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At North Florida School of Special Education, we love our trees! Our students are refreshed as they rest and play under
the canopy of beautiful live oaks surrounding the barn, and are nourished by a variety of fruit-bearing trees tucked about
the urban farm.
One special tree not only feeds our bodies, but it also strengthens our hearts. In 2016, an avocado tree was planted in
memory of Scott Beldsoe, a beloved coworker who passed away suddenly in 2015.
Scott instilled kindness, laughter, and love into the lives of transition students and postgraduates while he worked
alongside them on Berry Good Farms. He was famous for making up silly rhymes and songs that brightened everyone’s
day. And so, when we planted the avocado tree in Scott’s memory, we aptly named it the Rhyming Tree as a reminder
of the kindness and laughter Scott brought to our lives.
This year the Rhyming Tree matured enough to produce its first crop of avocados! Scott’s parents, Lee and Lynn Bledsoe,
along with Scott’s postgraduate friends picked the ripe fruit that made its way into salads and sandwiches in the school’s café.
Scott’s legacy lives on in many ways at North Florida School of Special Education. To honor their son, Lee and Lynn
Bledsoe established the Scott Bledsoe Scholarship Fund. It is awarded to one transition student and one postgraduate
each year who embody Scott’s character. Countless donors have supported it over the past six years through the annual
Giving Tree Fund and 14 young adults with intellectual and developmental differences have been awarded the scholarship
to date!
You are the reason a legacy of love continues to bloom at North Florida School of Special Education. Thank you for being part of this special community.