Author: Celeste McLaughlin

WRH Co-Valedictorian Rachel Sawah Heads To USF’s Med Program With Her A.A.

Rachel Sawah is not only the co-valedictorian at WRH, she also has earned her A.A. degree from Pasco Hernando State College by taking dual enrollment classes.

While many high school seniors struggle to figure out what they want to do next, Rachel Sawah says she knows exactly where she’s headed. She says the journey that’s gotten her to this point in life has helped her to determine her plans for the future.

She just graduated from Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH) as the class of 2017’s co-valedictorian, with a weighted GPA of 4.79. While a student there, she also took many dual enrollment classes at Pasco Hernando State College, which allowed her to also graduate with her Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree this spring.

“Dual enrollment was a rewarding experience because I was able to take college classes in a college setting,” she says, “so I believe I am now better prepared for a university setting. Plus, there’s a greater variety of courses available in dual enrollment, such as microbiology, that I didn’t have in high school.”

Courses like microbiology have helped Rachel determine that she will study neurology and hopefully become a neurologist or neurosurgeon someday. “I thought I wanted to be a doctor, just a family practitioner,” she says, “but I didn’t have any specialization in mind. I feel that taking those extra upper level courses enabled me to find my certain path.”

And, she admits, those upper level courses also helped her GPA, which helped secure her spot as co-valedictorian.

In the fall, she’ll attend the University of South Florida, where she’ll enter the school’s honors B.S.M.D. (Bachelor of Science/Medical Doctor) program, a combined, accelerated program that allows students to graduate with both degrees in just seven years. For Rachel, having already earned her A.A. degree, it could take even less time than that.

“For now, I anticipate finishing my Bachelor’s degree in one or two years,” she says. “Then I might even apply to some upper level medical schools.”

Whether she transfers out of the University of South Florida or not, she’s happy to be getting her start there. She was accepted to and offered scholarships at several other Florida schools, but staying close to home was the most attractive to her.

“Financially speaking, USF was the best offer,” Rachel says. “They have a great pre-med program and I have basically a full ride, covering books and everything.”

She’ll live at home and commute to the school. “It’s really nice to stay at home with my family,” she says, which includes her mom and dad, two sisters, and a new baby brother.

While she feels she’s well prepared for college and is looking forward to it, she says her experience of being off campus for the last year of her high school experience has not been a detriment.

“I was still involved in a lot of activities (at WRH),” she says, “I was on the varsity tennis team and in Key Club, Mu Alpha Theta math honor society, National Honor Society, and HOSA.” She explains HOSA is the Health Occupation Students of America, a student-led health organization for people interested in the medical field, with international competitions, in which she placed first in the state in a speech competition, both her junior and senior year.

In addition, Rachel says she completed more than 400 volunteer hours during high school, with more than 200 of those at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, plus other organizations and activities like the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life.

Those service hours at the hospital also have helped her find her path toward a career in the medical field. “It’s helped to guide me because you see the doctors and you can help them and ask questions,” she says. “Having these in-person experiences, and taking many college courses, all of this is learning for the real world. I’m excited to start the next chapter.”

Wiregrass Ranch High Co-Valedictorian Lauren Payne Follows Her Sister To UF

Wiregrass Ranch High co-valedictorian Lauren Payne will follow her sister Emily to the University of Florida.

Lauren Payne says she wasn’t necessarily trying to earn the title of valedictorian of the 2017 class at Wiregrass Ranch High, but that’s where her hard work and smart choices landed her.

She recently graduated as co-valedictorian, with a weighted GPA of 4.79.

“I chose my classes based on what I thought was going to be interesting,” Lauren says, not with having the toughest schedule in mind. “I took a mix of AP (Advanced Placement) classes and dual enrollment, and they were all good.” She says her favorites — among courses such as AP calculus B/C, government and statistics — were her dual enrollment world literature and AP biology classes. What did she take for fun? “Oceanography and anthropology were like electives,” she says.

“Lauren has a really strong work ethic,” says her mom, Janet. “It is really important for her to try her best and challenge herself.”

Lauren’s natural drive to try her hardest has earned her some pretty impressive credentials. For example, she’s a National Merit Scholarship winner. This makes her eligible for a program called the Benacquisto scholarship, where the State of Florida provides a financial award equal to the cost of attendance at a Florida school, including tuition and fees, on-campus room and board, books, supplies, travel and miscellaneous expenses remaining after using award given by the National Merit Scholar program and the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship program.

Lauren is taking her Benacquisto scholarship to the University of Florida in Gainesville, the school from which her older sister Emily just graduated. Emily was WRH’s salutatorian in 2013.

“I chose UF because I’ve been visiting my older sister there since middle school,” she says, “and I always felt like I belonged.” UF also offered her its Presidential Scholarship, which offers $5,000, $8,000 (gold) and $10,000 (platinum) per year to in-state, high-achieving students.

