. I am eternally grateful that TSIC brought Mrs. Karlson into my life.”
Through TSIC, Gloria was eligible to apply for the Asofsky Family Foundation’s Leaders 4 Life Fellowship and became one of six students in Florida to be awarded the scholarship in 2017. “This scholarship, along with my TSIC scholarship, was a tremendous financial help through college,” she said. “I was not only able to prioritize my college academics, ensuring successful completion of my degree, but it allowed me the opportunity to partake in many once-in-a-lifetime experiences, such as studying abroad in Spain for half a year. Ultimately, TSIC set me up for success in many areas of my life.”
Because of TSIC and the Leaders 4 Life Fellowship, Gloria was also able to take part in prestigious post-undergraduate prep programs, such as the Duke University Law School PLUS program, a four-week summer residential program to help first-generation college students prepare for law school and the legal profession. In addition, she participated in IDDEAS@Stanford and IDDEAS@Berkeley, a two-day immersion program for undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds who are interested in pursuing doctoral-level business research and academic careers.
“I will always be a proponent of TSIC for all students,” Gloria said. “I know that my journey is only one of hundreds that TSIC has impacted. The commitment and dedication offered by teachers, mentors, program directors, and legislators are what makes this program so impactful and effective. If I can offer one piece of advice to students currently in the program, it would be to use the resources that are available through this amazing program. Lastly, be willing to ask for help, but also have the tenacity and perseverance to fight for your dreams and aspirations.”
For information about TSIC, call 863-784-7343 or email tsic@southflorida.edu.
