Page 26 - Florida Sentinel 5-20-22

Class of 2021
BLAKE Continued
Class Valedictorian
JAMES LA FAYETTE, JR. AGE: 18
PARENT: Tyesha La Fayette GPA / Class Ranking: 7.7550 weighted / Valedicto- rian
AWARDS and HONORS:
Howard W. Blake High School Valedictorian; Quest- bridge 2021 National College Match Scholarship; Hillsbor- ough Community College Dean’s List; College Board AP Scholar with Distinction; and College Board National African American Recogni- tion Program
ACTIVITIES: Tampa Met- ropolitan Youth Orchestra, Operations Committee; Howard W. Blake High School Senior Secretary / Stu- dent Government Secretary / Orchestra Secretary; Los An- geles Philharmonic, Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA), Summer 2022; Florida All State and Hillsbor- ough All County Orchestras and Model United Nations, Best Delegate
COLLEGE: Northwestern University (Evanston, Illi- nois); Major: Mechanical En- gineering and Music Education;
CAREER: Aerospace Engi- neer or Music Education
Prom Queen
YADAH A. POLLARD AGE: 18
PARENT(S): Cristifer A. Neal and Jamarius A. Pollar
GPA: 3.1
CHURCH: True Life Com- munity Worship Center (Pas- tor Calvin and Angela Green) AWARDS and HONORS: Honor Student; Blake High School’s 21-22 Head Cheer Captain / Prom Queen; and Voted Most Valuable Player ACTIVITIES: Cheerleading (age 4-17): Wayne Pappy Dance Academy (age 10-13); Royal Jewels Mentoring Prom For Girls; Eastern Star (Star Lights) Mentoring Program For Girls; and AVID (Grade 6th-12th)
COLLEGE OR CAREER: Enlist in the United States Air Force, Ultrasound Technician
ALEXIS SMITH AGE: 18
PARENT(S): Karen Smith and Joseph Smith
GPA: 4.5
CHURCH: First Baptist Church Of Progress Village AWARDS and HONORS: Principal’s Honor Roll; Na- tional Society of High School Scholars; Honors Court Class of 2022
ACTIVITIES: Track and Field (all 4 years of high school); Sting Dance Team; Blake Student Alliance; Bay Area Brotherhood (student volunteer); and Visions of Destiny (Peer Mentor) COLLEGE OR CAREER: Southern University and A&M College - major in Business Management with a minor in Political Science then later go to law school; the overall goal is to someday become the Senator of Florida
RONNYETTA VINSON AGE: 18
PARENT(S): Rodney Vin- son
GPA: 6.36; CLASS RANK- ING: #13 in class rank (94th%)
CHURCH: Mount Tabor Missionary Baptist Church AWARDS and HONORS: Omega Psi Phi Entrepreneur- ship Scholarship; HCC Presi- dential Honors Scholarship; and National Honors Society Member
ACTIVITIES: Student Gov- ernment Association; Year- book Editor; and Sligh Mentorship Program COLLEGE OR CAREER: Hillsborough Community College Honors Program; un- decided career
RODDKIA VINSON AGE: 18
PARENT(S): Rodney Vinson GPA: 6.36; CLASS RANK- ING: #13 in class rank (94th %)
CHURCH: Mount Tabor Missionary Baptist Church AWARDS and HONORS: Omega Psi Phi Entrepreneur- ship Scholarship; and Na- tional Honors Society member ACTIVITIES: Student Gov- ernment Association; Year- book Editor; and Sligh Mentorship Program COLLEGE OR CAREER: Hillsborough Community Col- lege Honors Program, Unde- cided career
ARIA WALKER
AGE: 17
PARENT(S): Sabrina Cowart GPA 4.9 AWARDS and HON- ORS: 11th Grade Academic Excellence Letterman Award; 12th Grade Aca- demic Excellence Letter-
man Award; Florida Dance Masters Teen Miss Dance 2017; Scholarship awardee for LINES Ballet Summer Intensive 2019; and YAGP Tampa 1st Place Ensemble 2020 (with Howard W. Blake High School, piece choreographed by Jennifer Archibald)
ACTIVITIES: Dancer at Highland School of Dance (Ballet, Pointe, Modern, Tap, Jazz, Partnering); His- torian for Blake High School’s National Honors Society for Dance Arts; Member of Highland School of Dance’s Pre-Pro- fessional Program, Dance Arts; and Student in Blake High School’s Dance De- partment
COLLEGE: Plan on at- tending Florida State Uni- versity and double majoring in Dance and Ex- ercise Physiology.
MEKHI WALLACE
AGE: 17
PARENT(S): Trisha Wal- lace and Patrick Wallace GPA: 4.9854 or 3.7454 AWARDS and HONORS: Honors Academic Excellence Award; Student Ambassa- dors Award
ACTIVITIES: Student Am- bassadors; Blake Theater Productions; and Blake Row- ing
COLLEGE: University of Southern California
PAGE 4-C FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2022