Creative Permanent Makeup By Pam Gives Women Worry-Free Eyebrows & More

Pam Edmonson of Creative Permanent Makeup By Pam in Wesley Chapel helps women achieve beautiful-looking eyebrows without daily makeup application.

Pam Edmonson loves having new clients in her chair. Whether they’re tired of spending way too much time drawing on their eyebrows — or maybe they’ve even lost the hair on their eyebrows due to chemotherapy — Pam is excited to offer women a beautiful new look that fits both their individual problem(s) and their skin.

Pam is a permanent makeup artist who owns Serenity Salon & Spa Suites, located off S.R. 54 in the Brookfield Professional Park, about a half-mile west of Morris Bridge Rd. in Wesley Chapel. At the salon, she has a room where she provides permanent makeup for eyebrows, eyelids and lips.

Pam opened Serenity Salon & Spa Suites with a partner more than two years ago, but now she is the sole owner. She takes pride in offering an inviting place for licensed beauty and wellness professionals to offer their services, such as hair styling, massages and facials.

“I want to empower people to work for themselves and be successful,” she says, explaining that her salon provides a drama-free environment.

“Everyone who works here works well together,” Pam says. “We laugh together. When people walk in, they feel welcomed, and it’s natural. We’re not fake. Although I’m the owner, this isn’t my salon, it’s ours all together.”

She says there currently is one chair available for rent for a hairstylist. There also is a room available for a full-time massage therapist.

“We have amazing stylists and aestheticians here,” says Pam, who also emphasizes that if you try a stylist and don’t love them, try a different one.

“No one’s feelings will be hurt,” she says.

Pam’s journey to salon owner started as a second career for her, after many years of running a business in the manufactured housing industry. In 2009, Pam says she wanted to do something different, so she went to school to become a hair stylist.

While she enjoyed hair, Pam says she soon discovered something that interested her even more.

“I love detail,” Pam says. “As a detail person, eyebrows are what first drew me into the permanent makeup field.”

So, in 2010, she studied permanent makeup at the Boca Ta-2 School for Permanent Makeup in Williston, FL, and began providing permanent makeup services in Zephyrhills in 2011.

Pam is licensed in Florida as both a cosmetologist and as a tattoo artist.

“Any time that ink is implanted into the skin, it is a tattoo,” Pam explains, “and you must be licensed through the Florida Department of Health.”

Microblading Eyebrows

While Pam offers permanent makeup for eyebrows and lips, along with permanent eyeliner, her most popular service is microblading for eyebrows.

“Brows are always my favorite because of the drastic way they change how someone looks,” Pam says. “Our eyes are meant to be framed, and brows definitely complete the face.

Pam is also the owner of Serenity Spa & Salon Suites, where she offers her permanent makeup services, and other health and wellness professionals offer hair styling, facials, massages and more.

Some women look so much younger when they have them done.”

With microblading, Pam uses a small blade and ink to create individual stroke lines. She uses a pencil to draw an outline, then uses the microblade to draw each individual hair, adding a more natural look to the eyebrow.

Pam strongly recommends that anyone considering microblading “should do their homework,” explaining that some people who offer the service may only have a three-day class in the technique before they start working on clients. The person who will do your eyebrows should sit down with you and show you before-and-after pictures of their own work, Pam says.

Pam was trained in microblading in 2014, when the process was new. Since then, she says she has done hundreds of sets of eyebrows.

She requires a free, in-person, no-obligation consultation for all clients. Even for someone who is sure they want permanent makeup, Pam still does a consultation, because each person’s skin is unique.

“Although microblading is my favorite,” Pam says, “it may not be the right answer for a client. There can be a better alternative, depending on the canvas that I am working on.”

Because Pam is so passionate about ensuring that clients are educated about permanent makeup and microblading, she has started a video series on her website to help people better understand the process.

At CreativePermanentMakeupByPam.com, be sure to click on her blog, which links to her educational videos.

“I answer a lot of questions that so many people have,” Pam says. “I made the videos because I wanted to put some education out there.”

The first video shows the consultation process and answers common questions. Pam says that future videos will focus on permanent makeup for the brows, lips and eyeliner.

Pam values education for herself, too, and says she stays on top of all the latest information by attending classes whenever she can. Last December, she took an advanced lip class in San Antonio, TX. “I’m still learning,” she says.

She says that it’s especially gratifying to be able to help someone who has gone through a difficult time, such as a cancer patient who lost their hair and it didn’t grow back.

