As we noted in our last blog post, 2020 was our most successful year yet at Paid for Grades!
We faced unprecedented challenges this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Students had to find a way to navigate the difficulties of communicating and completing their regular assignments remotely. At the same time, educators were tasked with ensuring student success, even when they couldn’t physically meet with students in class.
Despite these setbacks, tough, we had our largest class yet of successful Paid for Grades participants! The 2019-2020 spring semester saw 108 Pinellas County students complete the program. We’re incredibly proud of our students, as well as the educators, administrators, guardians, and others who helped them along the way.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 concerns prevented us from holding our annual celebration ceremony to congratulate our participating students. As Paid for Grades Founder Monica Eaton-Cardone explains:
Normally, we celebrate in-person with the students and their families at a special end-of-year graduation ceremony. But because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we decided to hold a ‘virtual’ graduation instead. I’m disappointed we weren’t able to cheer and celebrate together like we have in the past, but this was the next best thing.
Monica Eaton-Cardone, Founder, Paid for Grades
We created this video to serve as a kind of virtual celebration for 2020 graduates. Check it out now:
“By far, 2020 was our biggest, most successful year, and we’re looking forward to expanding the program to even more Tampa Bay schools in the future,” Monica says. “Paid for Grades has proven over and over again that it truly works wonders; now more than ever, there are so many kids who desperately need our help. By coming together as a community, we can give these students a chance to realize their potential and make their dreams come true.”
We’d like to once again congratulate all of our students for their hard work and achievements this year. We wish you all the best of luck with you future plans!