“Every child should have the same resources, opportunities and privileges to be what they want to be. Your background, race, economic status and the neighborhood you grew up in does not make you any greater or less – every child can succeed despite the barriers in their way.”

Rebecca Boreland, an ambitious nursing student, credits Children’s Home Society of Florida for her tremendous progress in obtaining her educational goals at the University of Florida, including her most recent achievement – acceptance into the College of Nursing.

An alum of Evans High School, A Community Partnership School, Rebecca refers to  Children’s Home Society of Florida as a “role model for her future.” Through CHS, Rebecca had the opportunity to participate as a Senate Page and saw firsthand the impact the organization has had on students at Evans High School.

“CHS gives us hope, and it gave me the inspiration to see that I can do whatever I want in life … and I have the support of my community to break the barriers this world may throw at us.”

CHS continues to support Rebecca’s educational goals through the Virginia Morey Rell Memorial Scholarship, which has helped cover the cost of textbooks and prerequisites for nursing school, as well as materials needed to  study for – and successfully pass! – the standardized assessments used to screen applicants for admission into the College of Nursing at UF.

“CHS awarded me the scholarship, and I can see how beneficial that scholarship was to me – maybe I can do something similar for another child, or I can look at the model of CHS and apply it to what I want to do and what I want to see for the future. You [CHS] are changing lives, starting with mine”.

Rebecca is eager to pursue pediatric nursing and hopes to also mentor others, just as she did in high school. Focused on establishing a good relationship with the younger generation, Rebecca hopes to inspire children early and break negative stereotypes that may surround them so they may push forward to achieve their dreams.

“I want to mentor and establish a good rapport with my patients. I want to connect with the parents – parents are a major influence, and when you embrace both the child and the parent relationship, it can make a fantastic duo in the growth and development of a child”