Chamber honors student citizens
Eight students from across the community were honored as The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce Students of the Month for October. Students are recognized for exemplary effort, achievement and contribution to their school, family and community. Front row, from left: Olivia Williams, The Broach School; Rudy Shari, Heritage Academy; Austin Jacobs, Chester Taylor Elementary; Landon Connell, West Zephyrhills Elementary; Lilly Garcia-Mahon, Woodland Elementary; and Melonie Monson, Zephyrhills chamber. Back row, from left: Katy Boyd, chamber ambassador chairperson; Malachi Kellerman, Academy of Spectrum Diversity; Bella Crain, Stewart Middle; Joseph Hoppe, Zephyrhills High; Lance Smith, City of Zephyrhills councilman; and Vicky Jones, Zephyrhills chamber president.
Student achievements
- Kerry Cordero, of Odessa, graduated from Western Governors University with a Bachelor of Science, IT.
- Charlene Meyer, of Odessa, graduated from Western Governors University with a Bachelor of Science in nursing.
- Julianna Mitten, of Odessa, served at Dayton, Ohio’s Life Enrichment Center alongside fellow senior Cedarville University nursing students, to complete seven week clinical studies as part of the Nursing Care of Population course.
- Nelson Napoli, of Land O’ Lakes, graduated with an online MS Performance Improvement from Grantham University, a 100% online school.
- Daniel Penning, of Odessa, graduated from Western Governors University with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, IT management.
- Anntara Roy, of Lutz, was initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, in Boston.
- Artemii Stepanets, of Lutz, was named a Harrison Scholar at Mariette College in Ohio. Stepanets is a graduate of Academy at the Lakes and is majoring in petroleum engineering.
Schools take a break
As a reminder, Pasco and Hillsborough county students will have a Thanksgiving/Fall break from Nov. 25 to Nov. 29. All students will return to classes on Dec. 2.
Withlacoochee Electric scholarships
The Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative (WREC) will accept applications for scholarships, starting Dec. 1.
Students will be selected in their senior year of high school by local guidance counselors and WREC personnel.
Each applicant must:
- Be a high school senior and maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA
- Be a dependent of a WREC member
- Be a bona-fide resident within the service area of WREC for at least one year prior to Dec. 1
- Plan to attend an in-state college, university or technical school full-time (minimum of 12 credit hours per semester)
- Maintain a 2.0 GPA each semester (or higher if mandated by the institution) to maintain eligibility
Each successful candidate will receive $1,375 per semester (maximum $11,000) for undergraduate studies.
Applications will be available after Dec. 1 at high school guidance offices, any WREC district office, or online at WREC.net.
Completed applications must be mailed to WREC headquarters and postmarked no later than March 20.
AP Capstone diploma recipients
Pasco County Schools has announced that 32 students earned the Advanced Placement (AP) Capstone Diploma, and six students earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate last school year.
The AP Capstone program develops students’ critical thinking, research, and presentation skills, both individually and as a team.
Students conduct academic research on topics of personal interests in two interdisciplinary courses.
To receive the diploma, students must earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar, AP Research and four additional AP exams.
To receive the certificate, students must earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research.
Students focused their research on a range of topics, including the extent to which phthalates used in U.S. food packaging harm human health, whether brine deposits from desalination plants trap excess CO2 in oceans and reduce the effects of ocean acidification, and how the utilization of hexagonal house structures made of hempcrete can create a more cost-effective, durable home.
Of the Pasco County Schools students who participated in the diploma program, the number of diplomas increased from 20 in the 2017-2018 school year.
Bahamas school supply drive
Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) is collecting donations of school supplies to assist the schoolchildren of the Bahamas. An estimated 18,000 children and their families have been displaced since Hurricane Dorian struck the islands on Sept. 1.
Ten schools were destroyed on the island of Abaco alone, while many other schools sustained damages.
The children of the Bahamas, some of whom lost family members, classmates, and their homes are transitioning to schools that are undamaged but strained to accommodate additional students.
Donations of classroom supplies will be accepted at all PHSC libraries.
Each college store also is accepting donations and selling discounted supplies to anyone contributing to the drive.
Needed items include new backpacks, flash drives, notebooks, binders, calculators, pens, pencils, art materials, and other typical classroom supplies.
The deadline to donate is Dec. 5, as the items will be shipped to the Bahamas in December.
Campuses are in Dade City, Wesley Chapel, New Port Richey, Brooksville and Spring Hill.
For information, email Lucy Miller, director of community outreach, at .
Volunteers needed
The GFWC Pasco Junior Woman’s Club is looking for dependable high school students for a variety of volunteer opportunities.
The club is a 501© nonprofit organization, and time spent volunteering will count toward the necessary Bright Futures scholarship hours.
For information, text the word ‘volunteer’ to (813) 461-3131.
Feeding Pasco food drive
The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office’s annual Feeding Pasco Kids food drive is in full swing.
The proceeds from the drive will go directly to local organizations whose mission is to provide support for homeless children and students.
This year, the recipients include the Pasco Schools system and Metropolitan Ministries.
Donation boxes are placed in the lobbies of the Pasco Sheriff’s office buildings throughout the county.
Several area churches also agreed to have boxes in their buildings to assist with the food collection.
Monetary donations can be made by check or money order to Pasco Sheriff’s Charities, with “Food Drive” in the ‘for’ line, and mailed to Food Drive Donations, Pasco Sheriff’s Charities, 8700 Citizen Drive, New Port Richey, FL 34654.
The deadline to donate is Dec. 13.
For information, call (727) 844-7759.
