Sarai Antoine, a senior at Evans High School, A Community Partnership School, will be nationally recognized for encouraging equity and building opportunities within her Pine Hills community. Sarai will receive the Youth Leadership Award at the 2018 Community Schools National Forum in Baltimore early next month.
Once bullied because of her appearance and heritage, Sarai found empowerment and support when she arrived at Children’s Home Society of Florida’s flagship Community Partnership School – Evans High School. Sarai overcame difficult obstacles to become a school leader and community inspiration. With the support of her mentor, Sarai gained the confidence to join student government and the Student Leadership Council. Understanding the difficulty firsthand of being an immigrant to this country, she also formed the first Haitian organization on campus, Club Kreole.
In 2012, the Community Partnership School model™ was implemented at Evans to build bridges to success for teens – like Sarai – to overcome tough community challenges including poverty, hunger, bullying and more. This successful model is a partnership among Children’s Home Society of Florida, Orange Blossom Family Health Centers, Orange County Public Schools and the University of Central Florida.
After she graduates, Sarai will be the first person in her family to attend college. One of her goals before graduation is to plan an empowerment summit for girls to address gender inequality. Sarai is committed to helping more kids realize their full potential and cross bridges to success.
