Sun Life Rising Star Awards National Summit – Miami, FL,

Already lauded as Rising Stars in their own communities for their outstanding achievements and commitment to further their education, Warren Coley, LaGary Roberson, Warren Stackhouse and Kou Sua of South Florida will now join a group of thought leaders, policy makers and celebrity athletes at a national convention designed to tackle the issue of plummeting high school graduation rates at Sun Life Stadium in Miami.

The first annual Sun Life Rising Star Award National Summit, which takes place on February 25 & 26, will cast a spotlight on Sun Life Rising Star winners from around the country. The four South Florida Sun Life Rising Star winners will share their insights into the challenges facing students who lack the financial resources to pay for post-secondary education or the skills to avoid the pitfalls that lead to the nation’s rising high school dropout rate.

The four students, who won a scholarship last September, have amazing stories to tell and will share their paths to higher education. In one example, Warren Charles Coley, one of five boys raised by a single low income mother, attended a “dropout factory” high school, with only 60% of students making it to their senior year. As a 2010 Peer Leader at College Summit, he had to opportunity to support his peers through the college application process, and motivate younger students to think positively about college. Warren hopes to attend Xavier University, Florida State University or Florida International University.

There is perhaps no issue facing today’s students as important as lack of financial resources to ensure quality education. While post-high school education is universally recognized as a determining factor in a person’s future earning power and career goals, a recent study surveying at-risk youth and their parents conducted by Sun Life Financial, revealed that families and students alike face tremendous barriers when seeking to enter college, with 72% of parents and 63% of students stating that college costs are unaffordable.

If that’s not scary enough, other studies show that one in three US high school students fails to graduate with a diploma. That’s more than 1 million students every year.  Or, 7,000 kids every school day.  Or one student every 26 seconds. Only half of those are prepared to succeed in college, career, and life after high school.

The summit, which will focus on best practices for helping at-risk students pursue post secondary education convene and tackle the issue of plummeting high school graduation rates, includes scheduled appearances by all-time tennis great Venus Williams and Miami Dolphins wide receiver Davone Bess. Also attending are national experts: Ted Beck, president and CEO of the National Endowment for Financial Education; Jason Klugman, Director of the Princeton University Preparatory Program; Deborah Long, director of the Elon Academy; Catherine Millett, senior research scientist in the Policy Evaluation and Research Center at Educational Testing Service; Steven Prigohzy, educational advocate and developer of one of the country’s first open magnet schools.

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