TO UNDERSTAND THE WHY - YOU MUST FIRST UNDERSTAND THE WHO.

Meet Earle Kelly.

Earle was a passionate dissenter. He was unashamed and unafraid to be himself or to stand firm in his convictions. He didn't shy away from the hard questions. But anyone who knows TK, Wendy or Bea would not be the least surprised in this assessment - those all seem to be Kelly family traits that he came by honestly. While Ryan McBride was the Executive Director of SURE, Earle volunteered  through his youth group. Volunteering morphed into an internship, Earle continued his path of advocacy throughout his educational career - he championed the beginning Sarasota High School's chapter of the ACLU and planned on continuing working with SURE after he graduated from FSU. 

In 2020, Earle was involved in a fatal car accident, and although there is nothing that we can do to fill the void that Earle's absence has created, SURE wanted to honor Earle's passion and commitment to doing justice. It's not a secret that post-secondary education in America is often cost prohibitive regardless of the type of program. This scholarship is intended to create a slightly easier path from high school to career.

Scholarship Recipients.

2024: August Rey, Sarasota High School