Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 6-25-21

Features
Tampa Native’s Book Is About Her Own Life But Was Inspired By Her Students
BY MONIQUE STAMPS Sentinel Staff Writer
First time author, Norma Pruitt has a pow- erful story to tell. Her book, Summer Fun, starts from her earliest memories through her college gradua- tion. She plans on a sequel that will take the reader from her graduation to present day.
Pruitt’s story was born after she received her mas- ter’s degree from Florida In- ternational University in Miami, FL. She received her bachelor’s degree from Florida A and M University.
While studying for her board certification exam, she began to feel the weight of the upcoming exams. She had the education, but to work in her field, she had to pass the exam.
She began to write about
NORMA PRUITT Author of ‘Summer Fun’
her early life and how far she had come, writing three pages that day. Her family
members encouraged her to write a book.
After she passed her exam and began to work, she was assigned to a school that re- minded her of her own high school, George S. Middleton High School.
At her new school, the kids began to refer to her as “Mom.” They would come to her and tell her their problems and struggles. They also said that she could not possibly under- stand their lives.
She listened to them say that they could not achieve because of where they come from, or their family cir- cumstances.
Pruitt explained that it did not matter what their home life was, it was about what they tried to achieve each day and how far they reached, however, it was a hard sell.
She finally broke and told
her own story to three of her students, then realized that her story needed to be told on a wider scale. During the quarantine, she finished her book.
Taking on the pen name Taquandra Joness (a childhood nickname given to her by her brother), Pruitt told her story of being born to a crack-ad- dicted mother and the ensu- ing struggles and low expectations she suffered. She had always been told that “what happens in this house, stays in this house.” Pruitt says that to grow and help others, she had to put it all in her book. She says that writing the book also helped her heal.
She says she understands her perfect role right now is to be in the high school set- ting where she can continue to help young people who are dealing with the same
things she did.
Pruitt now lives in Ft.
Lauderdale, Florida, with her two-year-old son, Cam- den. However, she decided to have her book signing in her hometown.
Pruitt states, “Children of crack mothers are told that we will be easily agi- tated and have learning and emotional deficits. We were told that we could not hold jobs and would live lives of diminished quality. With God and His never-ending grace, I have achieved a suc- cessful career in my chosen field and have written a book to help others.”
The book signing and reception on June 27, 2021 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Blue Flame Event Center, lo- cated at 210 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa FL 33612.
Tampa Housing Authority Awarded GrantInThe AmountOf $1,208,3650
To Help Youth Ages 16-24
The Tampa Housing Au- thority’s Youth-Build pro- gram will target 68 youth ages 16-24 that live within 12 designated zip codes in Hillsborough County (Tampa), Florida, who are neither enrolled in school nor participating in the labor market, to obtain em- ployment in construction and other in-demand indus- tries such as healthcare, in- formation technology, manufacturing and logis- tics, the culinary arts and hospitality. The Tampa Housing grant, which they have received for the fourth time, is part of $89 million awarded to 31 states and Puerto Rico to help youth ages 16-24.
Administered by the Florida Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration,
JEROME RYANS ...Tampa Housing Authority President/CEO
Youth-Build grants support a pre-apprenticeship model to help young people learn valuable occupational skills. They will split their time be- tween workplace training and the classroom, where they earn their high school diploma or equivalency de- gree and prepare for post-
secondary opportunities. They will also be prepared for employment upon com- pletion of training.
In total, ETA has awarded 68 grants, ranging from $700,000 to $1.5 mil- lion each, to organizations that deliver training and employment in several in- demand industries, includ- ing construction, where youth put their classroom learning to use in building or rehabilitating affordable housing for low-income or homeless families in their neighborhoods.
Jerome Ryans, Tampa Housing Authority Presi- dent/CEO said, “We are so grateful for this award that will assist us in preparing our participants for bright futures while also teaching them skills that will last a lifetime.”
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