Or, if she can help someone who feels devastated after someone else has done their permanent makeup poorly. While Pam admits that she can’t help everyone — because each person’s skin and situation is unique — she does have the skills and expertise to help most people, often in difficult situations.

Jennifer Burrows is a New Tampa resident who had microblading done by Pam on her eyebrows.

“I was impressed by how long she took with me,” Jennifer says. “She’s a perfectionist and made them look as beautiful as they possibly can. She knows what she’s doing.”

Jennifer says she spent a lot of time looking online and contacted another company, but that person refused to work on her because of her red hair. She was thrilled when Pam agreed to help her.

“Now,” Jennifer says, “my eyebrows are beautiful and I don’t need to wear makeup.”
Pam says that’s the best part of her job.

“I’m extremely passionate about my work,” she says. “When someone tells me what a difference I made in their life and how they feel about themselves, that’s the reason that I love what I do!”

Creative Permanent Makeup by Pam is located at Serenity Salon & Spa Suites, at 33913 S.R. 54, Suite 101, in Wesley Chapel. For information about the stylists, aestheticians and massage therapists at the salon, visit SerenitySalonSpaSuites.com. For a free consultation or more info about permanent makeup, visit CreativePermanentMakeupbyPam.com, or call Pam at (813) 997-6302.

At Done Right Flooring & Cabinets, The Name Says It All!

Owner Jason Cantin of Done Right Flooring on W. Linebaugh Ave. in Tampa, has two decades of experience in the flooring industry, but still attends training at least twice a year to stay up-to-date on all the latest techniques and best practices in the industry.

In Jason Cantin’s two decades working in the flooring industry, he’s seen a lot of things go wrong.

In fact, for the past six years, he has worked as a flooring inspector. When someone says their floor is bad and wants the manufacturer or installer to fix it, they call Jason, as a first step toward filing a claim in court.

He says bad flooring installation is so prevalent in the industry that 85 percent of all floors being installed today are being installed incorrectly. He says that nearly every retailer out there is trying to sell more floors, and install them quickly, and move on to the next job, with little concern for whether or not your floor will last.

“Not every floor that is installed incorrectly fails,” he says, “but if you have carpet pulls in the doorway, or wrinkles in your carpet, or your floating floor creaks or makes noise, you have a bad install.”
So, he decided to do something about it.

He opened Done Right Flooring & Cabinets, selling the highest-quality flooring brands, installed in your home, to give people an alternative to the options available in the flooring market in Tampa.

Done Right sells hardwood, tile and laminate floors, as well as carpet, and also offers custom wood floors, in which every piece is hand cut, hand laid, sanded and finished in place.

In addition to selling flooring, Jason has a partner in the store who can help homeowners find the perfect cabinets, following the same philosophy of excellent products and installation that is the trademark of Done Right Flooring & Cabinets.

While Jason and his family live in New Tampa, he wanted to open his store in a location that was more central to all areas of Tampa. Done Right is located at 6028 W. Linebaugh Ave., 25-30 minutes south and west of New Tampa.

“I started Done Right because I’ve spent the last six years watching floors fail, and it’s taught me the process to do it right,” Jason says. “You can’t do it right and do it cheaply. Most subcontractors get paid by the foot, so they lay as much floor as possible, as quickly as possible, to get a bigger paycheck.”

Jason calls himself an idealist, and says he wants to elevate the entire flooring industry in Tampa, focusing on doing things the right way, so the consumer gets the best possible floor installation and floors they will be happy with for a long time.

“Most retailers give a one-year warranty, and then they’re off the hook,” Jason says. “I give a 5-year warranty, in writing, for all of my work.”

He says a well-installed, good-quality floor can be expected to last much longer.

His wife, Ashley, helps him with the business. “Our focus is on the customer,” she says. “Are they as happy with their floors one year, five years, even 20 years later, as they were when they got them?”

She says they also want to ensure that if you are selling your home, your floor will bring top value and the new owners will be happy with the floor, too.

Custom wood floors are a specialty of Done Right Flooring and Cabinets. You can see this one in person, along with the samples of Carlisle Wood Plank floors (hanging on the wall) at the store, located at 6028 W. Linebaugh Ave. in Tampa.

Quality Installations
Jason says they do this by hiring the best installers, who are certified by taking hands-on and written certification tests and are required to do ongoing continuing education. He adds, however, that this approach is not typical in the industry.

“There is no license needed to install wood floors in Hillsborough County,” explains Jason. “There is no recognized body to verify that the work done is correctly.”

