Photo Credit by Johnny Boykins (middle) with two scholarship recipients.
Johnny Boykins is the National Director of Excellence & Quality at PalAmerican Security, one of North America’s largest independent security firms. He started with the company over a decade ago as an office admin, and held roles including managing operations and licensing compliance during his steady ascent.
His courteous and open-hearted nature shows up in his interactions, as evidenced during a lunch meeting at the local diner he frequents, where his warmth, respect, and camaraderie with the staff were genuine.
One might argue, however, that his positive energy is even more important in the passion he exhibits toward the future of local youth. It goes without saying that “it takes a village to raise a child,” and for the students he mentors through the Pinellas Education Foundation, his impact reveals what students need our villages to offer.
At just nine years old, Boykins was a recipient of the Pinellas Education Foundation’s Take Stock in Children Scholarship – a program for economically disadvantaged students, linking academic performance to mentorship, and awarding graduating students a four-year college scholarship.
Although too young to fully grasp the weight of this momentous achievement, the award would pay for him to study and graduate from St. Petersburg’s Eckerd College. He went on to earn his master’s from Norwich University before returning to the foundation a decade later as a mentor, with a goal to open the door of opportunity for others, as it had been opened for him.
Over 2,000 students have earned either a college degree or credentials thanks to Take Stock in Children. Mentors help their mentees navigate educational and social roadblocks in exchange for privileged communication.
Boykins currently has two mentees entering their senior year of high school who, under his tutelage, have received 11 acceptance letters from colleges combined.
“I always say a mentor’s job is to illuminate the runway. Some people don’t even know that the runway’s there,” said Boykins. “My job as a mentor is if they don’t know that the runway is there, is to get them to that runway. If they do know that it’s there, now I want to help them go down the runway and help them take off.”
Now serving as chair of the organization’s scholarship committee, as one of the youngest members of the board, Boykins brings a fresh perspective, bold energy, and new insights to the foundation. He’s no stranger to challenging the norm and offering new ideas that help the foundation to stay current with the times.
“What I bring to the board of directors is…a lived experience of what it means to navigate this program,” said Boykins.
Boykins understands that connections are one of the keys to success — it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. He actively uses his role to expand students’ access to social, financial, and economic opportunities, hoping to help those who might see such opportunities as out of reach.
“I’ve been really trying to champion something that I call ‘social capital’ at the foundation…How can we expose students to situations where they’re not surprised…when they’re in ‘the’ room,” says Boykins, who aims to connect students to broader experiences. “My job is to be a bridge-builder, to be a connector. To bring as many people to the runway…as possible.”
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More Photos
Johnny Boykins, National Director of Excellence & Quality at PalAmerican Security, one of North America’s largest independent security firms. Photo courtesy of Johnny Boykins
Johnny Boykins is the chair of Pinellas Education Foundation’s scholarship committee. Photo courtesy of Johnny Boykins
Johnny Boykins has been a mentor with the program for over a decade, using his role to expand students’ access to social, financial, and economic opportunities. Photo courtesy of Johnny Boykins
