Page 11 - Florida Sentinel 10-13-17

Local
ESPN Sports Broadcaster Tiffany Greene Berry Makes Network History
Tiffany Greene Berry was the play-by-play broadcaster for last Thursday’s game on ESPN.
Teenager Chosen As ‘Senior Genius’
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
In August 2017, a Plant City student earned the dis- tinction of being chosen as a “Senior Genius.” The title was bestowed upon her by officials at Winter Haven High School.
Anizya Vargas realizes the need to excel in school. So, when she challenged herself to improve her grades, the task was accomplished through hard work and deter- mination.
Anizya began her junior year with a grade point aver- age of 3.1. But she wasn’t sat- isfied with that and raised her grade point average to 3.5.
She is the daughter of Ms. Shenika Mike and Hector Vargas. She has 1 sister and 3 brothers. Her younger brother also plays baseball for Winter Haven High School.
In addition to her aca- demic accomplishments, Anizya also enjoys playing softball. She currently plays 2nd and 3rd basemen on the school’s fast pitch softball
ANIZYA VARGAS ... Selected as “Senior Genius” at school
team.
At the age of 8, Anizya
began playing baseball under
the guidance and watchful eye of her grandfather, Danny Perkins, who served as her coach. During the summer months, she played travel ball. She continues this and improved on her athletic skills during the summer.
She is the granddaughter of Mrs. Annette Jones Perkins and great grand- daughter of Mrs. Prudence Perkins and the late Willie J. Perkins, Sr.
After graduating, Anizya plans to continue her educa- tion and major in Criminal Justice.
FYI
National Hiring Day
To fill the nearly 40,000 seasonal positions available in approx- imately 875 stores, JCPenney is hosting its first-ever National Hir- ing Day on Tuesday, Oct. 17 from 2-8 p. m. National Hiring Day events will take place in each location across the country with man- agement holding in-person interviews and making employment of- fers to candidates on-the-spot.
All skill levels are welcome and individuals are encouraged to apply online at jcpcareers.com or in-store at one of the applicant kiosks prior to attending the event.
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
Tiffany Greene Berry
isn’t one to bask in the spot- light, but the sports broad- caster and Tampa native isn’t shying away from the acco- lades of her latest milestone.
Last week, the Florida A&M University alumna made history as the first African American woman commenta- tor at ESPN to play-by-play a nationally televised college football game.
In a recent telephone inter- view, Berry said she was with family when she got notice that she would be calling the last Thursday night’s game be- tween Alabama State and Al- corn State.
“I thought ‘oh my gosh, this is so dope’,” she said. “The Lord knew what He was doing, and I sure do thank Him for it.”
Berry, who formally joined the mega sports net- work two years ago, said her ultimate goal is calling an NFL or NBA game.
But she’ll also take on the chance to call a nationally- televised collegiate football games, Berry said.
“I welcome the opportunity to call the college football package next year and being on Thursday nights consis- tently,” she said.
Aside from football, Berry is a commentator for other collegiate sports, including basketball, softball, and vol- leyball.
The job is a little more en- gaging than sideline reporting, where broadcasters report on injuries or breaking news. Be- fore stepping before a camera
to deliver real-time details of the game, Berry said she de- votes significant time before each match studying the teams’ stats and players. Sometimes, she’ll call and chat with coaches.
Berry, a Hillsborough High School graduate, said her best preparation for last week’s epic moment took place seven months ago when she gave birth to her son, Bryson.
“Having my son has given me a calm this year,” she said. “Nothing feels impossible.”
Berry said it’s her support team – including her father, legendary Tampa broadcaster Dayle Greene, mother, Patsy and husband, Aaron – that makes her feel ready to take on anything.
“It’s Bryson and Aaron who help me out,” she said.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2017 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 11-A