Around the world, community service efforts have had a lasting impact on various communities, ranging from neighborhoods to entire countries. The Ryan Nece Foundation’s Student Service Program is no exception, offering Florida (and soon-to-be California) high school students the opportunity to serve their community with nonprofits around their community. In the case of the Owens-Rostick family, the impact of volunteering alongside the program has not only benefitted the community but has also become a part of the family legacy, after three members served as active participants over the past few years.
How It First Began
In 2017, while Kim Rostick was first starting her business Go4Scholarships, she stumbled across the open program applications and convinced her youngest daughter Solana Rostick to apply because of their prior involvement with other nonprofits.
“She read up on Ryan Nece SSP and agreed that the two years in one organization was a good fit. She applied, interviewed and was accepted into the Ryan Nece SSP Class of 2019,” Kim said.
Which made Solana the first member of the family to participate.
Solana Rostick is pictured on the far left.
For a shy high school junior, having an excuse to get outside the house, while at first nerve-racking, it soon became second nature because of her previous volunteer experience. She participated in numerous beach clean ups, at soup kitchens and various other activities with teens her age and even inspired her mother to get off the sidelines to accompany her on some activities.
”My most memorable hands-on experience with Ryan Nece Foundation SSP was volunteering with the Power of Thanksgiving in November 2017. The energy, love, gratitude and excitement of serving a meal and connecting with our neighbors was palpable.” Kim said.
The foundation also did a good job at maintaining communication with both parents and students fostering a greater community to even those who were on the periphery of the program.
Once Solana was about to graduate from school, she used her experience with Ryan Nece to apply to a service-based scholarship known as the Bonner scholarship. The scholarship committee was so impressed with Solana’s involvement in the organization that she received a full ride to Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where she continued to be active in community service both off and on college. To this day, Kim uses this as an example of the long-term impact the program has for students even after direct participation has ended. She even went on to say that
“not only would I recommend volunteering at Ryan Nece, I have marketed and encouraged teenagers in my circle of influence to consider applying for this wonderful and one of a kind program.”
The Legacy Continues
Kim’s high praises trickled down to Demetrix Rostick-Owens, who believed the program would have a similar impact on her children Kennedy and Xavier.
“I think that as a society, being able to give back to others is not only beneficial to those you’re helping, but it helps create empathy in us, understanding perspectives. And it gives the manpower, the physical power to get things done that small organizations probably would take a lot longer to do without additional help.”
Demetrix voiced in a recent roundtable interview with her daughter Kennedy.
“I was able to hear about it when I was up in Georgia, about certain things. And then when I finally came down, when we moved down too far, I was able to really kind of physically see it, visually see it and experience it.”
Their father William Owens then added to this thought later in the interview, when looking back.
Kennedy was the first teen to participate in the program between the years 2023 and 2024. Like Solana, she was a shy young girl who didn’t leave the house very often. While at first reluctant to participate in the program, she gradually began to open up to the program coordinators and began to enjoy the different places she volunteered for. One of her fondest memories during her time in the nonprofit was during a walking event, which raised money for Kidney disease research. Having gotten to know her program coordinator’s story with kidney disease, she became closer with her and even participated in the walk herself when she was done with her responsibilities manning the front booth.
“Experiences like this remain important to me because it not only taught me skills I’ve used for customer service jobs, but I also got to learn more about the people I was working alongside in one of those one of a kind opportunities you don’t get very often.” Kennedy said while recounting her time at the kidney walk.
Round Three: Xavier Joins SSP
Following her years in the program, Kennedy gets involved in alumni-open meetings alongside her younger brother Xavier, who’s still in the program. Kennedy even volunteered with both Xavier and her college roommate for a Habitat for Humanity collaboration while she was visiting over the summer.
During the summer, Xavier has participated in the annual weeklong service-learning trip, this time taking place in Atlanta, Georgia for juniors. This trip was eye-opening to Xavier who was still getting adjusted to both the program’s leadership activities, new volunteer opportunities, and a sister returning home after spending most of the past two years away at college. He began to open up more to his peers and found that some were also dealing with living at home by themselves while their other siblings went off to college.
Through bonding over their similar situations he gradually loosened up over the trip and the sudden change of scenery.
“It was something to focus on, something to look forward to, something to get me to meet other people. If anything, it’s made me more sociable. If anything, it’s made me want to, you know, go out more.” Xavier said, also happy to see Atlanta again after not visiting there for a few years.
The program’s safety workshops have also left a strong impact on him as he often mentions those tips to his family to keep them informed.
“There’s this one facility helping human trafficking victims. And their entire point was to help educate us on that matter, too…. It was nice not only to learn more about that, but also to help.” Xavier added.
Where are they now?
Xavier is looking forward to future activities and the next year’s summer trip where he gets to volunteer internationally as well as explore other cultures. For some summer opportunities, Kennedy will likely come along to support both her brother and the program whenever she can.
Like Kim, William recommends the program to people in his social circle and has let one of the program coordinators know that they should expect a new applicant from his friend’s son shortly after the application period opens.
Demetrix is also gradually volunteering herself during her off time from work and Solana checks in from time to time to see what’s going on while in Atlanta herself for a job in the arts at Clark Atlanta University.
“This program is benefiting teenagers. It keeps them occupied, it keeps them connected to their community, and it gets them to see the world outside of themselves.” Demetrix stated at the end of her interview.
Much like everyone else in the family who’s been a part of the program, she recommends it with glowing reviews.
The Ryan Nece Foundation’s Student Service Program is a fun, transformative experience for older adolescents and in the cases of Owens-Rostick’s, entire families. No matter which age you are, your family can always get involved in the program as either a mentor, a peer, or both.
Blog Author
This piece was written by Kennedy Owens, who graduated from the Student Service Program in 2024.
In August 2023, the Student Service Club™ school-based model was launched as an extension of the Ryan Nece Foundation’s Student Service Program to ensure all
This year, the Ryan Nece Foundation’s Student Service Club set out with a simple but ambitious theme: Preparing to Progress. It’s a phrase that captures
Every year, we ask our Student Service Program graduating seniors the same question once their service-learning trip wraps up: What will you take with you?
