Estella Pyfrom

Estella Mims Pyfrom was born in Quincy, Florida and grew up in Belle Glade, Florida. She attended Everglades Vocational High School grades 1- 12 at Okeechobee Center in Belle Glade, Florida. She began her college career at, A & M University in Tallahassee, Florida, where she earned her B.S. Degree and Master’s Degree in Elementary Education, Vocational Home Economics and Administration and Supervision. Estella later attended Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida, where she earned her certification in Guidance and Counseling. Estella is also certified by the State of Florida as a Supreme Court Justice trained Mediator. Additional diplomas: Culinary Arts, Cake Decorating and Floral Designing.

Estella is a recent recipient of Global Recognition and is listed among Honorees who are posted in the 2012 GLOBAL Directory of WHO’S WHO for hard work, dedication, perseverance and for demonstrating leadership and achievement in their occupation, industry or profession. Estella was the Glades Area Representative on the Palm Beach County Comprehensive Board of Directors for Mental Health and is responsible for bringing mental health services to the Glades. Estella served on the Board of County Commission on the Status of Women for four (4) years. She was a National and State Supervisor for Girl’s’ Clubs and a Girl Scout Troop Leader for several years. She was President of several local community organizations, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and a member of a local church.

Estella Mims Pyfrom served as a K-12 classroom teacher for 3 years, a Guidance Counselor for 31 years, a Summer School Principal for two years and an Area Resource Teacher for the School District of Palm Beach County for six years. As an Area Resource Teacher, she was responsible for training staff, teaching students, implementing and monitoring programs through the Drug-Free Schools Department. During the past years the name was changed to the Prevention Center and is currently renamed as Safe Schools Department for Palm Beach County. She also served on two Superintendent’s Advisory Committees for the district, whose responsibilities were to review all new programs and materials to be approved for the district. She worked as an instructor for Adult Education for twenty six (26) years. During her tenure with Palm Beach County School district, she worked as chairperson for many departments at the schools as well as served as the President of the Palm Beach County Home Economic Association. She was voted “The Most Concerned Teacher of the Year” by the student body at Pahokee High School. Estella served as the Auxiliary Coach for Glades Central High School Band, for twenty eighty (28) years. She was a group home owner and operator for mentally and physically challenged individuals and provided long term care for twenty eight (28) years. Estella Pyfrom served as Guardian Ad Litem for seven years, as an advocate for neglected and abused children. She provided financial assistance for underprivileged children and allowed many to live in her home. As a trained Supreme Court Certified Mediator she volunteered to help many families through difficult situations and crisis and also served on the District Crisis Assistance Team.

Estella Pyfrom is the mother of four well-adjusted children and 11 grandchildren. All four of her children have excelled personally and professionally. Her oldest son, Gene A Pyfrom, is a retired Manager of a Gymnastic facility for which he was the owner. Her second oldest son, Lieutenant Colonel Juan A. Pyfrom, earned a Jurist Doctorate Degree in International Law and is a JAGG Officer in the United States Army. Her oldest daughter, Dr. Karen Abrams, was recently appointed principal of Pahokee Elementary School in Pahokee, Florida, and her youngest daughter, Mia L. Pyfrom, who is working as one of several Learning Team Facilitators for the Palm Beach School District.

After forty eight years of service to the Palm Beach County School District, Estella retired for two years, only to return back to the system as a classroom teacher and later as a Guidance Counselor. Estella returned with a passion to help under achieving and underprivileged children and families as well as culturally and economically disadvantage children and families improve their lives.

In September 19, 2006, she returned to the school district from retirement as a Guidance Counselor at Rosenwald Elementary School in South Bay. In October 2008, Estella resigned her position so that she could dvote more time to accomplishing her mission. Her mission was to create a project that would help underprivileged children and families improve the quality of life, thus creating Project Aspiration (D/B/A Estella’s Brilliant Bus) sees mission statement. She is the Founder and CEO of Project Aspiration, a Class Act Learning Center, Inc. Estella’s Brilliant Bus is a 501 (C) 3, not for profit Corporation. The name Project Aspiration has changed exclusively to “Estella’s Brilliant Bus”.

Estella grew up in an underprivileged household and has a passion to help underprivileged families improve their standard of living. Her vision is that parents will be empowered with better skills and get more involved with their children’s education and lives, thus improving the quality of life for the family.

The project intends to network with schools, businesses and community agencies to provide experiences that will enable families to become more productive. Estella is currently serving as a Regional Director for one of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Providers.

Estella’s Brilliant Bus, formerly known as Project Aspiration, is a customized mobile learning center, designed to travel to communities and deliver services where service is needed. Estella’s Brilliant Bus will serve children and families throughout Palm Beach County.

Estella’s Brilliant Bus was designed and created by Estella Pyfrom. Estella believes that by forming alliances with agencies in communities who have similar missions and who have been awarded grants, have grant funds to provide services and join partnerships to serve hard to reach individuals will be beneficial. The learning center will travel to communities where service is needed. Presently, she is focusing on grant writing, agency donations, and sponsorships that have a passion to help improve the quality of life for individuals throughout the communities in Palm Beach, Martin and Broward Counties. We will make a difference…one child at a time and/or one family at a time.

During the past two years, Estella has organized and operated a food pantry and is now a partner with Feeding South Florida, which is a regional branch of Feeding America distributing food to approx. 3,000 individuals each month.

Estella recently piloted a tutoring program for children of homeless families, sponsored by the Palm Beach County School District. Estella provided tutoring for the children but also extended her time to include service to college students so they could work on assignments and to adults who needed to search for jobs and housing. Estella’s Brilliant Bus pledge is to continue to extend her services to those families as they venture out into communities throughout Palm Beach County.