Led by Bolles senior Sarah Park ’25 and Ponte Vedra High School’s Carter Magnano, teen-led nonprofit JaxTHRIVE won the NAFSA Region VII Sylvia Shortt Memorial Community Volunteer Award on November 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 around 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+ 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 the nonprofit, they shared the recognition with JaxTHRIVE’s strong network of student volunteers. According to Park, the organization has grown significantly, now supporting over 14 chapters and working with more than 350 volunteers both online and in person. The Bolles JaxTHRIVE chapter alone has over 60 members this year, led by Amir Chalavi ’25 and Kate Youell ’25. JaxTHRIVE also has strong Bolles representation on its leadership council in Northeast Florida, including Ava Cheng ’25, Jaden Taher ’25, Greer Davis ’27, Olivia Owens ’27 and Ella Vance ’28.

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 and JaxTHRIVE Journeys, which promote cultural understanding and personal growth. Park and Magnano 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 percent of the profits going directly to JaxTHRIVE.

Bolles Head of Upper School Moya Marks nominated JaxTHRIVE for the Sylvia Shortt Memorial Community Volunteer Award. In her nomination letter, Marks expressed that Park and Magnano’s “dedication to making a difference in the lives of refugee students, their innovative approach to storytelling and their commitment to building a more inclusive community make them truly deserving of this recognition.”

Join us in congratulating all the Bolles students making a difference with JaxTHRIVE! #BulldogProud #BulldogsInspiringGoodness