We first met Tiara Jones at the end of her sophomore year in 2016. Bound For College had just expanded from Village Academy into Atlantic Community High School and Tiara's English teacher and Bound For College tutor, Ms. Debra Weier, highly encouraged Tiara to join the program.
As a junior, Tiara committed to participating in BFC programming for the remainder of her high school career and fully embraced all aspects of the BFC experience. Her favorite parts of the program were the college tours, which she said allowed her the opportunity to figure out which school was right for her, and the relationships she was able to cultivate with BFC tutors and staff. Relationships that she still maintains today.
Ultimately, Tiara decided that Florida International University (FIU) was the best fit for her and enrolled in classes in the Fall of 2018. Tiara's dedication to her studies earned her a FIU Presidential Merit Scholarship which requires a 4.0 GPA (weighted), and a 1370 SAT Score or 30 ACT or Top 5% of a Florida High School Graduating Class. That scholarship covered 100% of her freshman-year tuition and fees, as well as provided a book stipend.
Tiara graduated from FIU in the Summer of 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and just 25 days after graduation, she began teaching first grade at Village Academy. Tiara has a true passion for education and is currently applying to schools to earn her master’s degree in clinical mental health. She hopes to one day teach at the collegiate level and become a professor of either History or Math.