In the absence of recognized standards and holding flooring companies accountable for installing floors correctly, Jason says he is doing all he can to change the industry, one consumer at a time.

Done Right recently replaced the floors for Scott Miller in his Bayshore Blvd. condo in South Tampa. Scott had just renovated his condo and was already having problems with his brand new floors, so he hired Jason for a consultation. “There were gaps, I could hear glue squishing and boards creaking,” Scott says. Because the floors were beyond repair, Scott then hired Done Right to do the floors again – this time, the right way.

“I was blown away every step of the way with his service,” says Scott of Jason. “After going through the first experience, there’s really no comparison. (He) took the time to do every step of the process correctly. (He) didn’t rush it.”

Scott says Jason’s knowledge was impressive, and that he took the time to educate him. “He knew about the trees the boards came from,” says Scott, “and explained the importance of prepping the floor and more.”

And, Scott notes that his new floor, purchased from and installed by Done Right, has none of the problems the first floor did.

“Our focus is on educating the consumer, so they pick the best product for them,” Jason says. “I’m not a salesperson, but more of a teacher.”

The Value Of Proper Training
Jason adds that he places a high value on education and keeping up-to-date on all of the latest information and trends in his industry. While prefinished floors are still popular, he says, custom finishing onsite is picking up, with wide flooring, grays and French oak some of the hotter trends.

“There’s no one else in town who’s gone to more school about flooring than me,” says Jason. “I go a minimum of twice a year.” He says he originally went to inspector school, not to become an inspector, but to become a better installer.

He is currently on the bamboo committee for the National Wood Flooring Association, writing the standards and regulations that will be put in place for bamboo floors. He says that right now, there are none.

While the industry doesn’t have to adhere to standards, Jason is doing everything he can to help his customers have expertly-installed products that utilize the best practices in the flooring industry.

“We have high expectations and high standards, and we ensure our installers continue to meet those expectations and standards,” he says. “I’m not a rush guy. The process is meticulous and takes time.”

While installation is important, the products are important, too.

“I know which products tend to fail, so I hand select the items we sell in the store,” says Jason. “If I don’t believe in the product, I won’t sell it, and I don’t install anything that’s not sold in the store.”

Jason’s standards are so high, Done Right was chosen as one of only seven retailers in the country that are authorized to sell Carlisle Wide Plank floors. He says that Carlisle is an American-made, premium cut of wood. “They trust me that I’ll do their product justice,” he says.

Done Right Flooring carries other brands as well, like Kahrs, Boen and Preverco, to name a few, and also has Mohawk, Glazzio and Akua tile flooring and Mohawk and Quickstep laminate flooring.

Ashley says that Jason’s many years of experience can really help consumers get exactly the right product for them and their home. At the store, Jason asks a lot of questions to get to know his clients and their lifestyle.

“In our Pinterest world, people see pictures of gorgeous floors, but they don’t know what they’re looking at,” says Ashley. “Flooring isn’t just about the color.”

“I want to improve the industry,” adds Jason. “I want consumers to get the right information. I may be idealistic, but I’ve learned so much about the industry, and I want to make it better for both consumers and installers.”

Done Right Flooring & Cabinets is located at 6028 W. Linebaugh Ave. It is open Tues.–Fri., 11 a.m.–6 p.m., 10 a.m.– 4 p.m. on Sat., and by appointment on Mon. For more information, call (813) 548-4484 or visit DoneRightFC.com.

New Tampa Foot & Ankle Can Help Alleviate Your Foot & Leg Pain

Podiatrists Stephen Levin, D.P.M. (left), and Dr. Brendan Barrett, D.P.M., provide outstanding care for any injury or other problem your feet or ankles may have at New Tampa Foot & Ankle, located in the Cypress Ridge Professional Center off S.R. 56.

At New Tampa Foot & Ankle, patients of all ages can be treated for injuries to their lower extremities, often with same-day appointments.

Long-time New Tampa resident Stephen Levin, D.P.M., opened New Tampa Foot & Ankle in 2002, moving the practice to its current location off of S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel (near I-75 in the Cypress Ridge Professional Center) in 2007.

With 20 years of experience in private practice in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area, Dr. Levin says that what makes New Tampa Foot & Ankle great are the people — both the staff he works with and the patients. “We treat everyone — children through the geriatric population,” he says. “It’s fun and interesting.”

