In 2022, St. Petersburg College launched the Florida African American Male Experience (FAAME) program. FAAME operates out of SPC with the support of Helios Education Foundation. The program came to fruition when Helios Education Foundation awarded SPC a $1.6 million grant to support African American male students on their journey from high school to a bachelor’s degree.
“FAAME provides an environment to young men that allows them to excel academically and have their lives impacted and changed forever,” said Coordinator Steve Marshall.
Two years later, in May 2024, the school graduated its first class of FAAME scholars. The grant from the Helios Foundation allowed the young men to take classes, learn leadership skills, and receive the opportunities of their dreams. This program provides a clear path toward degree completion and offers educational services. Students also receive scholarships for financial support.
“The FAAME Program has helped black men reach their academic and career goals by showing them that their degree is within reach at SPC,” said FAAME Coordinator Ernest Gant.
In addition to providing funding, FAAME provides a vast support network to ensure academic success through each stage of their pursuit of a degree. In recent years, the number of Black men attending college has dropped. According to the Joint Center for Political Economic Studies, between 2019 and 2021, junior colleges nationwide saw a 23% decline in Black male enrollment.
First FAAME Cohort
FAAME graduates from the first cohort (FAAME 1.0) walked the stage at SPC’s 145th commencement ceremony on May 15 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. The students included:
- Adolfo Acevedo
- Jon Williams
- Josiah Robinson
- Lucas Fidelis
- Joel Hicks
- Joshua Lanier
- Jayden Harris
SPC President Dr. Tonjua Williams opened the ceremony by recognizing the students for their hard work, stating, “Today, we congratulate our students – and their families – who have persevered to the graduation milestone. You inspire us with your determination, and we celebrate your many accomplishments.”
FAAME is no exception. The young men excelled on and off campus, and some were the first in their families to obtain a college degree. Some accomplishments of the first graduating cohort include:
Jayden Harris obtained an A.A. in Technology Management and graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA. While attending Seminole High School, Jayden faced a tremendous challenge with homelessness and was not sure about attending college until he was introduced to the FAAME Program. “The FAAME presentation showed him the luxuries and rich resources that SPC has to offer,” he said.
With support from the FAAME program, Jayden obtained his Comp TIA Security + Certification as well as his Ethical Hacker Certification. Determined to excel, he took advantage of the out-of-class support, something coordinator Steve Marshall stresses to the young men in FAAME, fellow FAAME graduate Adolfo Acevedo stressed, “On top of everything FAAME has given me, it also gave me a family to work with. These are like my brothers, and you become so entangled with each other’s classes and day-to-day lives that you need another brother. You need someone. Professor Marshall taught us to look for help when we need it. To look at outside resources and look to people who will have the answers.”
Jayden also took Marshall’s advice to heart and as he maintained a perfect GPA he was employed as a Federal Work-Study student as a mentor, tutoring his FAAME brothers. When asked what motivates him to work hard and stay focused on his goals, Jayden stated, “I want to become a well-rounded person and be able to care for my family like they took care of me.” He will continue his educational journey at SPC to pursue his Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Technology Development and Management.
Like Jayden, Adolfo took every opportunity given to him with FAAME and was determined to succeed. He graduated with an A.A. in Computer Science and is transferring to Florida A&M in Tallahassee. His end goal is to get his B.A. and hopefully continue with the company he interned with in the summer of this year.
“I want to climb my way to the top of the technical ladder and hopefully become a technical product manager,” Adolfo said. “FAAME has opened so many doors for me. I wouldn’t even be in college if it wasn’t for FAAME. Just that alone speaks a lot for what it’s done for me.”
From almost not stepping foot on campus to graduating, Adolfo also interned at Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) and was invited to Silicon Valley for the company’s 10th anniversary for Tech Track. He got to tour the Bloomberg office in San Francisco and learn about how to best prepare for an interview.
Another FAAME graduate, Lucas Fidelis also fondly looks back at his time with FAAME and sees the success the program has brought to his life. Lucas obtained his AA in psychology and will continue at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. He is also in flight school at St. Pete Air and will be continuing his training. Lucas, like his other FAAME brothers, found the program in high school. He was doing dual enrollment with SPC, and his teacher gave him Marshall’s information. Wasting no time, Lucas called Marshall that day and was interviewed for the program the following week.
“FAAME and SPC has elevated my success because the professors at SPC are very one-on-one with the students, and they take the time out of their day to help you. They want to make sure you are successful in their classes. FAAME has given me a lot of connections, especially to people who are willing to help you. Mr. Marshall has written me lots of letters of recommendation for flight scholarships that I’m very grateful for. And without both of those things, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
Learn more about the young men in the FAAME program with Bay News 9‘s coverage. Also, read the story about the start of the program.
To learn more about the FAAME program, visit the St. Pete Community College website or contact Steve Marshall at (727) 712-5887, Marshall.steve@spcollege.edu.
F.A.A.M.E services include but are not limited to:
- Intensive wraparound, out-of-class services for the FAAME cohort including one-on-one tutoring, mentorship and academic advising support
- Increased financial support with the goal of our male students graduating with a four-year baccalaureate degree and zero or reduced student loan debt
- A fast-tracked pathway that removes barriers to success for students as they graduate from high school and work toward earning their bachelor’s degree
St. Petersburg College News 