Jamie Thomason remembers the day she walked into Minds of the Future Academy during her senior year. She didn’t want to be there. School felt like a chore, something to avoid. Jamie’s absences piled up, and expulsion loomed.
Then came the conversation that changed everything.
Dr. Cynthia Smith, the school’s principal, didn’t lecture Jamie. She listened.
“It wasn’t like she was a principal anymore,” Jamie said. “She felt like a mom.”
That moment shifted Jamie’s perspective on education. Within a year, she became the salutatorian of the school’s first graduating class. Today, she’s thriving at Edward Waters University, enrolled in the honors program.
“I am very involved in school right now,” Jamie said. “I wouldn’t be involved in school like I am without the support from Dr. Cynthia Smith.”
Stories like Jamie’s are the reason why Dr. Smith is working to expand Minds of the Future Academy, a private, STEAM-focused school designed to offer flexibility, personalized learning and limitless opportunities for K-12 students.
The school currently utilizes space inside a Boys & Girls Club in Jacksonville, but with help from VyStar’s Commercial Lending team, it will soon open a new facility to reach more families and further bring Dr. Smith’s mission to life.
Getting Out of the Group Chat
Dr. Smith, a 16-year educator who began her career as a classroom teacher in the Duval County School District, has always been driven to help students like Jamie.
Minds of the Future Academy began as an idea in 2018 — a private school built on innovation, real-world learning and family partnership. But the name didn’t come easily.
At first, Dr. Smith pitched “On the Road to Learning” in a family group chat. The response? Brutal honesty.
“They were like, ‘That's too generic, and it’s boring,’” Dr. Smith said.
She had already printed the magnets and key chains with the name, but she kept brainstorming. She wanted something that reflected the school’s purpose: changing — and elevating — the way students think about learning and their future.
Then a lyric from Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All” came to mind: “I believe children are the future.” The line stuck and Minds of the Future Academy was born.
Free Tuition, Big Expectations
The STEAM-focused school provides free tuition from preschool through 12th grade, saving families thousands thanks to the Step Up for Students program. It covers part of the tuition, and in return, parents are required to volunteer 30 hours each school year.
Parents pitch in with cafeteria duty, classroom observations and more. It’s a partnership that keeps costs low, engagement high and the school’s mission accessible to more families.
“It gives parents an opportunity to see what their child is learning,” Dr. Smith said.
For parents who do not fulfill the volunteer requirement, tuition is $14,235.10 a year. That is close to the average tuition for a private school in Florida, according to the Private School Review.
At Full Capacity
On a recent morning, the halls of the Boys & Girls Club on West 25th Street in Jacksonville — the current home of Minds of the Future Academy — were filled with greetings and laughter.
Staff called out, “Good morning!” Students exchanged smiles and morning pleasantries. And then, from a nearby classroom, the sound began to build. Feet pounded the floor, hands clapped in rhythm and voices rose together in a joyful chant:
“M-O-T-F-A!”
The beat launched students into their step routine in their step class.
At 2:45 p.m. each weekday, students and faculty pack up and moves to their second location on North Main Street for after-school programs, making room for the Boys & Girls Club to begin their programs. Overflow classes even spill into Andrew Jackson High School in order to accommodate the 195 students at the school.
“These past four years we’ve been at capacity,” Dr. Smith said. “This is why I need that building.”
Expanding with the Help from VyStar
For two years, Dr. Smith searched for financing to purchase a permanent home for the growing school. Lenders repeatedly turned her away. In turn, she was forced to turn away students because the building could not match the demand for enrollment.
In 2025, she visited VyStar’s Riverside branch and met a relationship specialist. Two days later, Senior Commercial Banker John Blackwell visited the school.
“Dr. Smith is an amazing person, educator and dear friend,” John said. “Her passion for her kids is infectious.”
What followed was constant communication, creative problem-solving and a shared belief in what the school could become. Together, they secured financing for a 27,000-square-foot brick building on Carmichael Avenue in the St. Nicholas neighborhood. It is set to open in January 2026.
Providing access to capital for local business owners is an important part of VyStar’s work. Supporting Dr. Smith’s vision was a natural fit.
“It was complete optimism that we could get it done,” Dr. Smith said. “The process was so smooth for me.”
Dr. Smith envisions a STEM-focused campus with robotics, media production and multipurpose space.
“I can’t wait to see where it goes,” she said. “The layout of the facility is amazing.”
This article is part of a series on local business members who have received support from VyStar. Read more stories.