Page 7 - Florida Sentinel 8-18-17

Local
Walters Academy’s Goal Is To Train Future Entrepreneurs
Veronica Walters, center, poses with students from her school, the Walters Academy for Entrepreneurship..
Gus Trent’s Rodeo Fest Celebrating 5 Years Of Bringing Back The Black Cowboy Experience
Ask Gus Trent his thoughts on the five-year anniversary of Rodeo Fest and the horseman will admit he’s in “disbelief” the event is still ongoing.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s a labor of love,” he said. “We continue to make it family- oriented and let people enjoy themselves and have a good time.”
Trent said he expects more than 1,800 attendees to descend on the Florida State Fairgrounds next Sat- urday, to enjoy two hours of rodeo sports including bull riding, barrel racing, and mounted shooting.
A highlight of this year’s show is the Four-Horse Relay Race, an equestrian twist on the track and field sport.
Contestants are traveling from as far as Oklahoma to participate in the show, which takes place in the Charlie Lykes Indoor Arena.
A retired colonel, Trent said his experience with the Bill Pickett Rodeo – which honors Black Western her- itage and showcases the tal- ents of Black cowboys and cowgirls – inspired him to start his own rodeo.
He performed six shows a year with the Pickett rodeo, sharpening both his horsemanship and show- manship.
“That’s where I got my
Gus Trent is celebrating the 5th Anniversary of Rodeo Fest.
start,” he said.
The Pittsburgh, Pa. na-
tive, said he set about plan- ning the first rodeo uncertain if the show would be a success.
But Trent’s fears were unfounded; the show was well-received. Trent has continued his rodeo and has taken his love of the sport over to Pinellas Park, where he’s hosted a rodeo at the city’s annual BBQ cook-off for the last three years.
Trent, who owns and operates a horse ranch in Plant City, said his primary goal is to create awareness about the sport.
But rodeo also can be a vehicle that bridges gaps be- tween people as it attracts folks of all walks of life, he said.
“That’s the beauty I’ve experienced with horses,” he said. “They bring a lot of peace.”
If You Go
Tickets for the Gus Trent Rodeo on Saturday, Aug. 26 are $15 for adults and $10 for kids ages 10 and under. To purchase tickets, visit www.rodeofest2017.eventbr ite.com.
Attendees are advised to use the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. entrance at the fairgrounds for park- ing, which is $6 per car. If you would like more infor- mation about Rodeo Fest, contact Gus Trent at (412) 592-6916.
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
Much like a popular stock, Walters Academy for Entre- preneurship is skyrocketing into a new school year.
The private middle and senior high school is leaving its long-time digs at 5508 Co-Working and Collabora- tion Exchange and moving into classroom space at Church of the Way on Busch Boulevard.
School is scheduled to start on Sept. 5.
Shelly Paris-Williams
said the academy’s focus on entrepreneurship offers her daughter, Ajaela, the op- portunity to take her organic tea business to the next level.
“I’m impressed with the vision for the school,” she said. “The student (Wal- ters) created this school for is my daughter.”
A serial entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience in business, founder Veronica Walters said the new setting is the latest achievement for the three-year-old school which teaches students the princi- ples of entrepreneurship in- cluding writing business plans and fundraising.
They also learn about consulting and motivational speaking and meet local business leaders as a part of the school’s speaker series, Walters said.
Every student is required to start a business and are given guidance and mentor- ship to establish their enter- prise, Walters said.
“We help them build a business on what they’re good at,” she said. “They learn how to set goals and how to get motivated.”
On Fridays, students host an open market where they showcase their services
and products to the public. Students also receive in- struction in core subjects like Math, Science, and Language
Arts.
A mother of seven and
former college professor, Walters started the school after being dissatisfied with her children’s quality of edu- cation, especially the lack of recognizing and teaching to different learning styles.
“I always thought there was something missing,” she said.
Another concern was the lack of business and financial literacy among young peo- ple. Closing that gap is a crit- ical part of the academy’s mission, Walters said.
For more information about the Walters Academy for Entrepreneurship, visit www.thewaetampa.org.
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 7-A