Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 2-28-17

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Excellence In Education Awards Presented Tuesday At The Straz
Organization Seeks Students For Computer Training Program
The Hillsborough Educa- tion Foundation, in partner- ship with Hillsborough County Public Schools, presents the Excellence in Education Awards. This premiere event celebrates educators and school personnel who consis- tently bring forth their best ef- forts and utilize their talents to ensure the students they serve receive the best education pos- sible.
This prestigious evening hosts 2,600 attendees repre- senting nearly 300 schools in the Hillsborough County Pub- lic School District.
At the ceremony (Tuesday, February 28th) nearly 700 nominees, nine finalists, and ultimately three winners are honored in three cate- gories: Ida S. Baker Diversity Educator of the Year; Instruc- tional Support Employee of the Year; and Teacher of the Year.
AARON BERRY, Alonso High School Nominee, Ida S. Baker
Diversity Educator Award Aaron Berry, a Tampa na-
tive and proud product of Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS), now serves HCPS at Alonso High School, where he teaches Reading, as well as a hip-hop class that in- corporates literature and the arts. Aaron graduated from Bloomingdale High School and then attained a master's in business administration at Florida Agricultural and Me- chanical University.
His passion for helping young people started in the
seventh grade as a volunteer tutor for elementary students. From teaching Reading skills to suggesting local fishing spots and everything in be- tween, Aaron Berry strives to be a positive influence on every young person with whom he comes into contact.
Other nominees for this award are: Pedro Castrejon, Jefferson High School and Olivia Williams, Colson Ele- mentary.
ROMA ESTEMCDONALD Muller Elementary Magnet School Nominee, Instructional Support Employee
Roma EsteMcDonald
has been an employee of HCPS since January 2015. Her first job was in the Early Excep- tional Learning Program at Muller Elementary Magnet School. She has since moved into the kindergarten parapro- fessional position.
"Ms. Roma" is motivated by the unconditional trust kindergartners place in their teachers and the knowledge that kindergarten is the first step in preparing students for life. It is common to see her in attendance at Muller's many events.
Beyond Muller's walls, she volunteers at her son's middle school and church. She at- tended Clark Atlanta Univer- sity and expands her knowledge base by attending classes at Aparicio-Levy Tech College.
TERRANIQUE RAGINS Franklin Boys Middle Magnet
Ms. Terranique (Terri) Ragins was born and raised in Plant City. She graduated from Plant City High School and continued her education at Hillsborough Community Col- lege, earning an associate's de- gree in elementary education. She pursued a career with HCPS as a school bus driver in 2000 and has been a Secretary 1, Secretary 3 and Principal's Secretary. She is currently the Principal's Secretary at Franklin BPA.
She is the mother of four wonderful children. Her great- est accomplishment is raising her children as a single mother, while continuing to advance in her career. She is involved in the after-school en- richment program, ELP and assisting HOST. She is also a member of the SAC Committee and the Sunshine Committee, and is a proud bus mentor.
The other employee vying for the Instructional Support Employee is Nancy Alexan- der, Wimauma Elementary School.
Candidates for the “Teacher of the Year” award are: Carrie Donatelli, Turner/Bartell K-8; Cathelyn Gregoire, Armwood High; Katerina Pawloski, Tinker Elem.; Lauren Schnebly- Hackworth, Mitchell Elem.; Marie Tores Crosby, Me- morial Middle School; and Becky Walker, Spoto.
Shown in this photograph from left to right are Chapter Officers: Andrea Hodge-Johnson, President; David Everett, Vice President; and Raenell Shirely, Vice President of Fi- nance for the organization.
The Greater Tampa Bay Chapter of BDPA was reiniti- ated and is hosting an IT learning program for inter- ested high school aged youth. BDPA is an international or- ganization with a diverse membership of professionals and students at all levels in the fields of information technol- ogy, Computer Science and re- lated S.T.E.M fields.
Members are actively en- gaged in serving the commu- nity through outreach and charting the future of the IT industry. BDPA is a focused technology organization that delivers programs and serv- ices for the professional well- being of its stakeholders.
The stakeholders include IT professionals, students in- terested in S.T.E.M. careers and business communities in need of IT talent.
The Greater Tampa Bay Chapter, led by new Presi- dent Andrea Hodge-John- son, Vice President David Everett, and Raenell Shirely, Vice President of Finance; is seeking high school students interested in being trained in Information technology. BDPA will part- ner with the Computer Men- tors Group (CMG), and plans to host Saturday morning
training sessions weekly at the CMG facility located at 2802 E. MLK Blvd in Tampa.
At the end of the program, a select group of students from the Saturday training sessions will be invited to compete in the National BDPA High School Competition which will be hosted at the BDPA National Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio July 26th through July 29th 2017.
In addition to obtaining an insider’s look at information technology as a career, youth who take advantage of the stu- dent membership offered by BDPA will have access to addi- tional IT training, and a host of college scholarships avail- able to BDPA through corpo- rate partners around the county.
For additional information about joining BDPA or to reg- ister high school students in- terested in the computer program, contact BDPA at bd- patampabay @gmail.com, or write to Greater Tampa Bay BDPA, PO Box 25784, Tampa, FL 33622-5784. Computer program sessions begin soon. The organization is also seek- ing volunteer teachers.
For more information about the BDPA organization at www.bdpa.org.
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