Dr. Levin earned his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Urban Studies from the University of Maryland in College Park in 1992. He then obtained his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.) degree from the Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia in 1996. He completed a two-year medical and surgical residency at Montgomery Hospital Medical Center in Norristown, PA, in 1998, and then moved to Tampa, when he began working in private practice. He is the past president of both the Florida Podiatric Medical Association and the Hillsborough County Podiatric Medical Association.

Brendan Barrett, D.P.M., joined the practice in 2016. Now with two full-time doctors on staff, patients have more flexibility to schedule appointments when it’s most convenient for them. When one doctor is in surgery, the other is in the office.

“Also, from a surgical standpoint,” Dr. Levin says, “We tackle tough cases together.”

Dr. Barrett graduated from Youngstown State University in Youngstown, OH, in 2008, with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology. He earned his D.P.M. degree from the Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine in Cleveland, OH, in 2013. He then completed a three-year medical and surgical residency at Bay Pines VA Hospital in St. Petersburg and at the James A. Haley VA hospital in Tampa.
Dr. Levin is Board-certified in foot surgery by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery. Dr. Barrett is Board-qualified, meaning that he has passed the board exams and is in the process of becoming Board-certified.

The office accepts many forms of insurance and also offers in-house financing options.

Everything For Your Feet
Dr. Levin and Dr. Barrett care for people with all kinds of foot, heel and ankle pain. They treat issues such as ingrown toenails, fungal infections, Achilles tendon problems, ankle instability, flat feet, walking deformities, diabetic foot care, arthritic foot and ankle care, geriatric foot care, bunions, corns and warts.
Dr. Barrett explains that it’s rewarding to help people in this way.

“A lot of times, you can give people relief right away,” he says. “For example, with ingrown toenails, it’s a lot of pain, but we can take care of it so a patient is completely pain-free, often within a couple of days.”
The doctors commonly see teenagers with sports injuries, and overuse injuries in teenagers and even children.

The office is completely state-of-the-art, with on-site, digital X-rays, ultrasound and laser technology.
“We’ve upgraded to scanning the foot for orthotics, too,” explains Dr. Levin. “It’s much higher tech than plaster molding.”

Among the many services offered is a non-invasive screening tool for people who are concerned they might have poor circulation in their feet, especially for people who have diabetes or a history of smoking. The doctors use a device called PADnet to compare the blood pressure in the arm to the blood pressure in the upper leg, lower leg and ankle, to determine if circulation is good, bad or severely bad.

New Tampa Foot & Ankle also offers Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Technology (EPAT), a method of treating heel pain. In lieu of traditional treatments, such as anti-inflammatory injections or physical therapy, EPAT uses acoustic shock waves to signal the body to increase circulation. Dr. Levin says this allows the area to heal itself more quickly and effectively.

“The technology has been around for one or two decades, but it has become more amenable to an office setting,” he says. “There’s no downtime, no medications and no infections.”

Another major concern for many patients is toenail fungus. “It’s unsightly; it’s embarrassing,” Dr. Levin says, adding that the fungus can be caused by trauma and even by pedicures in unsanitary conditions.

For anyone who wants to be sure their pedicure is clean and sterile, New Tampa Foot & Ankle also has a partnership with an aesthetician who provides medical-grade pedicures in the office.

“Women come in because they’ve had a poorly done pedicure and have gotten a bacterial or fungal infection,” explains Dr. Levin. “We can do their manicure and pedicure here, where everything is sterile and clean and the conditions are controlled, so our patients know what they’re getting.”

Diabetic Foot Treatments
New Tampa Foot & Ankle treats many diabetic patients, who often have poor circulation and nerve damage, need special care for blisters or sores, and need special shoes with more room and protection.
Annette Knecht is a patient who says she has been seeing Dr. Levin regularly for her foot issues related to diabetes since she was diagnosed in 2012.

“I like going there because everyone is very friendly, kind and supportive,” she says. “Dr. Levin is always smiling and gentle. I feel at ease when I’m there.”

Annette says she appreciates Dr. Levin’s approach, where he’ll try the most conservative options first. “For my diabetic nerve pain, he started me on a vitamin regimen,” Annette explains. “It worked, and I didn’t have to go on any more medication.”

Finding You Shoes, Too
Dr. Levin says that some foot problems actually can be solved by wearing the right kind of shoes, so New Tampa Foot & Ankle also carries a full line of Vionic shoes. Men and women can buy everything from dress shoes to sneakers, sandals and even flip-flops, right at the office.

