The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Army

She has lofty goals, and the will to achieve them

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After a lifetime of preparation, Olivia Jenkins was ready to fly.

She boarded a Cessna 172 Skyhawk — and her instructor stayed on the ground.

She took off from Tampa North Flight Center in Lutz on Sept. 23 and flew her pattern, soaring to 1,000 feet, then she touched down flawlessly to begin a run of three landings.

Olivia Jenkins stands near a plane at the North Tampa Flight Center in Lutz. (Courtesy of Olivia Jenkins)

Her quirky goal was complete.

“I flew a plane solo before I drove a car solo,’’ she explained.

Jenkins, 16, has many more goals in mind (including getting her driver’s license — one day). On her birthday — Feb. 10 — she intends to take her last check ride and finalize her private pilot’s license. Then she can fly without restrictions and even take some passengers aboard.

She’s a member of Mitchell High School’s Navy ROTC program and will seek a congressional nomination to a military service academy. One day, she hopes to fly for the U.S. Air Force or perhaps fly helicopters for the Army.

“I would not put anything past Olivia,’’ said Robert Crews, her flight instructor. “For a 16-year-old, she approaches it so professionally. When you ask her to do something, she does it and she understands it.

“You know how 16-year-olds are? They say, ‘Yeah, I got it, I got it.’ Then they don’t have it. When Olivia says she’s got it, she’s got it.”

Jenkins, whose family lives in Trinity, has a 3.9 grade-point average. She has honed her skills and training through the North Tampa-Lutz Cadet Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary unit of the U.S. Air Force. As a cadet commander, she has taken advantage of the opportunity to participate in orientation flights, where cadets fly with instructors and take the controls themselves, while soaking up knowledge.

“Beyond the flight experience, the Civil Air Patrol has allowed Olivia to build a lot of character and leadership skills, as she has progressed through the ranks,’’ said Rich Jenkins, her father. “I think it has all shown her raw ambition. Whenever we set a goal for her, she has always outperformed that goal. She takes it on and masters it, whether it’s schoolwork or anything else.

Sixteen-year-old Olivia Jenkins recently took her first solo flight.

“But, clearly, she has a passion for flying. And, she had it from a very early age.’’

Jenkins’ father helped with that. As a private pilot himself, he took Olivia on flights when she was still in a car seat. She doesn’t remember much from those early days. But, the father recalls when they were at the top of the old Pier in St. Petersburg. She had a clear view of Albert Whitted Airport. She spotted the landing indicator lights and knew if the planes were coming in too low. Olivia was 4.

She attended the Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland annually with her father, but her flight interest really took off at age 10, when she participated in the Experimental Aircraft Association (EEA) Young Eagles program.

That’s when she set her goal. She wanted to fly solo before she could drive solo.

Mission accomplished.

“I just love the feeling of flying,’’ Jenkins said. “I always had an interest, I think, but the Young Eagles experience really showed me what it’s like to be in the air.

“I was a little nervous on my first solo flight, but I was prepared. I studied hard and was confident in what I was doing. When I flew the approach nicely and touched down nice and smooth, that was absolutely the best part. It’s like achieving a lifelong dream. I’m excited for what’s ahead,” she said.

Olivia Jenkins prepares her plane, at dusk.

Jenkins is nothing but prepared.

She served an internship last summer in the office of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, who represents the 12th congressional district in Florida.

Jenkins is back in Bilirakis’ office for occasional work, some of which involves helping organize students who are seeking nominations to military service academies. By next summer, with her connections firmly in place, Jenkins will be seeking her own nomination.

She also has maximized her experience with the Civil Air Patrol, taking five orientation flights (almost mini-flight lessons), getting accepted into a summer flight academy and securing most of her Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) examinations, the precursor to a private pilot’s license.

She has about 13 sessions remaining with Crews, her flight instructor, before the birthday flight that will make things official.

If the weather conditions are right, Jenkins can rent a plane at the Tampa North Flight Center for a brief flight. On a whim, she did that recently. It was after-hours, calm and quiet. Taking the plane up was a thrill. The landing was perfect.

“The sunset was amazing that night,’’ Jenkins said. “It was just awesome. I think I’m always going to love the feeling. I can’t wait for what’s ahead.’’

Off she goes into the wild blue yonder. She’s ready to fly.