Her plan is to major in microbiology and cell science and eventually work in the medical field. “It’s exciting to be on my own for the first time,” says Lauren, who has lived in the same house in Meadow Pointe her entire life, attending Sand Pine Elementary and John Long Middle School before WRH.

While she’s following her older sister’s footsteps into college, she also followed her athletically. Lauren watched Emily run cross country in high school, so she started running in middle school. Lauren became part of a team at WRH that won the Sunshine Athletic Conference Eastern Division championship this year.

“I looked up to my sister, so I thought running cross country looked like so much fun,” Lauren says. “Once I started, I really liked the coach and all the girls on the team, so I stuck with it, even though it was a lot harder than I thought it would be.”

She adds, “There are some days for everyone where it’s just a really rough run and it doesn’t feel fun or easy. There’s a point where you have to decide whether I’m going to stick through this. The experience with all the other girls on the team made the hard days worth it.”

In addition to being a scholar and an athlete, Lauren also was active on campus at WRH, as a class Senator all four years, president of Mu Alpha Theta (math honor society), a Ranch ambassador (representing the school at different events such as orientation and open house) and a member of both the National Honor Society and the Science National Honor Society.

“She grew up liking to try a lot of different things, such as dance, swimming, and playing a couple of different instruments,’’ said her mother Janet. In fact, Janet says Lauren still plays violin but had to stop playing in the school’s orchestra.

“Orchestra is a big-time commitment,” Janet said, “Lauren had to make choices. She even did cheerleading for her first two years, but couldn’t keep doing all of those activities, so she had to make decisions about how to best spend her time.”

While Janet is proud of Lauren, she doesn’t seem at all surprised at her success. “Since Lauren was pretty young, she’s always had a curiosity about how things work and has been enthusiastic about school,’’ Janet said. “We’ve had great public schools and great teachers who have nurtured her along the way. Those things came together: good schools, good teachers, she gets a lot of support and she tries hard.”

co-valedictorian Lauren Payne wiregrass ranch high

Boy Scout STEM Fair Held At Florida Hospital Center Ice

Have you ever seen hundreds of Scouts on ice skates? On May 6, about 350 Boy Scout and Cub Scout families from the Tampa Bay area and beyond gathered at Florida Hospital Center Ice in Wesley Chapel for the Greater Tampa Bay Area Council’s inaugural Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Fair.

Boys of all ages, along with their families, tried out ice skating on one of the new skating center’s four full-size rinks, while more than a dozen vendors showed off robots and gadgets on the adjacent rink.

“We’re going to do this again,” says Jeff Smith, a Boy Scout volunteer who was one of the event’s organizers. “We had about 100 people more than we were hoping for. It was a great turnout.”

He adds, “The facility was stellar. The majority of the people who came for the STEM Fair had never been there before. The parking was great and the staff offered tours of Florida Hospital Center Ice.”

When they weren’t skating, the kids got to watch drone demonstrations and a couple of different 3D printing demonstrations. They were able to interact with robots built by high school robotics clubs, such as Tampa’s Middleton High, and check out summer camps from Busch Gardens and MOSI. Firehouse Subs provided meals for purchase. A couple of colleges also were represented, where parents and older kids could ask questions about technology and medical fields.

New Tampa Scout Kenny Lewis (center) receives his Supernova award during the recent Boy Scout Stem Fair at Florida Hospital Center Ice.

“This is a way to embrace new technologies and get kids excited,” Smith says. “If all we teach boys is how to tie knots and make a fire with two sticks, Boy Scouts will become obsolete. So, Boy Scouts is embracing STEM as a way to stay relevant.”

To acknowledge the Boy Scouts’ new emphasis on STEM, a few attendees were presented with the Council’s first “Supernova” awards. The Supernova awards are part of an awards program that are, “designed to motivate youth and recognize…advanced achievement in STEM-related activities.”

Because the program is so new, only one Scout in the New Tampa area has earned it. Kenny Lewis, who is now a member of Boy Scout Troop 180, actually earned his Supernova award as a Cub Scout in Pack 801, which is based out of Hunter’s Green Elementary and where his father, Ken Lewis, is the Cubmaster.

Two other Scouts, one from Land O’Lakes and one from Bushnell, also were presented with Supernova awards.

Smith says he is now working with Florida Hospital Center Ice to make next year’s Boy Scout STEM Fair even bigger and better.

For more information about Boy Scouts and the STEM connection, visit TampaBayScouting.org.

boy scouts STEM

Infinite Edge Learning Center can boost your test scores

Korosh (left) and Ozra Jabbari invite your children to join the ever-growing roster of students they help do their best in school at the Infinite Edge Learning Center in Tampa Palms.

