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BUSHNELL – Youth from congregations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints across the Tampa Bay area gathered at the Florida National Cemetery this week to participate in an annual tradition.

They placed American flags in front of thousands of headstones, pausing at each one to speak the veteran’s name aloud and say, “Thank you for your service and sacrifice.”

The gathering brought young people together from communities such as Land O’ Lakes, Lutz, Citrus Park and Spring Hill. 

“It means everything that I am here today,” said 13-year-old Ella Anderson of Land O’ Lakes, “that I can live with my family and friends in a free country.”

The day carried a personal connection for Abigail Bradberry, 13, of Lutz.

“My great-grandfather is buried here and I never met him,” Abigail said. “But I do know he was a great, fun person, and knowing that helps me realize that I can still remember him and thank him for everything he did – even though I didn’t meet him.”

Emma McCann, 5, of Spring Hill, said her favorite part was placing the flags and reading the names. 

“I noticed a grave had the same last name as me,” Emma said. “My dad and I are going to see if we are related to him.”

Luke Anderson, 15, of Land O’ Lakes, shared a hope that drives many of the youth to return year after year.

“I hope that people remember the men and women that served and died for our country and our freedoms,” Luke said. “I hope they also remember to respect these freedoms and know they weren’t just given. They were earned by these people that served our country.”

 

TAMPA – The 2025 Tampa Glow Row will bring together more than 200 athletes, with and without disabilities, for a high-energy night of fitness, fun and community.

The Caroline and Barrett Foundation, Project Focus and the Dancer Love Foundation are hosting the event from 5 to 10 p.m. June 7 at CrossFit Hyde Park. 

Teams of 10 will row either a full or half marathon on row ERG machines, competing in one of two divisions: Community and Adaptive. Prizes will be awarded to the top two teams in each division, along with recognition for most team spirit. 

The Glow Row’s neon-themed atmosphere will feature a festival experience with live DJ sets, food trucks and a vendor village of small businesses.

Proceeds will support Project Focus, a Tampa-based nonprofit that empowers people with developmental disabilities through education, life skills and workforce development as well as the Dancer Love Foundation, which creates access to athletic opportunities for people with disabilities.

“The programs and opportunities we provide at Project Focus are life-changing, many of our students would not have access to events like this without community support,” said Clayton Clemens, executive director of Project Focus. “The 2025 Tampa Glow Row is about breaking down barriers, celebrating what makes each of us unique and giving our community the chance to be a part of something special. Everyone deserves an opportunity to have fun, dance and feel connected with each other.”

The Tampa Glow Row was inspired by the efforts of The Dancer Love Foundation based in Quincy, Illinois and is following the footsteps of CrossFit Games athletes Sam and Jenn Dancer.

“The Dancer Love Foundation was inspired by my friend James, whose joy and light taught me the value of inclusive communities,” said Jen Dancer, co-founder. “Glow Row helps empower individuals with disabilities to discover wellness, build friendships and shine in their own way.”

Organizers say the Glow Row will become an annual event and open the door to new activities for people with developmental disabilities, their families and the community. 

The long term goal of Project Focus is to build a “community within the community” that includes options for education, workforce training and apartment-style living for this population.

On the web: projectfocusfoundation.org

 

NEW PORT RICHEY – Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside put shovels into the ground May 19 to mark the beginning of the build process for seven homes on Kiowa Drive.  

The groundbreaking ceremony included the future homeowner families, Habitat staff, community supporters and elected officials. The homes are expected to be completed by this fall.

“This is another important step for Habitat in West Pasco County,” said Mike Sutton, president and CEO at Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside. “We are thrilled we could purchase these lots and build seven homes that will sit side-by-side and be owned by seven families going through the Habitat homeownership program. These families will be neighbors and be able to support one another for years to come.”

This area of New Port Richey has provided ample opportunity for Habitat to build new homes for families. Three streets away on Teak Street, Habitat has built six homes in the last 18 months.

