Donors & Fundholders, Scholarships

Scholarship Spotlight: Kristy Shore, FIU Class of ’15

August 8, 2024

Thanks to two Community Foundation scholarships, Kristy excelled — now she’s volunteering to help more students do the same

Name: Kristy Shore

Hometown: Greenacres

University: Florida International University (bachelor’s); University of Central Florida, Jacksonville University, University of Florida (graduate studies)

Scholarship: Ellen Beth Eddleman Memorial Scholarship Fund; Lawrence A. Sanders Scholarship Fund for Creative Writing

Community Foundation connection: Currently serves on the Scholarship Committee

Fun fact: Everywhere she travels, she tries their spin on sushi, her favorite food

For Kristy Shore, college wasn’t always in the cards. Though her parents attended college, higher education wasn’t a prominent topic of conversation in her high school years at John I. Leonard High School in Greenacres. Navigating substance abuse, homelessness and incarceration within her family took precedence instead.

However, Kristy sought support from mentors, and went on to apply for college and scholarships, knowing that financial aid was crucial. “I remember going to the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties and being interviewed. They listened to the young girl I was—my story, my dreams, my challenges, and my needs—with soft eyes and eager hearts ready to invest; they believed.”

Being awarded the Community Foundation scholarship allowed her to attend Florida International University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Communication in 2015. “College wasn’t just a gateway to a future and career. Through receiving the Community Foundation scholarship, I was able to physically embark on the start of my self-directed, self-funded young adulthood independent of my family,” she says.

The scholarship allowed Kristy to pursue higher education without the weight of financial stress and gave her the chance to immerse herself in a new environment, growing both in and out of the classroom. She built meaningful connections with her peers and faculty, transforming from a young eighteen-year-old to the confident adult she is today.

After graduating from FIU, she continued her education with a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from the University of Central Florida and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Jacksonville University. Currently, she is pursuing a Doctor of Education at the University of Florida.

Today, Kristy also serves as the Associate Director of Housing and Residence Life at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. “As a live-in housing professional, I’ve molded our future doctors, lawyers, artists and advocates as they work to find their authentic selves on their first try at adulthood.”

One memorable moment stands out for Kristy, when a student confided in her about feeling out of place due to her upbringing. Seeing herself in this student, Kristy helped her realize that where she was—was where she belonged.

Returning to South Florida, Kristy sought ways to give back to the community that had supported her. She joined the Scholarship Committee of the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, and today she helps to advise on scholarship awards, listening to applicants’ stories and dreams, mirroring her own scholarship interview years ago. Kristy also chairs the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Palm Beach County Advisory Committee, continuing her commitment to mentorship. In this way her story has come full circle—from receiving a scholarship to now using her expertise to help others do the same.

“As both an alumni scholar of the foundation and a current member of the scholarship committee, I am an example of how generosity not only changes the lives of scholarship recipients but also sparks a transformative ripple effect that shapes the futures of many.”

Kristy shared words of encouragement as well as her story with the new cohort of Community Foundation scholars at an orientation in June 2024.

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