Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 7-5-16 Online Edition

Local
Blake High School Graduate Serves As Concertmaster During Tour Of Europe
A graduate of Howard W. Blake School of the Arts, Jacob Stevenson, recently re- turned from a concert tour in Europe. Jacob was selected for the Florida Ambassadors of Music 2016 Summer Tour.
The music ambassadors consist of 85 stu- dents from the state of Florida that comprise a chorus, horn and string orchestras. Jacob served as Concertmaster for the European Tour. The Concertmaster is the principal First Violinist in the orchestra and serves as the as- sistant to the conductor.
The music ambassadors visited England, France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Italy and Germany during the month of June. Their performances were well received by the various audiences in each country.
Jacob is a 2016 high honors graduate of Blake, where he served in Chamber, Sym- phony and Philharmonic Orchestras and the Jazz Messengers Jazz Ensemble; member of National Honor Society, the National Society of High School Scholars, and AP Academic Scholar; member of the Hillsborough County Honors Orchestra as First Violin for the past four years, member of the Tampa Bay Youth Orchestra (TMYO) at the University of South Florida for four years.
Jacob was introduced to the violin in the first grade at McFarlane Park International Baccalaureate Elementary School, where he was later selected for the Gifted Program for Hillsborough County students and the Duke Talent Search. He has also earned a Master Musician designation from Hillsborough County School District; he recently received a rating of Superior with Distinction for his vio- lin solo at the Florida Orchestra Association State High School Solo and Ensemble Music Performance Assessment.
He was one of 32 minority musicians se- lected nationwide for the Sphinx Performance
Academy Summer Music Camp in Chicago last summer, he has performed with the Florida Orchestra and the world renowned artists, The Piano Guys.
Jacob performed locally at the COACH Foundation sponsored Juneteenth Celebra- tion, TOBA Breakfast and City of Tampa Black History Month Program. He has also attended music camps at Florida State University and the University of Tampa.
Jacob has studied violin the past four years under Jason Jerald, orchestra teacher at Blake, and taken private lessons with Nancy Chang of the University of Tampa, William Goodwin of the Florida Orchestra, and Burgess School of Music.
In the fall, Jacob will attend college at the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College- State University of New York (SUNY), where he will major in Violin Performance. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin (Sonya) Stevenson.
JACOB STEVENSON
Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance Awarded Presidential Grant
TAMPA BAY WORKFORCE ALLIANCE Eisenhower Boulevard
TAMPA BAY WORKFORCE ALLIANCE Florida Avenue
A pair of Tampa Bay organ- izations were awarded grants as part of a presidential initia- tive to increase and improve training for tech jobs.
The local organizations, Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance and Polk State College together received $5.9 million.
The Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance received $3.8 million, and will use it to serve 1,175 people. Of those, 83% (980 people) will be young adults (ages 17-29) of disadvantaged or underserved populations, and 17% (195 people) will be in- cumbent workers, or people who are already in the work- force, and need more training to advance their careers.
The training will focus on two areas, IT and health care, and will be in partnership with local colleges and universities, including:
Hillsborough Community College
Hillsborough County School District Workforce and Continuing Education
St. Petersburg College
University of South Florida
University Area Community Development Corporation
Polk State College received $2.1 million, and will be focus- ing on job training, but for dif- ferent industries, like manufacturing and construc- tion. The college will train 325 people with technical training and credentials that would allow them to transition into well paying manufacturing jobs.
Polk State College will also work with Abe Brown Min- istries to help teach formerly incarcerated individuals how to re-enter society.
Visit the Tampa Bay Work- force Alliance’s offices at 9215 North Florida Avenue, Suite 101; 5701 East Hillsborough Avenue, or 4902 Eisenhower Boulevard, Suite 250. You can also call (813) 930-7400.
PAGE 4 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016