At The Immokalee Foundation, we put students first. Our primary goal is to better the lives of Immokalee students — a goal made easier by the Immokalee students' enthusiasm and intelligence. So, we're taking the time to recognize these students on an individual basis. This week, we're pleased to introduce you to Sergio Garibay, a 16-year-old Immokalee student who is a veteran of our Take Stock in Children program.

In March, Kaye Negri took the plunge: She became a mentor to two Take Stock in Children students. And she hasn’t looked back since.

She is an ex law enforcement officer with the Air Force.
• Her favorite part of working for The Immokalee Foundation is seeing the smiles on the children's faces. “The thought of going to college never occurred to these children and their families,  and now we are helping them reach for the stars,” she says.
As for the future of Immokalee, the thing she’d most like to see is a town in which every child “receives a quality education, so they are ready for the future.”
Her favorite movie is The Quiet Man.
Her favorite ice cream flavor is soft vanilla dipped in chocolate from Tasty Treat.

Lois’ work with the Take Stock in Children students gives her a sense of accomplishment as she teams up with selfless volunteers and mentors to ensure that her students see academic and life progress. She says, “I wake up every day excited about the work I do. When you work with volunteers, you see the heart of the program. They are there because they want to make a difference in a child’s life. They aren’t paid and they  have long car rides to Immokalee. They are amazing people who just want to give back.”

Last week, 300 family members and TIF supporters gathered at the Bethel Assembly of God in Immokalee to celebrate the accomplishments of the 60 students who have "graduated" from one of TIF's seven core programs. Of these 60 seniors, 55 have already committed to college or post-secondary vocational school — a number that points to the tremendous determination and success we're seeing among the younger generations in Immokalee.

What did the graduation ceremony entail? And what it did it mean to these students? To find out, check out these images of the evening’s celebrations as well as quotes from recent TIF graduates.

Bethel Assembly of God in Immokalee is the site of tonight's TIF graduation dinner and ceremony. Students will be recognized for their successful efforts in at least one of the following TIF programs: Take Stock in Children, Vocational Success, College Success, Direct Scholarships, the First Tee of Naples/Collier, and Immokalee Readers.

Here are some quick facts about tonight's event:

• 300 guests will be in attendance
• 60 students will be "graduating" from TIF programs
• 55 of those students have already committed to college or post-secondary vocational training
• The evening will include a formal dinner, the conferring of graduation medallions, and the presentation of the President's Volunteer Service Award
• The President's Volunteer Service Award recognizes students who've accumulated at least 100 hours of community service over the course of a year — and we're proud to have 17 such students at tonight's ceremony
• The keynote address will be delivered by Daniel Hernandez, senior vice president for global strategy at Sykes Enterprises in Tampa

Tonight's celebration kicks off at 6:00 pm. Check back with the Pathways Blog after the event for photos and more.

Photo caption: Students at the 2009 Immokalee Foundation graduation ceremony line up to receive their medallions.