About Us

The Leaders for Life (L4L) Fellowship was founded in 2011 by the Asofsky Family Foundation in partnership with Take Stock in Children to provide economically disadvantaged Florida high school seniors with the financial resources, support services and training necessary in order to attend and succeed in college and beyond. The Asofsky Family Foundation believes that everyone deserves to reach their full potential regardless of socioeconomic or family circumstances and that education is one of the most effective tools at building pathways to opportunities.

Each year, 6-10 Florida high school seniors are selected through a three-tier selection process based on personal accomplishments, academic performance, leadership traits and moral character. Each L4L finalist is awarded an Apple laptop during a surprise ceremony at their school and then presented with the L4L Fellowship award during special ceremonies at Florida’s state Capital in Tallahassee.

The ultimate goal is build pathways to opportunities, break cycles of poverty and help develop the leaders of tomorrow.

The L4L program is designed to eliminate the financial burdens normally associated with a university education in order to allow the Fellows to devote 100% of their attention to studies and personal development. In addition, the L4L leadership conferences, support staff phone check-ins, campus visits and resources provide the L4L Fellows with meaningful guidance, training, motivation, and connections to enrich their college experience and set them on a course for lifelong success.

All L4L Fellows come from families that live below the federal poverty guidelines, many of whom are first-generation college students. All L4L Fellows enter with at least a partial tuition scholarship provided by Take Stock in Children of Florida. The L4L Fellowship funds all other unmet college costs, in addition to “soft costs” usually not covered by scholarships such as traveling to and from school, overseas study opportunities, medical and humanitarian missions, travel money for interviews, health insurance, and almost any other educational or life advancement costs.

These young students have had to overcome difficulties in their childhood ranging from poverty, homelessness, abandonment, cancer, foster care system, abusive homes and incarcerated parents, however, they have not let their circumstances define them or prevent them from achieving success.

The L4L Summer Conference is a transformative 3-day event hosted in a different Florida city each summer. Participants engage with influential leaders across various fields including medicine, business, philanthropy and the arts. Additionally, the Fellows participate in a community service project and enjoy bonding, teamwork and recreational activities. The conference focuses on hands-on leadership training, personal development, industry insights and networking opportunities with the goal of preparing L4L Fellows for personal and professional success.