Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 11-22-16 Online Edition

Features
Tony Dungy Takes Adoption And Foster Care Awareness To Another Level
African Student Is Elected
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
Tony Dungy first became involved with helping chil- dren in the welfare system in 1984, when he and his wife, Lauren became foster par- ents.
Thirty-two years later, the Dungys are still involved – as adoptive parents of seven chil- dren and champions of adop- tions.
Tony Dungy, the former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Super Bowl win- ning coach of the Indianapolis Colts and Pro Football Hall of Famer, took it another step forward on Wednesday at Raymond James Stadium, when he and the Florida De- partment of Children and Families announced a part- nership with Dungy’s non- profit, All Pro Dads to raise awareness for adoption and foster family recruitment throughout the state.
The campaign will include public service announcement, outdoor advertising, digital advertising, and events with All Pro Dad chapters in local schools.
The two entities will join forces with the Florida Coali- tion for Children, which will coordinate the partnership’s
The University Of Tampa
TONY DUNGY
efforts with 20 community- based care agencies across the state.
In an interview with a Sen- tinel reporter, Dungy said he wants to see more children – especially Black girls and boys – move out of the system and into permanent families.
Dungy said he’s strongly encouraging more Black fam- ilies to consider adoption.
“There’s so many children in our community who need homes,” he said. “We’ve got to step up.”
A faith-based outreach pro- gram is included in the cam- paign.
It’s a component that is near to Dungy’s heart as he and his wife first learned about foster care and adop- tion through their church.
“It’s a great way to get out the word,” he said.
At the press conference,
MIKE CARROLL
Dungy said he was proud to champion the push for more people who strongly desire to make a difference and should consider fostering or adopting a child.
“It’s an honor to team up to encourage people and let them know they can make a difference,” he said. “It’s tremendously important.”
More than 23,000 children are currently in the state of Florida’s foster care system, said department secretary Mike Carroll.
Carroll could not state ex- actly how many were African- American boys and girls, but that they are “disproportion- ately represented.”
Every child deserves a par- ent who ensures their safety, healthy development, and well-being, said Carroll, himself an adoptive parent.
Private-public partnerships like the one between All-Pro Dads and the state depart- ment of children and families may help curb the number of children languishing in the foster care system, he said.
While the state can provide resources and services, it can- not provide the love and sta- bility of a parent, he said.
About 3,000 children are adopted annually from Florida’s foster care system, one of the highest rates in the country, Carroll said.
And while the number of children in the system is down from 29,000 in 2006, the need for more permanent homes is “significant,” he said.
“Kids should not grow up in resident group care,” he said. Adoption is a rewarding ex-
perience that offers parents the chance to change a child’s life, Carroll said.
“You see over time that kid come out of their shell and you see them become the per- son they were meant to be,” he said.
Want to Adopt?
Visit www.AdoptFlorida.
org to find resources and in- formation about children available for adoption in Florida or call 1(844) 435- 5437.
OYNEKACHI ‘KACHI’ OSUJI ...University Of Tampa Homecoming Queen
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
Homecoming Queen isn’t something Oynekachi “Kachi” Osuji aspired to be when she arrived at the Univer- sity of Tampa two years ago.
But when she learned that it was likely that a Black woman had never worn the crown, Osuji decided to throw her hat into the ring.
“I thought ‘why not go for it?’” she said.
Much to Osuji’s and others’ surprise, she won.
“It blew my mind,” she said. “For me to have pushed through that boundary, it was more than a blessing.”
The university’s Office of Stu- dent Leadership and Engage- ment oversees Homecoming activities. A department official said it was unknown if Osuji was the first Black woman to be elected Homecoming Queen be- cause the office doesn’t keep track of winners.
A native of Nigeria, Osuji’s appeal to a wide range of stu- dents, including athletes, mem- bers of the Greek community, and international students – helped her win the top spot, Leila Rugambarara, one of the managers of Osuji’s cam- paign.
“We were surprised she won
because she was the underdog,” said Rugambara “It was defi- nitely a shock.”
“They were excited because she was going out there to talk to people rather than relying on a certain demographic,” she said.
The role is mostly ceremo- nial, with Osuji required only to make a few appearances at fundraising and alumni events as a Spartan Ambassador for the Office of Admissions, she said.
Osuji also is a member of the National Association of Colle- giate Scholars and a member of the African Student Union.
The role is a natural exten- sion of her extroverted person- ality and fits in perfectly with her future career in media, she said.
Prior to her arrival at Univer- sity of Tampa, Osuji studied law at the University of Man- chester in England. After realiz- ing law wasn’t for her, Osuji switched to communications when she transferred to the University of Tampa.
“I’m naturally a people per- son,” she said. “(Communica- tions) more or less goes with my character. My personality is very out there.”
She now hosts a radio show “International Radio UT,” which serves as a hub where in- ternational and domestic stu- dents can talk about issues and exchange ideas.
After graduation, Osuji said she plans to open her own en- tertainment media and market- ing firm.
“I hope it all works out,” she said.
Osuji said she counts her win as a great way to end her college career. The communica- tions major graduates in De- cember.
“It was a great honor – it still is a great honor to be that stu- dent representative,” she said. “It’s been awesome.”
Homecoming Queen At
PAGE 2 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2016