Habitat for Humanity has served over 900 homeowner partners since 1985. The affiliate serves Pinellas, West Pasco and Hernando counties. 

Volunteers and future homeowners construct the homes, which are sold and financed with a zero-interest loan. Habitat homeowner candidates earn 30% to 80% of the area median income. Candidates must demonstrate the need for adequate shelter; the ability to pay back a zero-interest loan; and the willingness to partner with Habitat to complete a robust homebuyer education curriculum and invest 350 to 450 “sweat equity” hours. 

Mortgage monies are used to build even more homes, making each donation to Habitat a perpetual legacy to the community. 

Publix Supermarket Charities is sponsoring all seven homes. This will bring Publix’s home sponsorship total with Habitat Tampa Bay Gulfside to 26 homes. 

Below are the families that have been working toward homeownership. 

 

The Blackshear Family

Maggie Blackshear and her 10-year-old twin granddaughters, A’Keena and A’Kacia, are excited to have a new beginning in their Habitat home. 

The family of three is currently living in a one-bedroom apartment where the twins sleep in the bed while Maggie sleeps on the sofa. 

“Our life will be different in our Habitat home because we will no longer be paying rent,” Maggie said. “We will be paying a mortgage to our forever home – somewhere that we will always be safe and secure.” 

Maggie is excited to decorate the house with her girls and to cook meals in her new kitchen.

 

The Dorsey Family

Danyelle and Justin Dorsey and their two daughters, Layla (8) and Liyah (4), are on their journey towards homeownership, which will bring the family a sense of stability and comfort. They currently live in an income-based townhome complex that is uncomfortable and undesirable due to the lack of space and unaddressed maintenance issues. 

“Justin and I are working together as a team to give our girls the loving, stable home we didn’t have growing up,” Danyelle said. The family is excited to have a yard to play and have family grill-outs in. “We will feel better about letting the girls play outside because we will have the space for them to do so.”

 

The Fisher Family

Alicia Fisher is a hardworking single mother to her 5-year-old son, Tristan. 

The two enjoy spending time together at the park, visiting the beach or advocating for Autism, which Tristan is diagnosed with. 

Alicia is eager to provide stability for herself and her son in their new home. She not only wants to have a safe place for Tristan but his friends as well. She has always wanted a place where her son’s friends can come over to play. 

“Being a part of this journey has been meaningful to me,” Alicia said. “Not only am I learning to budget and build a home, but I am also meeting all kinds of new people that will be lifelong friends.”

 

The McLeod Family

Life has been a challenge for Johnnie Mcleod and her grandson (now adopted son) Tazarious. 

The family of two is determined to overcome all life’s obstacles and create a lifetime of happiness and prosperity with the help of Habitat for Humanity. 

After experiencing high rent prices, difficult living conditions and even homelessness, the family is ready for a new beginning. 

“Our new beginning will consist of stability and affordability,” Johnnie said. 

She and Tazarious are excited to have a yard where they can hang out and enjoy the beauties of the world. 

“This home will be a starting point of new memories, new expectations and new blessings,” she said. 

 

The Rodrigues-Hart Family

Anna Hart, a 19-year-old college student, and her mother, Claudia Rodrigues, have been living in a one bedroom apartment for the past eight years. 

The limited space causes many frustrations and has left them with many sleepless nights and no privacy or space to call their own. 

Getting accepted into the Habitat program brought Anna and Claudia a lot of relief and gratitude. 

“Our house will be someplace I look forward to coming home to,” Anna said. “Somewhere I pull up to and smile knowing all the work it took for it to be there.” 

The mother-daughter duo is most excited about the sense of security their forever home will bring. They will no longer have to worry about their rent being raised and will finally have the privacy of their own bedrooms and bathrooms that they have been longing for.

 

The Seija Family

Miriam Seija is a single woman from Colombia who came to America looking for a better future. Now, she is doing the same with Habitat and is looking forward to the peace and tranquility her forever home will bring her. 