By Joey Johnston

Published October 21, 2020

Husband and Wife Team Board Certified in Plastic Surgery and Dermatology Open Clinic in Wesley Chapel

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Women have many choices when it comes to cosmetic surgery and skin care. Board-certified plastic surgeons and board-certified dermatologists are uniquely trained to provide these services. Together, Drs. Raj and Aparna Ambay provide Tampa’s first center for coordinated care.

Raj S. Ambay, M.D. and Aparna Ambay, M.D., FAAD
Raj S. Ambay, M.D. and Aparna Ambay, M.D., FAAD

“Quality and safety should always be a priority,” Dr. Raj Ambay, a board-certified plastic surgeon, recommends patients look past marketing hype by checking the board certification of their doctors with the Florida Dept. of Health and the American Board of Medical Specialties. “Your health and safety is too important to accept a compromise,” he said.

Dr. Ambay completed his general surgical residency at the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Following his residency, he completed a plastic surgery residency at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a cancer fellowship with the National Institutes of Health, and a second sub-specialty fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where he specialized in microsurgery and tissue transplantation.

“Microsurgery and tissue transplanta- tion allow me to perform the most advanced forms of breast cancer reconstruction,” said Dr. Ambay. “Knowing how to reconstruct a breast requires an artistic eye and comprehensive under- standing of anatomy. That knowledge is the foundation for delivering superior results in cosmetic surgery.”

Dr. Ambay brought his medical expertise to the Tampa area in 2010 when he relocated here with his wife, Dr. Aparna Ambay, a board certified dermatologist, and their daughter Amani.

Dr. Ambay is also a reservist, Lieutenant Colonel and an Army veteran. He was deployed to Iraq in 2011 and spent four months stationed in a combat hospital supporting a Special Forces unit.

When Dr. Ambay entered the combat zone, he recalled his commander saying, “the force behind you is far greater than the challenges ahead of you.”

“When I returned from Iraq, I felt like that was the same reason to open a medical center,” said Dr. Ambay. In early 2012, Tampa Institute of Plastic Surgery and 360 Dermatology opened together in a Seven Oaks office complex in Wesley Chapel behind Sam’s Club.

In addition to the convenience of the two disciplines working together, patients appreciate the practices’ state-of-the-art technology. Every suite has high-tech features such as iPads mirrored on large LCD screens to enhance patient education.

On Feb 5, ABC Action news featured Dr. Raj Ambay as the first practice in Florida to use HIPPA-compliant email and texting technology. This technology provides updates to anxious family members on the status of their loved ones while in surgery, at the same time, and anywhere in the world.

Another first by the Ambays’ is their use of video technology to host consultations and after-surgery check-ups. “Our patients like the option of meeting with us through their computer or smart phone because they don’t have to put their life on hold to visit the doctor” said Dr. Aparna Ambay. The facility is a spacious 4,000 square feet decorated in inviting, warm colors that make patients feel at home and at ease.

The Ambays chose Wesley Chapel for their practice because of its family friendly environment, convenience to I-75 and rapid growth. “Plus, we live close by and so we are a part of the community which we also serve.”

At 360 Dermatology, Dr. Aparna Ambay not only performs non-invasive cosmetic procedures but also specializes in Mohs surgery, a precise tissue preserving surgical technique used to treat skin cancer. It is the only on-site, state certified Mohs facility in Wesley Chapel.

“The goal is to remove all of the skin cancer while preserving surrounding healthy tissue,” said Dr. Ambay, who also said that a substantial portion of her patients choose to have their skin cancer defect reconstructed by Dr. Ambay, the plastic surgeon, rather than waiting weeks with an open wound.

Why does a woman consider plastic surgery or cosmetic dermatology?

“Our patients are intelligent women who frequently say that they have spent their lives taking care of everyone else but themselves. Now it’s their turn to do something for themselves,” said Dr. Ambay. “If cosmetic surgery and beautiful skin improves a woman’s self esteem and overall well being, then why not?”

The Tampa Institute of Plastic Surgery is located at 27716 Cashford Circle, Wesley Chapel. They can be reached at (813) 406-4835, or visit them online at www.ambayplasticsurgery.com, or at www.360DermatologyTampa.com.

This story is a feature of the advertising department.