For college-bound high school students, SAT and ACT scores may mean the difference between attending the college of their dreams and bitter disappointment. At Infinite Edge Learning Center, located in the Tampa Palms Professional Center (off Commerce Park Blvd.), owner Ozra Jabbari and her staff of educators work with New Tampa students to be sure they’re poised to do their best on these important tests.

But, preparing for college entrance exams isn’t the only studying and tutoring happening at Infinite Edge.

“We help students in every class and every subject,” says Ozra. From elementary school to challenging college-level classes, tutors who are professional teachers and even college professors are matched to students who need help catching up or want to push ahead in any and all subjects. “If a student tells me they need help in a subject, I find a qualified teacher to help them.”

Just some of the courses they have helped students with include all levels of mathematics, language development and enrichment, general science, chemistry, reading, foreign languages, and all Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses.

The center also accommodates many different student needs. For example, a summer enrichment program helps students who don’t have time for tutoring during the school year to get ahead for the following school year. Those whose first language is something other than English also can get help with language improvement. Infinite Edge tutors also help students who are serious athletes or musicians who can’t be in school full time. After-school care is even available to some students from Chiles and Tampa Palms elementaries. “When their parents get off work, they’ve had their snack and their homework is done,” Ozra says.

No matter why a student comes to Infinite Edge, Ozra promises that, “Our curriculum is individualized. We don’t have one curriculum for every student or every subject. For each student who comes to us, we design a program for their specific needs. We continually assess each child and help them improve to reach a higher level.”

Ozra and her late husband Sobi opened Infinite Edge Learning Center in 2007. Sobi passed away last fall after a battle with throat cancer, and Ozra is keeping his legacy alive by continuing to provide the superior services that have always been offered at Infinite Edge to the students Sobi cared so much about.

“Sobi touched so many lives,” Ozra says. “His funeral was held on a rainy day last August and there were at least 45 students who attended, from Freedom and King high schools, and former Infinite Edge students from USF, UF, and UCF.”

The family has lived in Tampa Palms for more than 20 years. Their daughter, Farush, is a sophomore at nearby Freedom High. Their son, Korosh, is currently in the USF Honors College combined B.S./M.D. program, where he will earn both a Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine degree in no more than seven years. He also is a full-time tutor at Infinite Edge.

Home Of The Perfect Score!

“Every time we have students take the SAT and ACT, we have at least one perfect score,” says Ozra. “We give students the materials to prepare, and they work hard.”

She says this spring, about 15 Infinite Edge students took the college entrance exams, and “everyone did well.” She says one student had a perfect score on the ACT and several students had SAT scores above 1500.

Beginning last March, the SAT now has a new format. While the old SAT offered a total of 2,400 points (800 each in math, reading and writing), the new SAT is only 1,600 points, still with 800 points available in the math portion but only 800 points available for reading and writing combined.

“The new test is more difficult,” says Korosh. “It relies less on test-taking strategies, such as elimination. Students need to deeply understand concepts from classrooms and how they apply these concepts to real- life situations.”

Students who attend Infinite Edge continue to be well prepared. Ozra says that the biggest problem she sees is that many parents wait too long to think about the SAT or ACT. She says that if students haven’t begun preparing for these tests before their junior year — which is when they need to take the test in order to apply for college — they simply run out of time.

She says a full program with Infinite Edge often takes eight months to a year, and cramming doesn’t get the same results as taking your time and going through the entire program. “We recommend one-on-one, customized test preparation,” says Ozra, “but we also offer group preparation courses.” Group courses have no more than six students (usually fewer) and are a more affordable way to prepare for the tests.

And, not only does Infinite Edge help students get into college with SAT and ACT test prep, they also help students with tests they need to get into post-graduate schools and programs, such as the GRE (Graduate Record Examination)/GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test).

No Contracts/Great Results

One thing that sets Infinite Edge Learning Center apart from its competition is that there are no contracts. “You come as long as you need us,” explains Ozra, “and you always get personal attention.”

Ozra says that her prices are lower than other tutoring centers in the area. “In fact, we haven’t raised our prices at all in more than seven years,” she says.

Tampa Palms resident Viola Wang says she recommends Infinite Edge. “My daughter started going several months ago, and she really enjoys learning there,” Viola says. Her daughter, Megan Zheng, is a junior at King High. “They really accommodate whatever she needs.”

Viola says Megan had taken the PSAT, then started test prep with Infinite Edge to get ready for the SAT this spring. Megan just received her results and, while she doesn’t want to share her score, Viola says Megan was, “happy and surprised she got such a great score.”