Before being accepted into the program, Miriam faced many hardships including the death of her husband, her own medical issues and the struggle to find a safe and affordable place to live.

After learning about the Habitat program, Miriam was determined to make her dream come true of owning a home and having time to herself in the comfort of a house that she can call her own.

 

The Wiggins Family

For the past five years, Quytesha Wiggins has been dreaming of becoming a homeowner. Her dream will finally come true with the help of the Habitat program. 

Quytesha is a single woman who loves to laugh, spend time with family and listen to music. With increasing rent prices over the past few years, she has had to pick up an extra job which has caused her to miss out on spending time with her family. 

She imagines life in her new Habitat home to be peaceful and is eager to create generational wealth for her future family. 

Quytesha hopes that one day her home will become the place where her family hosts holiday gatherings and they can make many new memories together.

 

DADE CITY – The Heritage Arts Center Association gives a $1,000 Nereim Fine Arts Award each year in honor and memory of founding members Gordon and Jean Nereim.

Their love of the arts lives on through this award. Talented seniors in Pasco County schools submit artwork (paintings, sculpture, drawing or photography) each spring to be considered. 

Due to a generous grant from the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation this year, the organization was able to present $1,000 art awards to seniors Colette Hanke and Lindsey Overland.

Colette, of Academy at the Lakes, has had a fascination with art since childhood. Colette submitted an acrylic painting, created to experiment with the “cell shading” style.  She used a white charcoal pencil to sketch out the piece and then blocked out the light and shadow for the process. Her painting depicted an artist’s workspace, with a blank canvas – suggesting the endless possibilities of creation. Her teacher is Matthew Paltoo.  

Lindsey’s primary field of interest is illustration. The Cypress Creek High School senior plans to attend Ringling College of Art and Design. She submitted a mixed media piece of birds with pearl craft stickers on canvas, which reflected the theme of femininity and connectedness. Her teacher is Zach Krieder

Because of the large number and quality of entries this year, the Heritage Arts Center Association also named Brianna Mercado and Alenna Raza as Honorable Mention artists.  

The Heritage Arts Center Association will feature these four artists at the Moonlight and Ivory concert and art show held Nov. 1 at Dade City’s Woman’s Club. 

On the web: heritagearts.org

 

TAMPA – The Florida Small Business Development Center at University of South Florida recognized top professionals May 14 during the 2025 Florida SBDC at USF Annual Business Awards.
Winners are now eligible for Florida SBDC Network state awards. State award winners will be announced at the Network’s Annual Conference this coming August in Tampa.
During the awards, the Florida SBDC at USF was also recognized with the SBA 2025 Small Business Development Center of the Year Award by the U.S Small Business Administration.
“Our Florida SBDC at USF Annual Business Awards continues to be a great opportunity to celebrate entrepreneurship and recognize the Florida SBDC professionals who help businesses in our 10-county Tampa Bay region thrive,” said Carl Hadden, regional director of the Florida SBDC at USF. “We are fortunate enough to have a dedicated team, who worked tirelessly to make this a successful event, and honored to have been selected as the 2025 State of Florida SBDC Center of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.”
Below is a list of all the award winners.

Florida SBDC Performance Awards
• Team Spirit of the Year: Bill Burnham
• Rising Star of the Year: Debra Schweikowsky
• Performance Excellence Award: Randy Hayes
• Ambassador of the Year Award: Stephanie Ordonez
• Resource Partner of the Year: Greater Sebring Chamber of Commerce
• Graduate Student Team Project of the Year: Lithium Battery Company (University of Tampa)
• Undergraduate Student Team Project of the Year: Pinoy Cravings (Florida Southern College)

Florida SBDC at USF Small Business Awards
• SBDC Start Up Business of the Year: ABA on Demand LLC
• SBDC Export Business of the Year: Collective Circularity LLC
• SBDC Businessperson of the Year: Salty Roots Salon, LLC
• SBDC Veteran-Owned Business of the Year: Spectrum Custom Molds and Manufacturing
• SBDC Fastest Growth Business of the Year: Siloam Medical dba Beatific Vision
• SBDC Government Contractor of the Year: Onyx Cleaning Services, LLC
• SBDC Woman-Owned Business of the Year: Little Law, P.A.

