The Esther Funds helps students stay in school

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Changing the world, one student at a time – that’s the goal of the Esther Funds.

This Christian nonprofit organization aims to support and help students stay in school by providing emergency assistance and financial assistance to students in need.

Esther Funds was founded by Shayna Vincent in early 2023 and has already helped hundreds of students overcome economic hardship and mental health issues by helping them stay in school. These are challenges Shayna said she knows well.

“As a student myself, I dropped out several times for mental health reasons and also for financial reasons,” she said.

Based on her strong faith and a solid foundation of hard work and determination, Shayna was able to return to school and obtain her Associate’s degree in 2023. Now a fourth-year student at FAMU, she says she recognized her own struggles in her fellow students. Students like Samara Taplin.

In 2023, Samara connected with the Esther Funds Foundation via Instagram. She says as a first-generation college student, she dealt with ups and downs when tragedy struck.

“My sister passed away in January, and the support the Esther Funds gave me was the best,” she said.

Drawing inspiration from the biblical figure of Esther, known for her courage, faith and determination to create positive change, Shayna said she had found her calling. She named her nonprofit the Esther Funds Foundation and got to work. The work of the Lord.

“Esther was a woman who walked with the God described in the Bible and that is an inspiration to me. I want to do the same. I want to walk with God and give back to these students like she did. She saw a need in her community and decided to pursue it,” she said.

The Esther Funds Foundation grew rapidly over the course of the year. There are currently three collegiate chapters, one at Florida State College in Jacksonville, one at FAMU, and a chapter in Tallahassee that works with FSU and TSC students. The organization holds donation drives, workshops and fundraisers to provide supplies and scholarships to students in need. Shayna said they had their first back to school party on September 7th.

“We were able to donate thousands of school supplies, clothing and groceries. Various organizations from different campuses came to us and donated physical and mental health materials,” she said.

Shayna’s struggle has now evolved into a calling much greater than herself.

“We envision a world where minority students are represented in the workforce by more than 40 percent, and we increase college completion rates in the Southeast by more than 50 percent,” she said.

Like Esther, Shayna Vincent uses her position to defend people. Empowering and supporting students at crossroads to overcome obstacles, stay in school and reach their full potential.

To stay up to date with all the latest news, follow WCTV on Facebook AND X (Twitter).

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Write to us here. Include the headline of the article in your message.

Stay up to date with all the top headlines on the WCTV News app. Crash Here to download it now.