Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 10-9-15 Edition

Features
Young Man Sees Law Enforcement As Giving Back To Community
Devanta Robinson, (left), is shown with his mentor, Ross Ander- son at his graduation from the Hillsborough Community College Law Enforcement Academy.
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Earlier this year, Devanta Robinson was thinking about his future. While locally em- ployed, he contemplated whether he would seek a career in law enforcement or the mil- itary.
Robinson said if he had decided on the military, then he would still have pursued a career in law enforcement. But a conversation and a sugges- tion helped the young man de- cide.
“Once I decided, I com- pleted everything right then and I received my acceptance letter on April 6th.” And, he was on his way to achieving his goal.
Now, having graduated from the Hillsborough Com- munity College Law Enforce- ment Academy, Robinson is ready to pursue his future.
Having completed the academy, Robinson can liter- ally accept a position anywhere in the state. But, he already knows where he wants to serve.
“My perfect fit is T.P.D. (Tampa Police Department). There is no place better. I have a lot invested in the City of Tampa and I know my audi- ence here.
A Tampa native, Robin- son is the son of Ms. Nettie Miller and a member of De- signer’s Way Non-Denomina- tional Church.
He grew up in East Tampa and attended the public schools of Hillsborough County. He graduated from Hillsborough High School,
where he was a member of the JROTC (Junior Reserve Offi- cers Training Corp).
At 22, Robinson has ded- icated numerous hours of giv- ing back to the community as a member of Men of Vision, Inc. “I was one of the founding members and I started my own non-profit organization called Pro Teen. It taught young men to be proactive as opposed to being reactive and getting in- volved in the wrong things.”
He feels the life of service offered by working in law en- forcement will provide him the opportunity to continue serv- ing the community and giving back.
Robinson includes films, community outreach, and working out among his hob- bies.
He is currently enrolled at St. Leo University, where he is pursuing a degree in Business Management.
Ross Anderson said, “Devanta wants to work in the community where he grew up. If he is hired locally, it will be great for other members of Men of Vision to have one of our alumni serving as a police officer here in Tampa. I am so proud of him.”
Anderson said Robin- son was the only African American in his graduating class.
As if pre-ordained, Robin- son’s life is mirroring that of current Chief Eric Ward. Chief Ward grew up in East Tampa, graduated from Hills- borough High School, and pur- sued a career in law enforcement at a young age.
Plans To Bring Injured Cheerleader Home Becoming Reality
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
At the beginning of this year, a tragic accident sent a Tampa family into a tailspin. Two of the family’s children had been involved in a traffic accident.
Freddie Brinson, III,
escaped unscathed. However, his younger sister, ShaTayshia, 11, was critically injured. Mr. and Mrs. Fred- die (Jencey) Brinson, Jr., were told the prognosis for ShaTayshia’s survival was not good.
But, despite the gloomy di- agnosis, ShaTayshia has sur- vived. Her mother said, “She is still in a semi-comatose state, but she is beginning to re- spond to physical stimulation. She has not begun to respond to verbal stimulation, but we are still praying that she will one day. God is in control of this all.”
ShaTayshia is currently residing at The Children’s Cen- ter at Sabal Palms, in Largo. And, her family is still making preparations to bring her home.
In order to accomplish this task, Mrs. Brinson said their home in Grant Park must be renovated. She was able to ob- tain a grant through the Florida Home Partnerships to help defray the cost, and Habi- tat for Humanity is also pro- viding assistance.
But, the family must be re- sponsible for things such as providing a wheelchair ramp, removing the carpeting from
SHATAYSHIA BRINSON ... Injured in Car Accident January 20, 2015
the home, enlarging the doors, and other renovations that must take place inside their home.
Still, Mrs. Brinson said, “The permit process has started and we hope to have a groundbreaking sometime within the next couple of weeks. We are still in need of some assistance.”
The accident happened on January 20th. Some family members had gone to Gainesville to watch the men’s basketball game between the University of Florida Gators and the LSU Tigers. Jordan Mickey, of LSU, is their cousin.
After the game, the family began their return trip home when the accident took place. The vehicle rotated and flipped several times. ShaTayshia was ejected from the vehicle.
She was transported to Shands Children’s Hospital in Gainesville. It was there Mrs.
Brinson said, ““The doctor came out and told us to come and say our goodbyes because she is going to die.”
The news was devastating for Mrs. Brinson whose son, Marvin Wiggins, II, 18, died after being ejected from a vehi- cle in an accident on July 20, 2006.
Mrs. Brinson remained in Gainesville with her daugh- ter until she was transferred to the new facility on May 4th. Her husband remained in Tampa with their other two children who are students and com- muted back and forth.
Prior to the accident, ShaTayshia was a very active student at Ferrell Middle Mag- net Girls Academy. A member of Friendly M. B. Church, she loved dancing, was also a cheerleader for the Fair Oaks Rattlers and had aspirations of becoming a model.
The Fair Oaks Rattlers Football and Cheerleading or- ganization will pay a special tribute to ShaTayshia this year. All of the trophies pre- sented during the conference will bear her name. Her mother was also asked by a Board member of the Mid Florida Football Cheerleading Conference to present the overall winner’s trophy at the competition on October 24th. The presentation will take place at the Bryant Stadium, in Lakeland.
“I was surprised and hum- bled at this gesture,” she said. Anyone wishing to contact Mrs. Brinson can email her at jenceybrinson@yahoo.com.
PAGE 4-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2015