SBA Small Business Awards
• SBA 2025 Small Business Development Center of the Year: Florida SBDC at USF
• SBA 2025 South Florida District & State Exporter of the Year: Yo Mama’s Foods Co.
• SBA 2025 South Florida District & State Small Businessperson of the Year: Point Summit
• SBA 2025 South Florida District Veteran Business Owner of the Year: PVM, Inc.
• 2025 Top SBA Certified Development Company Lender: Florida Development Corporation
• 2025 Top Lender by Number of Loans to Rural Businesses: SouthState Bank
On the web: sbdctampabay.com/award/

 

TAMPA – Saint Leo University celebrated the Class of 2025 along with some “firsts” as more than 1,400 students crossed the stage in two commencement ceremonies May 7 at the Florida State Fairgrounds.

Twelve students proudly claimed the title of “first” as they are Saint Leo’s first graduates in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program in the College of Health Professions. They participated in a pinning ceremony May 5, pledging to uphold the ethical, scientific and legal standards of their profession. 

Emma Hayhurst, of Merrimack, New Hampshire, said she chose Saint Leo because of the university’s dedication to building a new nursing program. 

“Additionally, Saint Leo’s strong values of compassion, integrity and service reflect the kind of nurse I aspire to be,” said Hayhurst, one of the first graduates.

Another student celebrating being “first” was Forgive Semackor, of Riverview, who became the first graduate in Saint Leo’s Bachelor of Arts in Music Program in 30 years. Saint Leo once again began offering a music major in fall 2023.

“I knew I wanted to be a teacher, and when I found out Saint Leo was re-introducing the major, I decided that it would be a great choice to teach a subject that I was really passionate about,” Semackor said.

The commencement ceremonies also provided an opportunity to recognize the contributions made by two longtime supporters and benefactors of the university. Edward Dadez was named president emeritus, having retired in February after serving as the university’s 11th president. Dadez also is an alumnus who earned a Master of Business Administration degree in 2002.

“During his tenure, Dr. Dadez addressed the challenges that Saint Leo University was facing, he led the faculty and staff, changing the culture of the university, and ensured that Saint Leo had a strong focus on students and their success,” said Edwin Narain, chair of the board of trustees.

Receiving an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree was trustee and alumnus John Picciano, who is the CEO of Oglethorpe Inc. As a student, Picciano served as the president of his fraternity and the Interfraternity Council. He continued a life of service to his community, making a difference in the lives of those with mental health and addiction issues. And he continued his lifelong contributions to his alma mater.

 

Morning Ceremony

Graduating during the morning ceremony were University Campus undergraduate students; master’s degree students in accounting, business administration, computer science, cybersecurity and psychology; and Doctor of Business Administration students.

Recognized as valedictorian and salutatorian for the Class of 2025 with a 4.0 GPA was Kristina Arwady, of Altamonte Springs, who graduated summa cum laude with bachelor’s degrees in management and medical humanities: pre-med with a minor in Spanish and from the Honors Program. Arwady also was a member of the women’s soccer team.

“Over the last three and a half years, Saint Leo University has become my family,” Arwady said. “The people have made this place home, and I am so grateful for the many opportunities and experiences I have had here.” 

Jacqueline Pollok, of Dade City, was the campus salutatorian, graduating summa cum laude with bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice: homeland security and international studies. She also graduated from the Honors Program and was the recipient of the 2025 Clara McDonald Olson Scholarship Excellence Award.

