Congratulations to all of our 2023 graduates.
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TAVARIS DOTSON 
School:
Armwood High School
Parents:
Yusif & Shayla Tolbert
Church Activities:
Boy Scouts Troop 654
Educational Awards and Nominations:
Entrepreneurship Certification
Community Service Involvement:
Progressive Insurance annual park clean up.
Goals and Aspirations:
To become a successful businessman operating my own company.
Favorite Scriptures:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5
Favorite Quote:
Give your hands to serve and your heart to love. -Mother Theresa
JAKARY EDWARDS
School:
Middleton High School
Parents:
Audrey Norman, Minister Strange and Mary Strange
Church Activities:
Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, Hour of Power.
Educational Awards and Nominations:
OSHA certification, Regional State Wrestling Champion, All Western Conference
Community Service Involvement:
40 hours of community service.
Goals and Aspirations:
To attend business school and become a successful entrepreneur.
Favorite Scripture:
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:8
Favorite Quote:
An idle mind is the devil’s workshop – God
JAKOBE EDWARDS
School:
Middleton High School
Parents:
Audrey Norman, Minister Vincent Strange & Mary Strange
Church Activities:
Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Hour of Power (volunteer helper and served afterwards)
Educational Awards and Nominations:
OSHA certification, Digital Design certification, A/C certification.
Community Service Involvement:
Marched in the band.
Goals and Aspirations:
Pursue a career in construction and real estate.
Favorite Scripture:
The Lord is my Shepard I shall not want.
ROLAND TAVARIS EVANS, JR.
School:
Howard W. Blake High School
Parents:
Roland, Sr. and Felicia Evans
Church Activities:
Youth Choir, Youth Usher Board, Youth Praise Team, AMTAGS, standby for drums (played bangos too), Local/ District/ State Conventions, 5th Saturday Congress, Junior Sunday School Teacher.
Community Service Involvement:
Volunteer at HOST, Volunteer at St. Peter Claver Catholic School
Goals and Aspirations:
Attending Hillsborough Community College in the fall pursuing something in music.
Favorite Scriptures:
Trust in the lord, with all thy heart, and lean, not into that all understanding in all the ways of knowledge him, and he shall direct thy path.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Favorite Quote:
You don’t realize what you have until you lose it.
J’LYN J. GREEN
School:
Middleton High School
Parents:
Sexil and Micheal Roberson
Educational Awards and Nominations:
3.1 GPA.
Community Service Involvement:
I have been a part of giving back to the east Tampa community with my parents Feeding Florida Helping at the Local Metropolitan Ministries. I also help feed the homeless at different inner-city churches, as well as help my grandmother pass out bags and blankets to the less fortunate.
Goals and Aspirations:
I’m attending University of south Florida in the fall to obtain my bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity.
Favorite Scripture:
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Favorite Quote:
“I’m hungry.”
ZAIRE JOHNSON
School:
Florida A&M University
Parents:
Veronica Rhodes and Isiah Johnson
Church Activities:
Drill Team, Dance Team, Youth Choir, Usher Board.
Educational Awards and Nominations:
Magna Cum Laude
Community Service Involvement:
FAMU Health Center, Turning Point STEAM Tutor, STEM for Girls Tutor, Southern Scholarship Foundation.
Goals and Aspirations:
To serve as a general dentist in underserved communities to improve access to quality healthcare, the patient-provider relationship, and the health care related racial disparities.
Favorite Scripture:
Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith is substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Favorite Quote:
“You have to get comfortable being uncomfortable” – Luca
DWAYNE JONES
School:
Strawberry Crest High School
Parents:
Tressa Jones & Dwayne Jones, Sr.
Church Activities:
Boy Scouts Troop 654
Educational Awards and Nominations:
Class President (Freshman, Sophomore and Senior year), National Honor Society, Yearbook Leadership
Community Service Involvement:
Metropolitan Ministries Holiday Volunteer Leader
Goals and Aspirations:
Attend the University of Florida, study Broadcast Journalism & Sports Media, and become a Sports Journalist.
Favorite Scripture:
Psalm 31:24
Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!
Favorite Quote:
“Fill up your own cup and let them fall in love with the overflow.” – Harry Styles
TRE’SHAI MCCARTHY
School:
Ocoee High School
Parents:
James and Sharla Cooley
Grandparents: Deacon Thomas and Clara Cobb
Church Activities:
Choir, Praise Dance Team
Community Service Involvement:
Food drives, City clean-ups.
Goals and Aspirations:
I want to complete College with a degree in Criminology or Forensics and complete Cosmetology school and be a licensed Cosmetologist. if all else fails, I want to work in the Nursing field or pursue a career in Philanthropy and hope to someday travel the world.
Favorite Scriptures:
Psalms 45:5:
God is within her, she shall not fail Corinthians 16:14: Do everything in love.
Psalms 34:17-18:
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Favorite Quote:
If God is trying to remove it from your life, Don’t keep holding onto it.
KAHLIN NEWSOM
School:
Gary Adult High School
Parents:
Betty Love and Amy Dorothy Worlds
Church Activities:
Everything
Goals and Aspirations:
Get a good engineering or mechanical job
Favorite Scripture:
John 3:16
Favorite Quote:
It doesn’t matter which way you flip a sandwich, the bread still comes first.
CONNOR MICHAEL TURNER
School:
Sunlake High School
Parents:
Deacon Curtis Turner and Carmen Turner
Church Activities:
Participated on the Junior Usher Board and played the drums for the Youth Choir.
Educational Awards and Nominations:
I am a National Honor’s Society member and have received the Freshman Dean’s Award and Saint Leo University Scholarship.
Community Service Involvement:
Volunteer hours included; Feeding Tampa Bay, St. John Progressive Church Toy Drive, Pasco County Animal Services, Alzheimer’s 5k Race, Hillsborough County Anti Drug Alliance, and Radiant 5k Race and Candlelight Ceremony.
Goals and Aspirations:
My goal is to attend Saint Leo University and double major in Computer Science and Cybersecurity. I will also be continuing my musical passion by playing the drums for other groups and organizations in the community.
Favorite Scriptures:
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”. – 1 Peter 5:7
“Give Thanks to the Lord for he is good. His love endures forever.” – Psalms 136: 1
Favorite Quotes:
“Work smarter, not harder” – Scrooge McDuck
“Reading makes a ready man” – Papa Casey