“These are shoes that have an orthotic built into the shoe,” explains Dr. Levin. “They work well for people who have flat- or high-arched feet, or those who experience heel pain. Especially for women, dress shoes don’t typically have great support, but these do, so you can wear a high heel or wedge shoe, and get that built-in support.”

Annette says she does buy her shoes at New Tampa Foot & Ankle. “They seem to work really well with my feet,” she says.

She adds that her “summer shoes” the last couple of months were a pair of Vionic orthopedic flip-flops.
“They’re waterproof and I even wear them at the beach,” she says. “They’re very supportive for my ankles. If I didn’t have them, I’d be barefoot and in pain.”

Dr. Levin says Vionic shoes are sold at other places, but his office offers a better variety. They are currently working to set up a full display in the lobby, where anyone can stop and shop for Vionic shoes. For now, they are sold to the practice’s patients,, so he recommends anyone who thinks they would benefit from the shoes to make an appointment for a consultation.

New Tampa Foot & Ankle is open Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and is located at 26827 Foggy Creek Rd., Suite 104. For more information, call (813) 973-3535, visit NewTampaFootandAnkle.com or see the ad on page 20 of this issue.

Pasco School Superintendent Kurt Browning’s Back-To-School Updates

Pasco County Superintendant of Schools Kurt Browning meets with school safety guard Connie Novak, one of many to be stationed at schools all across the county. (Photo: Pasco County Schools

In the weeks leading up to school starting two weeks ago, school officials across the state have been preparing to comply with a new state law. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act was passed in the aftermath of the mass shooting at the high school in Parkland, FL, on Valentine’s Day of this year, and requires armed security on every public school campus.

The new law also comes as parents are reporting having more fear about sending their kids to school. Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) International is a national professional organization for educators that has surveyed attitudes towards public education every year since 1969. This year’s poll finds that one in three parents fear for their child’s physical safety at school. PDK describes that as, “a sharp increase from 2013, when just 12 percent said they were fearful.”

In Pasco County, middle and high schools will continue to have Pasco Sheriff’s Office (PSO) deputies serving as school resource officers.

In addition, Pasco County Schools has hired school safety guards for all elementary schools, with each one carrying a gun and a Taser, as well as handcuffs.

Simple security precautions are being emphasized, such as locking gates and classroom doors, using scanning software to check for sexual offenders/predators, and making sure everyone who comes on campus goes through the office.

With the new school year just underway, we asked Pasco County Superintendent of Schools Kurt Browning to tell us more about the changes in school security, and what to expect at Wesley Chapel’s schools this year.

WCNN: Now that kids are back at school, what are they seeing and experiencing that is different from previous years?

Browning: The elementary students are seeing armed safety guards for the first time.

The guards will be easy to spot, because they’ll be wearing black polo shirts with our safety guard logo on the sleeve, and a vest with the word “Security” on the back. Students may not see any differences related to mental health services, but there will be a better coordinated effort to respond to students in crisis between the school, the district, law enforcement and community mental health partners.

We are adding social worker, psychologist and school nurse trainers to help school student services staff (members) respond to student mental health issues.

WCNN: Tell us more about the changes to the way that mental health is addressed in schools, and will students or teachers notice those changes?

Browning: Student mental health needs will be broken out into three tiers of support.

Tier 1 is universal prevention for all students. Tier 2 is supplemental/at-risk services involving early identification and social, emotional and behavioral interventions based on need.

 

New River Elementary security guard.

Tier 3 is individualized, intensive counseling and intervention, including behavior support plans, intensive monitoring, and wraparound and crisis planning.

 

We are increasing the number of crisis intervention teams from four to five, increasing the number of trainers for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), creating a 3-year training plan, and expanding the use of social emotional learning in instructional practices.

In accordance with the new law, we also have revised our threat assessment procedures and coordinated threat assessments to include law enforcement.

We will have a new mental health managing entity, the Central Florida Behavioral Health Network (CFBHN), which will provide a project manager to manage mental health services and assist with data reporting.

We are implementing the Sandy Hook Promise: “Know the Signs” programs, and creating a Parent University and other parent training opportunities.

WCNN: What are your thoughts about the changes in school security mandated by the new state law?

Browning: They’re a good start. Without significant funding increases, though, it is difficult to implement all of the safety measures we would like to. We are working within our means to do everything we can to make our campuses as safe as possible.

WCNN: What is the benefit to students and schools of having armed security guards on elementary school campuses?

