At this evening’s Brevard Public School Board meeting, District 3 School Board Member Jennifer Jenkins recognized a beautiful and brilliant young lady.

Lorend Rosario, a 4th grader at Palm Bay Elementary, was awarded a 2 year college scholarship by Florida Tax Watch.

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Her principal, Mike Mahl was the winner of this year’s Florida Tax Watch’s Principal Leadership Award

Florida TaxWatch, a nonprofit, established the Principal Leadership Awards program in 2014 to identify Florida’s most effective principals in high-risk K-12 public schools, recognize and reward their work, and promote their transformational practices throughout the state. The goal of the program is to improve student achievement in high-risk schools, thereby closing the achievement gap.

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As a recipient of the award, he was given the opportunity to choose one student to receive the coveted scholarship. His selection was easily Lorend. She’s a participant in the Innovation Games, a state level participant in the Future Problem Solving for Global Issues, and one of only two 4th graders that serve on the safety patrol.

Jenkins stated that Lorend lives the “Little Pirate Ethic” by helping out teachers, welcoming new students to classrooms, and being a leader.

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Lorend’s mother Yarissa was in tears when her daughter received the very much deserved award. She says that she is so proud of her daughter, and the young woman she is becoming. “Her compassion for others and work-ethic is a gift from God,” she said about her daughter.

Yarissa says they came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic 7 years ago, and it hasn’t been easy. She’s been working 2 and 3 jobs at times in order to support her family and give them better opportunities.

She is extremely proud of her daughter, but from the response of the audience, the community is equally proud of her, and the dedication and example she provides.

Lorend says her favorite subject is reading, and she wants to be an engineer, making rockets.

She’s right where she needs to be and we are certain with her continued work, attitude, and leadership of her mother, we will be soon watching the rockets she builds travel to space from our own backyard.

Congratulations.

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