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Twins Graduate Despite Distractions Along The Way
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
Twins Alexia and Alexis Welch found out that the bag- gage that comes along with being a teenager was the least of their problems growing up. Many times, they both wa- vered, but both fulfilled a promise they made to them- selves.
Alexia and Alexis gradu- ated on time from King High School, and both now reflect on their journey and the vic- tory that came at the end.
“Neither of us ever feared graduating from school would be a problem,” said Alexia.
“We’ve been arrested, in- volved in a drive-by shooting, harassed by law enforcement, and had to deal with some family issues. In spite of all that, we maintained our focus and graduated from high school.” Alexia and Alexis thank their mother, Bridgette Welch, for keeping them fo- cused, and making sure they
ALEXIA AND ALEXIS WELCH
stayed on task regardless of what was going on around them.
“You come to a point in your life where you have to re-
alize and recognize who is re- ally there to support you,” said Alexis.
“I know I could have changed some things along the way, and with God, we both made it.”
Alexia and Alexis said they’d get depressed and cry, and even started growing up too fast. But both say they were made stronger by their experi- ences, and being raised by a single parent comes with a set of problems.
“As a single mother, I had to overcome a lot of obstacles,” said Bridgette.
“My girls are a lot stronger than I gave them credit for, be- cause I doubted at times if they would make it. Through the grace of God they proved me wrong, and not only did they make it, the experiences in their lives made them both stronger.”
Alexia and Alexis plan to attend college and have pretty much selected what careers they will be seeking.
Graduate To Enter West Point Academy
On May 23, 2015, Ken- neth Cornelius Brinson, Jr., graduated with honors from Marist School, in Atlanta, Georgia.
Brinson, who had been heavily recruited by several in- stitutions including Stanford, the Air Force Academy and Georgia Tech, signed recently with The United States Mili- tary Academy, at West Point where he will play outside line- backer and major in Mechani- cal Engineering.
Brinson is the son of for- mer Tampa natives, Ken and Lucretia (Carrington) Brinson, the grandson of Mrs. Billye Mathews Jones, Roland and Mar- gretta Carrington, both of Tampa, and Ernest Brin- son, of Panama City.
As a student, Brinson is exceptionally gifted both ath- letically and academically and was recently recognized as "The 2015 Outstanding Scholar-Athlete" by the Touch- down Club of Atlanta. Equally talented as a musician, He maintains a 4.1 GPA, has also been inducted into the Na- tional Honor Society, the Spanish National Honor Soci- ety, made the Dean’s list three years consecutively, and is a National Merit Scholar.
Brinson plays the trom- bone and for the past two years, has been first chair (trombone). He is also the re- cipient of the 2015 Musician- ship Award.
KENNETH CORNELIUS BRINSON, JR.
The talented young man excelled in wrestling, track and field, and football. In wrestling, Brinson holds records on the State level as the Georgia State champion at 195 lbs, two-time record holder at 220 pounds and is a four time All-American, and a three time National champion at 220 pounds.
In the track and field arena, Brinson focused on shot put, discus, and hammer throw. In 2014, he was one of only seventeen student ath- letes nationwide selected to represent the United States in the Youth Olympics in Nan- jing, China.
A standout defensive end recognized both regionally and on a state level for his abilities, Brinson is the all-time Marist record holder for the number of sacks.
Siblings Chosen As Mr. And Miss Cotillion In State Competition
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
It took a lot of hard work and determination for one Tampa family, but the results were worth the effort. Re- cently, a brother and sister became the first in the state to win a coveted title.
The “Mr. and Miss Cotillion” title was awarded to Romoni Killins and Sir- baron Holmes. “Mr. and Miss Cotillion” is a state competition designated for
the youth membership of In- ternational Masons and East- ern Stars.
Sirbaron is a member of the “Sons of Saul” Youth Or- ganization. Romoni is a member of the “Girls of De- stiny.”
The siblings became the first brother and sister team to win and will go on to com- pete for the national title in July.
The siblings participated in the event sponsored by the Eastern Stars in Orlando.
Romoni Killins and Sir- baron Holmes were recently chosen as Mr. and Miss Cotil- lion.
Their next stop in the compe- tition takes them to Mobile, Alabama in July.
The siblings are the chil- dren of Ronald Killins, (who is a Mason), and Mrs. Rosezine Pringle-Killins, who is a member of the East- ern Stars. The family attends St. James A. M. E. Church.
Mrs. Pringle-Killins
said, “We raised money for the event, fed the homeless, did a back-to-school drive and community service hours.”
Sirbaron, 19, is a gradu- ating senior at Spoto High School. He plays football and has already been accepted at Bethune-Cookman Univer- sity.
Romoni, 16, is a 9th grad student at Spoto, where she participates in praise danc- ing, and loves the youth or- ganization.
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