Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 2-16-18

Features
Tampa Attorney To Seek House District 63 Seat
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
A Tampa attorney has an- nounced her intentions to seek an elected office. She plans to challenge State House Repre- sentative Shawn Harrison for the District 63 Seat he cur- rently holds.
Attorney Fentrice Driskell is currently a share- holder at Carlton Fields Law Firm.
Attorney Driskell said, “Community service is one of my life’s greatest passions, and I have been blessed to work with a number of organiza- tions throughout Tampa Bay that support students, families, and homeless military veter-
ans“. As the daughter of a public school teacher, I know first- hand, that community support along with a high quality edu- cation can open doors. Shortly after the 2016 presidential election, and to also honor a dear politically active friend lost too soon, I decided it was time to step up to run for the Florida House of Representa- tives to be a voice for District 63.
“Tallahassee is broken – the tables are tilted in favor of the powerful and politically
ATTORNEY FENTRICE DRISKELL
connected instead of our hard- working Florida families, small business owners and seniors. We need to focus on common- sense solutions to the chal- lenges we face every day in Hillsborough from making smart investments in educa- tion and transportation to ex- panding access to affordable healthcare.”
A native of Lakeland, At- torney Driskell graduated from Lake Gibson High School as Valedictorian. She contin- ued her education at Harvard University, where she gradu- ated in 2001 with an Honors Degree in Government and a citation in Spanish.
During her tenure at Har- vard, she became the first African American woman
elected as the President of Stu- dent Government.
This role helped strengthen her belief in the importance of engaging women in leadership positions. Her studies in Gov- ernment provided her with an understanding of the impor- tance of engaging diverse voices in the Democratic process.
She continued her educa- tion at Georgetown University Law Center. While there, At- torney Driskell served as a student lawyer for indigent survivors of domestic violence. She also served as an officer in the Student Bar Association and volunteered extensively with the Innocence Project.
Georgetown awarded her with the Dean’s Certificate for special and outstanding serv- ice to the Law Center commu- nity.
After graduation, she launched her professional ca- reer as a clerk for Federal Judge Anne C. Conway. She joined her current law firm in 2006.
A member of the George Edgecomb Bar Association, Attorney Driskell holds membership in several profes- sional organizations and is the recipient of numerous honors and awards.
Community Conversation 101 Aims To Spark Training For Tutors
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
The meeting will be a prelude to establishing guidelines to align with students’ curriculum.
A community conversation will be held on Wednesday, February 21, 2018, in the Media Center of the newly named, Carter G. Woodson Pre-K-8 Community School (Van Buren section), 8715 N. 22nd St., Tampa (33604). The 6-7 p. m. meeting will be orchestrated by Owen Young, and Stevonia Dixon.
Yes, Young and Dixon are School District employees. However, they’re hosting this meeting as community citizens, who have the same concerns that parents and members of the community have.
Both want to assist those who desire to offer their time as services as tutors and/or men- tors to a professional level of training. Ms. Dixon says there is a difference in tutoring and mentoring.
Invitations have been ex- tended to several community organizations, many of whom have been volunteering at area schools. Each organization has been asked to send 3-4 people to the meeting who are a part of the education component of their organization.
The conversation with the community is to “establish guides to align with the schools’ curriculum and how the stu-
OWEN YOUNG
dents are learning,” Young said. “This meeting will be a conversation starter. We want this to be a discussion around, ‘what does it mean to provide support to our students in today’s classroom,’ and ‘how does that lead to the students’ success,’” Young explained.
Ms. Dixon added that the discussion will be on how to empower those who are offer- ing their services and equip them with the knowledge they will need to assist the teacher and the student, especially with the Florida State Assessment Test. “We have to be able to help the kids with critical think- ing and problem solving,” she said of the younger grades. And, those in high school, maybe the SAT is not for them; therefore they need assistance on the ACT,” she said.
Young continued to stress, “The meeting is a conversation starter. We’re trying to keep our kids from suffering.”
For additional information, please call (813) 740-3710.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 3-A