Browning: Elementary schools will have school safety guards trained by the Sheriff’s Office on campus. These men and women will provide a level of security that elementary schools have not had in the past. They will be visible at drop-offs in the morning and during dismissal. They will patrol the grounds to make sure doors and gates are locked, and to assure that everyone on campus is checked in and accounted for. They also will be a resource for students and staff, and will become part of the school community.

WCNN: With all of the continued growth in Wesley Chapel, what rezoning plans are in the works?
Browning: We don’t currently have any rezoning in the works.

WCNN: What is the current timeline for opening Cypress Creek Middle School and transitioning the current Middle/High School to a high school only?

Browning: Cypress Creek Middle School is scheduled to open in August 2020. The transition will occur at that time.

WCNN: Are there any other new schools proposed or under construction in Wesley Chapel?

Browning: We are working on a plan to build a technical high school in East-Central Pasco in the next five years.

WCNN: On a side note, can you explain why there is a transition to call substitute teachers “guest teachers” instead? Does that apply to all substitute teachers or only those in a certain category? Is it expected that staff and students will address these teachers as “guest teachers” and not refer to the more common “substitute?”

Browning: We have some really great subs and are hoping this will enhance their credibility and better demonstrate the scope and caliber of their service to kids in classrooms….as opposed to the “just a sub” mentality.

We’ve also moved to professional guest teachers (formerly “professional subs”) as well as the daily and long-term guest teachers. All students and staff will be expected to use the title, although there will be a natural adjustment period.

New Sign For Freedom High As Eagle Project

Austin Channels (left), a Boy Scout with Troop 180, built this sign for Freedom High in Tampa Palms as his Eagle project. Austin (with Freedom principal Kevin Stephenson) will graduate from the school next May.

To achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank for scouts with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), Austin Channels had to lead a project that would help his community.

As a student at Freedom High in Tampa Palms, who will start his senior year this fall, Austin wanted to do something to impact his school for good.

“In previous years, there was a football sign that was up with the football schedule,” Austin explains. “Every year, they had to make a new sign and print it just for the new football schedule.”

So Austin — with the help of his mom, Kim — came up with the idea for an interchangeable sign that could make announcements for all the sports and other important school-related info.

Austin got approval from the school and led a team of fellow scouts and family members to conceptualize, design, build and implement the sign, plus add lighting and landscaping. He had to do his own fund raising to purchase materials, and says he met his goal of about $800 by selling T-shirts.

He worked to pick the perfect spot for the sign, where it could be seen by cars both entering and leaving the school.

Now, Austin’s sign will be maintained by the school, with student assistants changing the words on it as needed.

A final phase of the project will be to add clear plexiglass and a lock, so that no one can switch the letters around without the school’s authorization.

Austin is glad to be able to use his Eagle project as a platform to do something significant at his high school.

“It was cool to give back,” Austin says. “After being there for years with everyone teaching you, it’s good to give back to the school a little bit.”

Austin’s Eagle project is the culmination of his many years in Scouts, starting with Cub Scouts, when he was in third grade at Tampa Palms Elementary.

To achieve the Eagle rank, he’ll need to complete a Board of Review, which he expects to do soon. Once he earns the Eagle rank, his family will host a celebration this fall.

“It’s not as easy as other people made it look,” says Austin, who explains he’s seen many older scouts complete their Eagle projects, “because you’re leading everyone, you’re not just doing the project.”

Austin is a member of Troop 180, which meets at Compton Park in Tampa Palms. He says the best thing about his Boy Scout experience has been some of the incredible trips he’s had the opportunity to take, such as a 50-mile backpacking trip through the mountains of Wyoming, including Yellowstone Park.

He says his journey to earn the Eagle rank is just another part of his Scouting experience, and he looks forward to finishing out the year with his troop before he completes the program when he graduates high school.

“It’s like mountain climbing,” Austin says, “You climb one, but then there’s another one a little bit taller that you can climb.”

His dad, Steve, who is a teacher at Freedom, says Austin’s scouting experience has taught him skills and helped him to be more self-reliant than many kids his age.

“Austin has little side businesses repairing cell phones and doing car repairs that has taught him to appreciate money,” says Steve. “He bought his own car with his own money, after saving for several years. Not many teenagers do that.”

Steve says his son has spent a lot of his time this summer doing yard work for elderly neighbors, including one he drives to various appointments and whenever she needs a ride somewhere.
“It’s been a delight to follow his journey,” says Steve, “and yes, I’m really proud of him.”