High School College and Career Readiness Center

Gopher Resource Sponsorship Helps Launch Hillsborough Education Foundation’s First College and Career Center

Investing in education has always been a meaningful way for Gopher Resource to make a significant impact in our local communities. We are especially proud of the commitment we’ve made to the Hillsborough Education Foundation (HEF) in Tampa, FL.

Gopher Resource is the main sponsor behind HEF’s first Student Center for Postsecondary Exploration (SCOPE) within C. Leon King High School, a grades 9–12 public school in Tampa. Launched in fall of 2022, SCOPE supports students with one-on-one college and career planning. That can include exploring career, technical and workforce pathways, and completing admissions and financial aid applications.

Reports show students develop a career plan as early as 9th grade, but many lack adult guidance, and high school counselors are often stretched thin. In addition to our financial sponsorship, we offer our employees opportunities to volunteer at SCOPE. They can also give career presentations and mentor students on a range of employment options, including at Gopher Resource.

The SCOPE Center has been working this school year to engrain itself into King High School to support the students in learning about their post high school options. Gopher Resource employees Kory Busch and Jerrika Rice both had the privilege to speak with students through the program. In February, Kory spoke with the students about industrial careers, including details on his millwright background. In April, Jerrika was part of a Women in Workforce panel where she shared about her career and working at Gopher Resource. Jerrika said, “It was a delight to share my experiences at Gopher Resource, its mission of sustainability and the types of careers that are available in industries like ours.”

In partnership with private donors, like Gopher Resource, HEF hopes SCOPE will serve as a model HEF can replicate in more Hillsborough County Public Schools.

Listen to Hillsborough Education Foundation and Gopher Resource members discuss how SCOPE will assist students at King High School.

This November, Zach Palumbo, Sr. Process Engineer at Gopher Resource, attended the Men on the Move career workshop sponsored by the Hillsborough Education Foundation SCOPE program at King High School. Zach shared his career story, offered advice, and answered questions from students interested in secondary education.