JaxTHRIVE, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit led by high school seniors Carter Magnano from Ponte Vedra High School and Sarah Park from Bolles’ won the NAFSA Region VII Sylvia Shortt Memorial Community Volunteer Award on Nov. 11.
JaxTHRIVE provides essential tutoring, life skills and mentorship to refugee students from diverse backgrounds, empowering them to thrive academically and socially. Over the past seven years, JaxTHRIVE has positively impacted about 300 refugee students through innovative programs, including virtual tutoring and in-person Super Saturdays.
NAFSA is the world’s largest and most comprehensive international education association, with more than 10,000 members at more than 4,000 institutions in 140-plus countries. The Sylvia Shortt Memorial Community Volunteer Award aims to recognize the important and significant contributions of unpaid volunteers who support international initiatives within the local communities in the NAFSA Region VII, covering Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
While co-presidents Park and Magnano accepted the award on behalf of their nonprofit, they shared the recognition with JaxTHRIVE’s strong network of student volunteers. According to Magnano and Park, the organization has grown significantly, now supporting more than 14 chapters and working with more than 350 volunteers both online and in person.
At the NAFSA award ceremony, organizers noted the strong relationships JaxTHRIVE fosters between tutors and refugee students, citing initiatives such as the Female Empowerment Program, Financial Literacy Workshop and JaxTHRIVE Journeys, which promote cultural understanding and personal growth. Magnano and Park also recently co-authored a children’s book titled “New Beginnings: Refugee Children's Tales of Hope and Resilience,” sharing the stories of refugee students to foster empathy and understanding within the community. The book is available to order on Amazon, with 100% of the profits going directly to JaxTHRIVE.
