Hello, my name is Mindy Brewster and I am running for Osceola County School Board, District 4.
I am the mother of two beautiful daughters, and the wife of a retired Navy Seabee, Bill Brewster.
Over the course of the last 20 years, I have dedicated my time to volunteering for schools, animal rescues, domestic violence awareness, Navy Ombudsman, activities advisory committees, and Parent/Teacher Organizations. Throughout this time, I have worked diligently to ensure the morale and welfare of the community are taken care of.
As a military spouse, I have learned how to navigate the big systems and get things done that make a difference in the community. In 2014 & 2015, I won Armed Forces Insurance NAS Key West Military Spouse of the Year as I advocated for the safe housing initiative of military bases in Florida. With this work we were able to receive an $11M grant to renovate homes in military installations throughout Florida to make them safer for families to live. I am also the recipient of the Bronze Eagle award for Ombudsmanship and the Military Spouses Medal for volunteerism in the military community. I was grateful to earn such accolades, however, I would never have been able to accomplish all I did without the amazing help from the communities I support.
Upon moving to Saint Cloud, I took the first year to get my children rolling in school and to find a job for myself. My husband works for the VA Hospital. Covid impacted us in many ways. It made socializing with our community more difficult and it also made me far more aware of what was happening in our school. Our neighborhood felt that weight as well. Many first responders live near me and I saw the drain they had. I began the Halloween neighborhood decorating contest. I asked many local businesses to donate items that we could use for prizes and a local real estate company paid for the first set of awards. It was such a success that I was asked to do it again for Christmas. Prizes included a signed autograph from Miss America and NASCAR drivers. The next year we had over $700 in prizes for the contests and more celebrities contributed!
My oldest daughter, Nicole, is a graduate of Harmony High School, and now a proud member of the United States Navy, making her a 4th generation service member. My youngest daughter, Kiralyn, is in band majoring in the Euphonium. She is also taking up the keyboard and trombone, and hope to follow in her sisters footsteps and join the U.S. Navy Band!
I am running because I believe our current board has strayed from the education. So many have lost sight of the actual job they were elected to do.
I believe that we need to bridge the gap between our teachers, our students and the parents. Without all three of them working together, education cannot thrive. I love being involved in the community, and what better way to do so. On the school board, I will make positive changes to our education. I will make education the priority and not politics, biases or self-interests.
Teachers, ESPs, Staff, etc should never have to question their value in our schools. They should be appreciated and every effort should be made to increase their pay. I may not have been born and raised in Saint Cloud, but I am a native Floridian. I love our state and I love our community. For more information visit MindyBrewster.com or find me on Facebook, Mindy Brewster for Osceola County School Board
