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Katelyn Ortiz

Students vie in entrepreneurial competition

May 3, 2017 By Kevin Weiss

Timothy Hernandez noticed a problem, and he set about to solve it.

Not too long ago, the 17-year-old Zephyrhills High School senior was undergoing safety training as a YMCA pool lifeguard.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) masks kept falling off during tutorials.

“It was a real inconvenience,” he said.

Timothy Hernandez, center, won first place and $2,500 in Pasco’s Young Entrepreneur Finals. His business concept is CPRGo, a mask with an automatic seal, via suction cup features. Also pictured: Kelly Castro, youth coordinator for the Pasco Hernando Workforce Board, and Stacey Capogrosso, executive director of the Pasco Education Foundation. 
(Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

Strap-based CPR masks didn’t fare much better, said Hernandez, who currently works at the East Pasco YMCA and the New Tampa YMCA.

His solution: CPRGo, a mask with an automatic seal, via suction cup features.

“It makes CPR a simple and more efficient process,” Hernandez said. “It also ensures the victim is getting a sufficient amount of air. “

In short, “Saving lives has never been so easy.”

For the concept — yet to be prototyped and patented — Hernandez won first place and $2,500 in Pasco’s Young Entrepreneur Finals, held April 25 at the Land O’ Lakes High School Culinary Arts.

The inaugural competition showcased seven students from Pasco County Schools’ business and entrepreneurship principles program.

It gave contestants an opportunity to present their unique business idea in a traditional slideshow format to a live audience and panel of judges — startup experts representing Pasco County and the Tampa Bay region.

Hannah White, a Pasco High School senior, earned second place and $1,000 for Organized Design, which refers to planners that can be customized entirely.

Jackson Rossi, a senior at Mitchell High School, received third place and $500 for Brij, an app for social media marketing.

Other finalists were Justin Hall and Katelyn Ortiz, of Sunlake High; Taylor Townsend, of River Ridge High; and, Alex Violini, of Ridgewood High; each were winners at school-level competitions, held April 3 through April 10.

Those attending the competition included representatives from Pasco County Schools, CareerSource Pasco/Hernando, the Pasco Education Foundation, the Pasco Economic Development Council, the USF Stavros Center, and Pasco SCORE. The name SCORE is based on an acronym for Service Corps of Retired Executives.

Loosely based off ABC’s hit TV show “Shark Tank,” each student had 10 minutes to present his or her startup.

Judges then lobbed critiques, criticisms and suggestions, for all the audience to hear.

The finalists later were evaluated on a 10-point scale on 10 factors, including professionalism, the viability of their enterprise, and their ability to back it with research on startup costs, revenue, distribution, customer base, competitors and the business and/or social impact of their venture.

Hernandez received high marks for his revenue and cost projections model, and his ability to identify a target market — lifeguards and other emergency responders.

For the judges, choosing just three winners wasn’t easy.

“The kids that did this — great job,” said Steven Hickman, president/CEO of First National Bank of Pasco. “I’m just thrilled to see the quality and the poise.”

Fellow judge Mike Lewis, chairman of SCORE Chapter 439, was likewise impressed with each presentation, praising students’ thought process, concepts and business plans.

“They are absolutely to be commended,” he said.

About 200 Pasco County high school students participated in the entrepreneurship curriculum during the 2016-2017 school year, said Terry Aunchman, director of career and technical education for Pasco County.

That figure, along with the Young Entrepreneurs event, is expected to grow, as the program will be introduced in five more high schools next school year — Cypress Creek, Gulf, Fivay, Land O’ Lakes and Wiregrass Ranch.

“The competition is going to be amped up just a little bit,” Aunchman said. “We built so much excitement around this that the other schools are like, ‘We want to get in on the action.’”

Aunchman also plans to introduce the program to several middle and elementary schools in the district, hoping to “get kids engaged, thinking outside of the box and solving problems.”

Meanwhile, Hernandez — like other finalists — appears to have a bright future ahead of him.

He plans to attend Saint Leo University this fall, majoring in criminal justice.

His minor? Business.