Giving the morning commencement address was Dr. Lauren Wittenberg Weiner, founder and former CEO of WWC Global, an organization dedicated to helping military spouses find career opportunities. In 2018, WWC Global won the largest contract to a woman-owned business in U.S. Special Operations Command headquarters (Tampa) history — the headquarters for the U.S. Navy SEALs and U.S. Army Green Berets. Annual revenue for WWC reached $100 million before Wittenberg Weiner sold it in 2022.

Her advice to the new graduates: Don’t be afraid to take a different path. 

“In my own life, it was the times that I took a huge pivot from what everyone seemed to expect from me that I found my biggest success,” Wittenberg Weiner said. “Thanks to an amazing mentor who guided me the first time I even contemplated taking a path that was different than what was laid out for me, I realized something: Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you have to.”

Wittenberg Weiner said she gathered the information from her naysayers, weighed each decision carefully. 

“I’ll tell you that the four-word response that fueled more of my success than any other words: ‘Oh really? Watch me,” Wittenberg Weiner told the graduates.

Admitting to being a “goody two-shoes,” Wittenberg Weiner said she found ways to upend expectations without breaking the rules. 

“As a young overachiever, I got really good at knowing all of the rules and all of the expectations,” Wittenberg Weiner said. “But what I didn’t realize until later is that there is a ton of space, in both those written and unwritten rules, to find your own authentic path to your own version of success.”

 

Afternoon Ceremony

Graduating during the afternoon ceremony were Center for Online Learning and education center undergraduate students; World Campus students (studying internationally); master’s degree students in creative writing, criminal justice, education, education specialist, instructional design, social work, and theology; and doctoral students in criminal justice and education.

Being recognized among students from Saint Leo’s Center for Online Learning were top performers, graduating summa cum laude with a 4.0 cumulative GPA, were Frances Wesby from Grovetown, Georgia, who earned a bachelor’s in business administration, and Kamera Woodruff from Madison, who earned a bachelor’s in elementary education.

The top performer for Saint Leo’s graduating seniors from its education centers, with a 4.0 cumulative GPA and graduating summa cum laude, was Leslie Willis from Brooksville, who earned a bachelor’s in elementary education.

Giving the commencement address for the afternoon ceremony was retired Maj. Gen. James S. Hartsell, executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Hartsell, who earned the nickname “Hammer,” leads the 1,500-member department responsible for serving the nation’s third largest veteran population. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps with honor for 37 years of active and reserve duty, beginning as an enlisted Marine in 1981 and completing distinguished and highly decorated military career as a major general. 

A native of Florida, Hartsell’s 22-year civilian career in the health care industry included serving in marketing, product management, U.S. and global business development, hospital administration and health care leadership. Upon retirement from the Marine Corps, he moved back to Florida and joined the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, where he launched the Future Operations Division.

Hartsell said his “mission will be accomplished” if the students kept a key word, key phrase and a key memory that “you can carry with you in your heart, your mind and your spirit as you embark on your exciting new life pathways as graduates of Saint Leo University.”

That key word he hopes they use for the rest of their lives is “resilience,” and the key phrase is “be the change: say ‘I will.’” The key memory is their fellow alumnus, Evin B. Hartsell, who earned a bachelor’s in psychology in 2016 and master’s in business posthumously in 2018.

Evin, the Hartsells’ second son, was born with a rare congenital neuromuscular dystrophy disease. While he was never able to walk and had to use a ventilator to breathe, he was filled with “self-generated determination to make a difference in the world by finding ways to help others to better themselves,” Hartsell said. “He did this by becoming a Big Brother counselor; an advocate by volunteering at the James R. Haley Veterans Medical Center; by helping charter the Phoenix Rising Power wheelchair soccer team; by helping to charter the Kappa Sigma fraternity at Saint Leo Leo; and by writing an autobiography that he entitled Abled in a Disabled World where he boldly shares his life’s journey of physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual challenges and discouragements and disappointments, and yet eventually his life victories.

“Graduates, like your fellow Saint Leo alumnus Evin Hartsell, regardless of what life circumstances you may find yourself in after today, you too can choose to be resilient and to be the change for the better.”