Page 24 - Florida Sentinel 6-30-17

FLORIDA SENTINEL
FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 2017
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Students In Brewster Employability Skills Program Graduate
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
Special needs students at Brewster Technical Col- lege graduated earlier this month from the college’s Employability Skills Train- ing Program. Their gradua- tion dinner was held at a local restaurant.
Ms. Shefali Bakshi,
teacher of the 1-year class, said students in the class are 18 years old and above.
They are trained in various areas to get prepared for work.
According to the web- site, the Employability Skills Training Program is designed to transition grad- uates to enter the work- force. In addition to job skills, the students are also trained in social skills, inde- pendent living and self-ad- vocacy.
A new class will be start- ing on July 17th in Hospital-
ity. “The students will get 4 days of hands-on training,” she said. There are several partners that allow the stu- dents to prepare for entry level positions.
Of the eight students who graduated this month, 7 of them are already work- ing. Ms. Bakshi said the graduates are employed at Publix, WaWa’s, McDon- ald’s, Gulfcoast Entertain- ment (GCE) and Willy’s Restaurant in Brandon.
Employability Skills Training Program 2017 Graduates received trophies. Front row, left to right: Lora Douglas, Chrishana Burston and Edward Thomas. Left to right top row: Sherard Payne, Cesar Alejandro, Maurice Eston, Melton Harris and James Smith.
Lifetime TV’s ‘Dancing Dolls’ To Appear At The Straz Center On Sunday
DEE WILLIAMS
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
Dianna Williams is on a mission, or three.
First, she’s wants to bring majorette style of dance to the mainstream rather than just an outlier format most associated with the dance teams of historically Black universities and colleges.
She’s hoping to build a legacy of instilling confi- dence and hope into dozens of young girls through her Jackson, Mississippi-based studio, Dollhouse Dance Fac- tory.
Ultimately, she’s trying to change the negative associa- tions of her home state of Mississippi with only Con- federate flags and ranking last in education and health
‘MISS D’ AND HER DANCING DOLLS
rankings.
“We have a lot of amazing
things that have come out of Mississippi,” she said.
One of those things is her wildly popular Lifetime TV show Bring It!, which fea- tures the adventures of Williams and the young girls she coaches at her 7- year-old studio.
Now in its fourth season, the show chronicles the award-winning Dancing Dolls as they compete on the dance competition circuit.
Williams and her troupe will bring their popular style of dance – known as hip hop majorette – next Sunday to the Straz Center’s Carol Mor-
sani Hall.
Characterized by ener-
getic and fast-paced moves, Williams said she’s been told hip hop majorette is too “extreme.”
But that description is un- fair, she said.
“It’s time for majorette to be recognized,” she said. “It’s a style that isn’t going away.” Affectionately known as “Miss D,” Williams pulls no punches with her girls and pushes them hard to succeed.
But the toughness comes from a place of love, Williams said.
“My girls know that I don’t have a problem yelling
at them,” she said. “I want them to learn lessons in everything.”
Teaching her students about “the realities of life” in- cludes being transparent about her own past, includ- ing a stint performing in adult films.
Telling young people the truth makes it easier for them to navigate life’s ups and downs, Williams said.
And living the example you wish to set for the next generation is important, she said.
“Everybody’s not going to like you,” she said. “It doesn't matter what people say. You have to like you.”
A dancer since age four, Williams said she never ex- pected that she’d be on a TV show doing what she loves.
The Jackson State Uni- versity graduate said she considers herself blessed, “happy to have the opportu- nity to be a blessing to other people.”
“I feel like I'm just getting started,” she said. “I've got so much to do.”
If You Go
Bring It LIVE!, Sunday, July 2, at Straz Theater’s Carol Morsani Hall, 1010 N Macinnes Pl., Tampa. Show times at 4:30 and 7 p. m. For tickets and additional infor- mation, visit strazcenter.org.