Published May 3, 2017

Filed Under: Education, Local News, Wesley Chapel/New Tampa News, Zephyrhills/East Pasco News Tagged With: Alex Violini, CareerSource Pasco/Hernando, Cypress Creek Middle High School, East Pasco YMCA, First National Bank of Pasco, Fivay High School, Gulf High school, Hannah White, Jackson Rossi, Justin Hall, Katelyn Ortiz, Land O' Lakes High School Culinary Arts, Mike Lewis, Mitchell High School, New Tampa YMCA, Pasco County Schools, Pasco Economic Development Council, Pasco Education Foundation, Pasco High School, Pasco SCORE, Ridgewood High School, River Ridge High School, Saint Leo University, SCORE Chapter 439, Shark Tank, Steven Hickman, Sunlake High School, Taylor Townsend, Terry Aunchman, Timothy Hernandez, USF Stavros Center, Wiregrass Ranch High School, Zephyrhills High School

Sunlake girls weightlifting well-represented on SAC awards

March 15, 2017 By Kevin Weiss

The dominance of the Sunlake girls weightlifting program remained apparent at the annual Sunshine Athletic Conference (East) Awards.

The Sunlake girls weightlifting team was well-represented in the SAC East Awards. Denise Garcia won SAC East Coach of the Year honors, and 10 lifters were selected to the SAC East All-Conference teams.
(Courtesy of Denise Garcia)

Seahawks coach Denise Garcia won her second consecutive SAC East Girls’ Weightlifting Coach of the Year Award, and 10 of her lifters were named to the 2016-2017 SAC East All-Conference team, announced on March 6.

A mix of youth and experience, Sunlake won all of their Eastside Conference meets, placed second at the Class 2A Regionals and had three top-10 finishers at the state finals.

The season also saw a few milestones for the girls’ program, including its first 400-pound lifter.

Senior Micaiah Long set that mark at the 2017 Class 2A state meet, with a 215-pound bench press and a 185-pound clean-and-jerk, placing third in the unlimited division.

The previous school record was a 385-pound total, set in the 2015-2016 season by Brianna Anderson, who won a state title in the 183-pound division.

Senior Micaiah Long became Sunlake’s first 400-pound lifter during the Class 2A state meet. The mark was good enough to place third in the unlimited division.

Long, a first-year lifter in the Sunlake program, added a combined 65 pounds to her lifts since the first meet of the season.

Her strategy? More lifting.

“I just worked hard,” Long said. “I went in and worked out more, got extra reps in.”

“She started at 335 (pounds), and she improved with her work ethic,” Garcia said. “She put so much into it. She had the passion to do it, she had a goal she set for herself, and she was going to do it.”

Garcia, too, credits Long for being coachable throughout the season.

“She listens and takes everything I tell her,” the coach said. “She’s like a sponge.”

In the meantime, Long won’t soon forget the weightlifting experience.

“It was exciting. I accomplished my goals,” said Long, who’s also on the Sunlake track and field team.

“I was shy, and I think it brought my personality out.”

The 400-pound feat wasn’t the only Sunlake record shattered during the season, however.

Denise Garcia, right, won her second consecutive SAC East Girls’ Weightlifting Coach of the Year award. Senior Micaiah Long was selected First-Team All-Conference.
(Kevin Weiss)

In the 101-pound class, senior Shelby Lewis set a school and conference record with a 130-pound clean-and-jerk; she later finished ninth in the state meet.

Without Lewis and Long, Garcia’s 10th season could prove more challenging, as the Seahawks also lose two other state qualifiers in seniors Hailey Parks (sixth place in 183-pound division) and Caroline Winstead (19th in 139-pound division.)

For Garcia, it’s no matter.

With five non-seniors representing Sunlake on the All-Conference list, the Seahawks coach isn’t concerned about a possible rebuilding-type year for the 2017-2018 season.

Instead, she relishes the task.

“I coach who’s in front of me,” Garcia said. “My job is to give them the confidence, to show them the skills, and then we go from there.”

“I have confidence in my girls,” she added.

One lifter to watch out for next season, Garcia said, is freshman Antoinette Farmer.

Competing in the 183-pound division, Farmer increased her lifting totals from 195 pounds to 285 pounds over the course of the season.

Garcia heaped high praise on Farmer, noting she could one day surpass Brianna Anderson’s totals.

“She’s hungry,” Garcia said. “To have somebody like that—the whole package—it’s rare to find that.”

