In 2025-26, thanks to a donation from VanTrust Foundation, CareerSource Northeast Florida (CareerSource NEFL) established the new Crossing the Finish Line Scholarship to help three local college students with funding to complete their final semesters in college. Scholarship winners had to be enrolled in a recognized medical training program and maintain a 3.0 Grade Point Average or higher.
For Peyton Barnes, who received a degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ultrasound), it’s the culmination of a long-time dream to be in the healthcare field.
“My dad passed away when I was eight years old, so from a very young age I always just wanted to take care of people,” she said.
Barnes graduated from West Nassau High School, then earned an associate degree from Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ). She attended college classes through a program at Ascension St. Vincent’s Hospital in Jacksonville for two years.
She found out about the Crossing the Finish Line Scholarship in early 2026, and was among 12 local students who applied for help.
“The scholarship definitely helped out a lot, because it’s just me and my mom and she’s paid for my college for the last couple years,” she said. “So, it helped me make it to graduation and helped my mom out, too.”
Barnes now works at Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons and Associates, a private practice that operates six different locations throughout Jacksonville.
VanTrust Foundation made a $100,000 donation to CareerSource NEFL to help more people receive training in Northeast Florida, including skill certifications for healthcare jobs. The VanTrust Foundation is the nonprofit arm of VanTrust Real Estate, a full-service real estate development company founded in 2010 with a regional office in Jacksonville. Through its corporate and foundation giving, VanTrust has supported 200 charitable organizations in 71 communities where it operates.