Page 8 - Florida Sentinel 4-24-18

Local and Military
Teen Raising Funds For Cancer To Be Honored
Naval Enlistee Returns After 6-Year Deployment
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
N’Jhari Jackson is no typical teenager. He is an en- trepreneur determined to make the world a better place. Recently, N’Jhari was chosen as a finalist for the 2018 U. S. Army Pro Football Hall of Fame Award for Ex- cellence, which will be an- nounced during the 2018 U. S. Army Pro Football Hall of Fame Award Enshrinement Week in Canton, Ohio, Au- gust 2nd through August 5th, 2018.
N’Jhari Jackson is one of 110 teenagers from around the nation meeting the crite- ria for the prestigious recog- nition.
In addition to this honor on Friday, May 11th, N’Jhari will be honored by former NFL Coach Tony Dungy and former NFL standout Derrick Brooks. The cere- mony will take place at his school, Carrollwood Day School.
N’Jhari is well known in the community for his ac- complishments. However, since the Sentinel last wrote about him, N’Jhari has a National Silver Medal for po- etry in the Scholastic Art and Writing Contest, a Regional Gold Key for poetry, a Silver Key for a Critical Essay, a Sil- ver Key for Poetry, and he has earned 4 Honorable Men- tions for poetry.
In addition, the 15-year- old has recently published two more books. The pro- ceeds from one of those books entitled, “One Poke, Two Pokes, Three... Yo This
he is a member of both the football team and lacrosse team. An Eagle Scout, N’Jhari has obtained all 23 Eagle Scout Palm Awards and 138 out of 138 BSA Merit badges.
An only child, N’Jhari began his community service at the age of 6 with the cre- ation of his “Pajama Buddies” Program. It provides stuffed animals to sick children to comfort them during their hospital stays. It began while he was at Shriners Hos- pital For Children undergo- ing a surgical procedure. A nurse gave him a stuffed ani- mal to comfort him. And, when he encountered an- other child experiencing the same anxiety that he had, he gave the stuffed animal to that child.
N’Jhari has continued to demonstrate his concerns in various other programs. Last year, he was presented the 2017 National Caring Award. The award was presented by the Caring Institute at their 30th Annual Caring Award Ceremony.
As part of his journey to become an Eagle Scout, he created the “NJ’s-Love-To- The Rescue” project to re- duce Sudden Cardiac Arrest in student athletes and youth in the community.
Since creating the project, hundreds of teachers have been trained to use the AED (Automated External Defib- rillators).
As part of his “Kool Sox,” Program, N’Jhari has given more than 1,200 pairs of “Kool Sox” to underprivi- leged children.
White Beach, Okinawa ---
Quartermaster 3rd Class Jay Bourgeois, of St. Peters- burg, is shown hoisting the na- tional ensign to the main mast as amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) as it departs White Beach Naval Facility after a scheduled port visit.
The Bonhomme Richard de- parted Okinawa for the final time before performing a homeport shift to San Diego after six years of being for- ward-deployed to Sasebo, Japan. (U. S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class
QUARTERMASTER 3rd CLASS JAY BOURGEOIS
Daniel Charest/Released).
N’JHARI JACKSON ... To be honored on May 11th
Is Not Joke,” will be donated to the Dick Vitale’s V Foun- dation at the annual V Foun- dation Gala that will take place next month.
He is raising money to help those fighting pediatric cancer. His goal is to encour- age and inspire children bat- tling the disease.
The book is a depiction of children who are battling adult-size diseases. It focuses on the treatment and all of the emotions they experience in their struggle to survive.
N’Jhari knows about this first-hand. A few years ago, he was diagnosed with juve- nile idiopathic arthritis, an autoimmune disease. N’Jhari and his mother, Ms. Lashina Lewis, were told that he would not be able to play football again.
But, after several surger- ies, he can participate in all of the sports he enjoys.
N’Jhari is a junior at Car- rollwood Day School, where
Enlistee Completes Basic Military Training
A military enlistee with ties to Tampa recently graduated from basic military training in the U. S. Air Force. Re- serve Airman 1st Class Christian A. Fuller partici- pated in his graduation cere- mony held at the Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, in San Antonio, Texas.
Reserve Airman 1st Class Fuller completed an intensive, eight-week pro- gram that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
He also earned four credits toward an Associate in Ap- plied Science Degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Reserve Airman 1st
AIRMAN 1ST CLASS CHRISTIAN A. FULLER
Class Fuller is the son of Theodore Murray and Catherine Fuller, of Bishop, California.
He graduated from Bloom- ingdale High School in 2009. He also earned his Associate Degree from Hillsborough Community College in 2013.
Plant City Native Assigned To USS Ronald Reagan
A member of the armed forces is currently assigned to a ship serving in the U. S. Navy with Commander, Task Force 70 Destroyer Squadron 15 (DESRON 15). It is sta- tioned in Yokosuka, Japan.
Senior Chief Petty Of- ficer Andrew Marshall is a Sonar Technician (Surface.) A Navy Sonar Technician is responsible for operating sur- face sonar and other oceano- graphic systems. He performs organizational and interme- diate maintenance on surface sonar equipment.
A 2000 graduate of East Bay High School, Senior Chief Petty Officer Mar- shall is proud of of being one of only a few Acoustic Intelli- gence Specialists in the Navy. Because the position is so specialized and the extensive
Tampa Native Assigned To U. S. Naval Ship In Japan
Petty Officer 1st Class Jesus Navarro is currently serving on the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. The U. S. Naval ship is stationed in Yokosuka, Japan.
A Plant City native and 1999 graduate of Durant High School, Petty Officer 1st Class Navarro is an Aerographer's Mate. A Navy Aerographer's Mate is re- sponsible for monitoring weather characteristics.
With more than 50 percent of the world's shipping ton- nage and a third of the world's crude oil passing
PETTY OFFICER 1st CLASS JESUS NAVARRO
through the region, the
United States has historic and enduring interests in this part of the world. The Navy's presence in Yokosuka is part of that long-standing com- mitment.
The carrier is nearly 1,100 feet. It has a flight deck that is 252 feet wide. Two nuclear reactors can push the ship through the water at more than 35 mph.
When the air wing is em- barked, the ship carries more than 70 attack jets, helicop- ters and other aircraft, all of which take off from and land aboard the carrier at sea.
SENIOR CHIEF PETTY OFFI- CER ANDREW MARSHALL
training and schooling that comes with it, he is able to better train other Sonar Tech- nicians in the fleet.
The mission of the DESRON 15 is to conduct un- derway operations and exer- cise tactical control of destroyers during peace and wartime operations.
PAGE 8 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018