2016-2017 SAC East All-Conference Girls’ Weightlifting
Coach of the Year: Denise Garcia, Sunlake High
Athlete of the Year: Jessica Guadarrama, Zephyrhills High, junior

First-Team All-Conference
101-pound: Shelby Lewis, Sunlake High, senior
110-pound: Savannah Sutton, Zephyrhills High, sophomore
119-pound: Lizbeth Estrada, Zephyrhills High, senior
129-pound: Loah Castro, Sunlake High, sophomore
139-pound: Caroline Winstead, Sunlake High, sophomore
154-pound: Tricia Clifton, Wiregrass Ranch High, senior
169-pound: Alysa Kremer, Land O’ Lakes High, freshman
183-pound: Jessica Guadarrama, Zephyrhills High, junior
199-pound: Yarixa Casasnovas, Sunlake High, junior
Unlimited: Micaiah Long, Sunlake High, senior

Second-Team All-Conference
101-pound: Sara First, Zephyrhills High, senior
110-pound: Maria Espinal, Sunlake High, sophomore
119-pound: Caitlyn Elling, Pasco High, sophomore
129-pound: Mariah Melendez, Sunlake High, sophomore
139-pound: Isabella Garcia, Sunlake High, freshman
154-pound: Katelyn Ortiz, Sunlake High, senior
169-pound: Veronica Salazar, Land O’ Lakes High, sophomore
183-pound: Hailey Parks, Sunlake High, senior
199-pound: Tatyana Cole, Zephyrhills High, junior
Unlimited: Abby Shaffer, Zephyrhills High School, sophomore
Honorable Mention: Abigail Monticco, Wesley Chapel, junior

Published March 15, 2017

 

Filed Under: Land O' Lakes Sports, Local Sports Tagged With: Abby Shaffer, Abigail Monticco, Alysa Kremer, Antoinette Farmer, Brianna Anderson, Caitlyn Elling, Caroline Winstead, Denise Garcia, Hailey Parks, Jessica Guadarrama, Katelyn Ortiz, Land O' Lakes High, Lizbeth Estrada, Loah Castro, Maria Espinal, Micaiah Long, Pasco High School, Sara First, Savannah Sutton, Shelby Lewis, Sunlake High School, Sunshine Athletic Conference, Tatyana Cole, Tricia Clifton, Veronica Salazar, Wiregrass Ranch High School, Yarixa Casasnovas, Zephyrhills High School

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01/23/2021 – Adult craft

The Pasco County Library Cooperative will offer a virtual craft at home for adults on Jan. 23 at 2 p.m. Participants can learn to make fireworks in a jar. To view the video, visit Facebook.com/cplib. … [Read More...] about 01/23/2021 – Adult craft

01/23/2021 – Dumpling soup

The Pasco County Library Cooperative will present “Cook-a-Book: Soup” on Jan. 23 at 11 a.m. This month the book, “Dumpling Soup” by Jama Kim Rattigan will be featured. Participants can hear the story and then learn to make a kid-friendly dumpling soup. For information and to see the presentation, visit Facebook.com/regencyparklibrary. … [Read More...] about 01/23/2021 – Dumpling soup

01/23/2021 – Hobby Circle

The Pasco County Library Cooperative will offer a Hobby Circle on Jan. 23 at 3 p.m., for anyone who wants to share a hobby or learn about a new one — from a work of art to a new recipe, to a favorite video game. The group will meet via Zoom. For information, email . … [Read More...] about 01/23/2021 – Hobby Circle

01/23/2021 – Star Wars Night

The Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI), 4801 E. Fowler Ave., in Tampa, will host a Star Wars Family Night on Jan. 23 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., for ages 7 and older. Guests can take part in intergalactic adventures and hands-on activities, such as build-your-own lightsaber and train in the art of dueling. Participants also can control a droid through an obstacle course, learn about traveling to other planets in the Saunders planetarium, and navigate through exhibits. There also will be a game called Beat Saber on the Oculus Rift. Preregistration is required. For information and tickets, visit Mosi.org. … [Read More...] about 01/23/2021 – Star Wars Night

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The Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, will offer an adult fizzy bath bomb craft, through curbside pickup only. The kit will include lavender Epsom salt, citric acid, a reusable mold, instructions and more. Pickup is from Jan. 25 through Jan. 30. Registration is required through the calendar feature on the library’s website, or by calling 813-929-1214. … [Read More...] about 01/25/2021 – Fizzy bath bomb

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Mr. John from Bricks 4 Kidz will show participants how to become a Lego Master Builder with an online class that teaches various building methods and techniques. The program will be presented on Jan. 25 at 4:30 p.m., for ages 5 to 12. Registration is through the calendar feature at HCPLC.org. … [Read More...] about 01/25/2021 – Lego building

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