September 30, 2025
Sumter Adult Education Student Honored with ACE of Florida Student Success Award
By Kyle Coppola
Sumter Adult Education Student Honored with ACE of Florida Student Success Award
Sumter Career and Adult Education announced that Katee Callaway has been selected as one of two recipients of the ACE of Florida Student Success Award. This statewide recognition is awarded annually to adult learners who have demonstrated extraordinary perseverance and achievement in their educational journeys.
Katee will be formally honored at the 2025 ACE of Florida Conference during a special awards luncheon on Thursday, October 16. As part of this celebration, Katee will have the opportunity to share her powerful personal story of transformation from overcoming a 20-year struggle with addiction and homelessness to earning her GED and reclaiming her life and family. Katee will also receive a $250 gift card and a certificate of achievement as part of this honor.
(Katee has battled addiction and homelessness and recently earned her GED.)
"Katee's story is one of unmatched resilience and hope," says Brie Ishee, Administrator of Sumter Career and Adult Education. "She exemplifies what adult education can make possible. Her courage to return to the classroom, complete her education, and become a mentor to others is deeply inspiring."
Now almost two years sober, Katee is working toward becoming a Peer Specialist and volunteering with the non-profit organization Picking Up the Pieces, where she advocates for overdose prevention and recovery awareness. She is also a proud mother, soon-to-be grandmother and continues to be a beacon of strength to others navigating similar paths.
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