Viola says Infinite Edge also helped Megan when she needed some support in math. “She did a little bit of math (tutoring) and was able to stop when she felt like she could handle it herself,” says Viola. “Ozra is so flexible and accommodating. High school juniors have such a tough schedule and Ozra is great about adjusting to her needs.”

The success of youngsters like Megan is always great news to Ozra.

“I’m very proud of my students,” Ozra says. “When it comes to the end of the year and they’re getting good grades and high test scores, it brings me happiness.”

Infinite Edge Learning Center (17419 Bridge Hill Ct.) is open Mon.-Fri., 2 p.m.–8 p.m., and 9 a.m.–5 p.m. on Sat. Weekday morning hours are available by appointment only for students who homeschool or do online courses. For more info, visit InfiniteEdgeLearningCenter.com or call (813) 971-6500.

infinite edge learning center

Wharton Valedictorian Jimmy Cannon Headed To Vanderbilt University

The last time Wharton High senior Jimmy Cannon says he took a non-academic elective at high school, it was orchestra his sophomore year. Since then, instead of taking music, weightlifting or art — like many of his peers — Jimmy has filled his schedule the last two years with electives that push him to reach his highest potential, such as physics and math. He even took college algebra after school two days a week. That, and a bioscience class, were the only classes he took that were not Advanced Placement (AP) during his senior year.

He says he wasn’t aiming for valedictorian — he just wanted to push himself to his own personal best — but that’s where he landed.

“I began the year in second place but thought I would probably fall behind,” Jimmy says. “I was hoping to hang on to second place, but what I really wanted was to be near the top of my class to get into a top-tier school.”

He succeeded at that, too.

Jimmy applied for early decision at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. He was accepted and has been provided with what his mom, Marie Cannon Burnard, calls a “generous” financial aid package that includes a work study program.

Wharton High senior Jimmy Cannon on his first day of school at Hunter’s Green Elementary.

Jimmy says, “We looked at a lot of schools and weighed the pros and cons but Vanderbilt seemed like the best fit overall.” He wants to study neuroscience and eventually go to medical school to become a psychiatrist. “Vanderbilt will be good for the neuroscience major,” he says. “I like the city of Nashville, and the community. It seems like a group of smart kids, but everyone seems friendly and nice.”

Jimmy says Vanderbilt recently hosted a “meet and greet” for students in the Tampa area who will attend this fall. Jimmy met several new friends and decided to be roommates in an on-campus dorm room with another student he met at the event.

While Jimmy worked hard to earn his weighted GPA of 6.93, he also worked hard outside of school, too. He has a job as a busboy at Liang’s Bistro on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and also works for his mom’s tutoring business. He doesn’t like to brag about himself, but his mom says he’s an avid volunteer who also gives of his time every weekend at Florida Hospital Tampa and with the New Tampa Young Life Capernaum program, which is based in Tampa Palms and provides activities for people ages 14-20 with special needs.

Moving out of state will be a big change for a guy who has lived in the same house in Hunter’s Green since he was two years old. “He’s a lifer,” laughs his mom, who used to teach kindergarten at Hunter’s Green Elementary (HGE). Jimmy attended HGE, then Benito Middle School before spending all four high school years at Wharton.

“I’m going to miss my friends I’m leaving behind,” he says, “and a lot of the teachers, especially the teachers who have become like friends.” He means teachers such as Christopher Hart, who Jimmy says makes AP Physics 2 his favorite class. “He’s a funny guy, and I just really enjoy him and his class.”

Marie says Jimmy — and his older sister Regina, too, who is now a junior studying nursing at the University of Tampa — have had great opportunities at their neighborhood schools.

“There are so many really wonderful teachers at Wharton,” she says. “Also, the students have the ability to get these courses. At some private schools, they cap how many AP classes you can take, but the sky is the limit at Wharton, and the guidance department is just fantastic.”

Ultimately, though, it’s something inside Jimmy that has propelled him to take advantage of the opportunities afforded to him.

“It’s an inner drive he has,” Marie says. “He always took the hardest classes he could, rather than playing it safe. Then, he balances all that hard work. Being a teacher, I want to help him, but he’ll go in his room and close the door and study for four hours, then come out when he’s done.”

“It’s been a struggle to juggle all of the APs,” Jimmy admits, “But, I did it.”

Just like his school work, Jimmy wrote his valedictorian speech behind that closed bedroom door. “I recounted my experiences and, moving on from that, I hope to inspire my classmates to understand their purpose and help others find their purpose, as well.”

When Jimmy gets the chance to give that speech in front of his peers and their families at graduation on Monday, May 22, at the Florida State Fairgrounds, his mom might just be the proudest parent in the room.

“Jimmy really overcame a lot,” Marie says. “For many years, I was a single mom and he was the little man of the family. I just thank God he’s a good kid and has a good heart.”

Jimmy Cannon Wharton valedictorian

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