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Features
Insurance Industry Needs More African Americans
Law School Holds Graduation Ceremony
WMU-Cooley Law School Tampa Bay Campus graduate Samantha Adams presents the valedictory remarks during the law school’s recent graduation ceremony.
Raeseen Kennedy is presented with her diploma by WMU-Cooley Law School Tampa Bay Campus Associate Dean Jeffrey Martlew. The law school graduated 54 students during the campus’ graduation ceremony on January 9.
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
Eddie Passmore grew up listening to sto- ries about a great uncle who sold insurance and was Vice President of Central Life Insur- ance Company in the early1920s.
“I can’t say I was immediately captivated by the stories, but they did get my attention.”
Passmore graduated from Middleton High School in 1969, and while attending col- lege, he landed a job at Fox 13 News.
“After graduation, I worked for WTMP 1150AM for a short period. In 1977, I was hired by Aetna as a commercial underwriter, and now I’ve been an independent insurance dealer for 13 years.”
Passmore, along with his wife and two children, operate Courtesy Insurance and Fi- nancial Services, and is celebrating 39 years in the industry.
“I studied marketing, and advertise com- munications in college, and those were skills very well suited for the insurance industry.
“I’ve always wanted to own a business, and so far it’s worked out just fine.”
Passmore said what he began to realize quickly was that there weren’t enough African Americans in the insurance industry.
“It can be quite lucrative, and there’s un- limited earning potential if you’re a salesman. “I want to host educational Medicare sem- inars. There are so many baby boomers being born into Medicare and people need a better
understanding of what they qualify for.” Passmore said he’ll start the seminars at Open Café on 34th Street and 25th Avenue this
EDDIE PASSMORE
month, and schedule them regularly.
“There are older people who also need to know more about Medicare, so they will know
what benefits they are qualified for.
“The seminars are free, and I think it’s a great career opportunity for a lot of young
people who haven’t decided on their future.”
The Tampa Bay Campus of Western Michigan Univer- sity Cooley Law School hon- ored 54 graduates during a commencement cere- mony held at University of South Florida’s Marshall Student Center on Jan. 9, 2016. Students received their diplomas during the cere- mony for earning their juris doctor degrees.
Graduate Samantha Adams was selected by her fellow classmates to present the graduation valedictory remarks. In the speech, she shared her reasons for at- tending law school and how she learned working smarter made her stronger, and got her through law school diffi- culties.
“Law school is by no means easy. It is a process where we had to essentially isolate ourselves, learn to change our perspectives, find the law in absolutely every- thing, and learn how to be objective,” stated Adams.
“When we made the deci- sion to come to law school,
we made the decision to perch on that mountain top and go through a painful process, but we grew, we got smarter and stronger.”
The keynote was pre- sented by John T. Berry, director of the Florida Bar’s Legal Division. Berry spoke to the law graduates about enjoying the work they do practicing law and how to keep the momentum while understanding the impact an attorney’s action can have on others.
“This degree is a wonder- ful tool you can use to help and care for others,” said Berry. “You are to be con- gratulated for making it here.”
Each entering class at WMU-Cooley bears the name of a distinguished member of the legal profes- sion. The January 2016 class is named after William Howard Taft. Taft was the only person to serve as U. S. President (1909-1913) and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (1921-1930).
PAGE 4 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2016