(Above, l.-r) Jeffrey Schroeder, Stephen Michelini, Zack Chandler and Mary Wharton Schroeder at the Wharton High graduation, where Zack honored the memory of Maryâs father, Paul R. Wharton, the man for whom the school was named. (All photos provided by Hillsborough County Public Schools)
Wharton High senior Zack Chandler was at a baseball game with his teammates this spring when he noticed that every one of them had the same name on the backs of their jerseys.
In fact, it was on all of the jerseys for all of the sports at his school â and on a lot of other shirts, too. They all said, âWharton.â
Of course they did, since thatâs the name of the school they all were attending.
It hit Zack that although he vaguely recalled that Wharton High was named after someone, he had no idea who that person was or why he was chosen to have a school named after him.
So when Zack, who was the schoolâs 2023- 24 senior class president, was given the honor of speaking at his graduation ceremony on May 25, he knew what he wanted to do.
Rather than talk about himself, Zack wanted to find out who exactly Paul R. Wharton was, and why Zackâs school was named after him.Â
Photos of Paul Wharton
âI did some research and found out what a cool guy Mr. Wharton was, and how he affected the community,â Zack says. âI wanted to make a metaphor out of it. Donât take things that you have every day for granted.â
He learned that Wharton retired as the assistant superintendent for Hillsborough County Public Schools, after serving as principal of both Plant and Robinson high schools. He started in the county as an innovator who advocated for vocational and technical schools in the District, and also served as principal of the Brewster Vocational Technical Institute.
Wharton did all of that after starting his career teaching in a one-room school house in Springfield, KY, and then serving in the U.S. Army before moving to Tampa.
Zack found that Wharton had passed away in 2009, but Zack wanted to invite Whartonâs family members to his graduation to hear Wharton honored in front of the student body.
Mary Wharton Shroeder is Paulâs daughter, and she attended the ceremony, along with her husband Stephen Michelini and her son Jeffrey Schroeder. She says this was the first time anyone had approached her about recognizing her dad at the school.Â
Zack Chandler during his graduation speech
Mary and her family were seated in the graduation ceremonyâs VIP area and were honored when Zack acknowledged them from the podium. âI was delighted,â she says. âI know what an amazing man Daddy was, and all the things he did for this community. Itâs just a wonderful thing.â
She says that if her dad had been able to address those students at Wharton, he might have told them itâs important to choose carefully who they emulate. They should choose their role models wisely, because who they look up to will make a huge difference in who they become.
âIt made me so proud of him to receive the recognition that he so deserved,â Mary says. âHe never asked for the recognition, but he earned it because he helped to shape our community. He was always a leader and had a great sense of humor.â
Itâs been more than 25 years since Wharton High opened on August 21, 1997, so itâs understandable that todayâs graduating seniors had never before heard of the man for whom their school was named.
If you âre about to turn age 65, Shaun Fagan of Insurance Opportunities can help you navigate the tricky world of which Medicare plan will be best for your needs. (Photo by Charmaine George)Â
Shaun Fagan has been a licensed insurance agent since 1986, growing his business in the Kansas City area, and specializing in helping people ages 65 and older navigate the ins and outs of Medicare.
In 2022, after Shaunâs wife Mary retired from Verizon following a 37-year career, the couple moved to Wesley Chapel.
Shaun says that at one point in his career, he had 500 agents working under him. But, these days, heâs looking for a simpler way of life.
Now itâs just Shaun and Mary, but he still helps people navigate the complexities of government-provided health insurance through Medicare.
âThere is a lot of confusion about Medicare,â Shaun says. âI give people clarity to make their choices easier.â
This is especially needed for people who are turning 65, which is typically when they become eligible for Medicare. Shawn can make all of the choices available to you simpler to understand.
âThe government doesnât make it easy, thatâs for sure,â he says.
Many people in their early 60s wonder if they should retire or keep working to stay on their companyâs heath insurance plan, or stay on their spouseâs health insurance plan.
âWhen people get to that crossroads, sometimes they kind of hang in at work because they think itâs the cheaper way to go,â Shaun explains. âBut they can often get better care at a better price, or equal coverage at a lower cost and have that opportunity to retire.â
He says if youâre nearing age 65, the time to talk with him is about three to four months before your birthday so you have time to learn about your options, decide what you want to do and start the enrollment process.
He adds that he also helps many people who are in a transition period, like if they have retired before age 65.
Thatâs how Sheri Stephens met Shaun.
âWhen I retired, I found it very overwhelming,â Sheri says. âI retired at 61, so I have a few years I have to bridge before Medicare.â
Sheri says Shaun had already helped her sister and her husband find a better plan than what they already had, and they referred her to him. âHe is so knowledgeable,â she says. âIn just educating me and walking me through the different carriers and different benefits, he was able to break it down to a third-grade level, which is where I needed it to be, because there are so many conditions and rules.â
Sheri liked that all of her conversations with Shaun were over the phone or via Zoom if he needed to show her something.
âHe was very professional, very knowledgeable and very easy to deal with.â
Help For Businesses, Too
Shaun also has decades of experience helping small businesses looking for health insurance for their entire company.
âMy niche is helping businesses with 20 to 50 employees, where they usually donât have a human resources person,â he says. âThey typically have an office manager but that person isnât an insurance specialist. Thatâs where I can really help a business.â
He explains that Insurance Opportunities also can provide medical, dental and vision insurance, but his specialty is Medicare.
Shaun also says that when his business was based in Kansas City, he served clients in many states. Now, he continues to serve some of those clients, while also bringing his expertise to locals in Florida.
âWe had a large operation before,â he says, âbut we whittled it down to make it more simple when we moved here. Now, itâs just my wife â who helps me with customer service and organizing my monthly Medicare educational events â and me, which is the way we want it. As we get older, simpler is better.â
He says that since Covid, the workplace has changed so that he can work from anywhere, so he and Mary decided they didnât want to spend another cold winter in Kansas City, which helped them decide to move to Wesley Chapel two years ago.
âThe pandemic was the prompter,â he explains. âYou can work from anywhere now, so you might as well work from someplace warm.â
They moved into the 55-and-older community of Esplanade in Wesley Chapel.
Shaun is an avid cycler and loves that he never has to check the weather before he heads out to ride his bicycle. Although he says lately, heâs sure to head out around 6:30 a.m. before it gets too hot outside.
He says that because he is a similar age to his clients now, he definitely can relate to the decisions they are facing.
âIâm of that age now,â he says, âso I understand the dilemma and what people are trying to achieve. âWill I have enough money to do what I want to do?â Not only do I have experience from clients. Iâm also in it, too.âÂ
And, while he is reaching that age where some people think about retiring, he says he plans to continue working for 12 more years, so clients donât need to worry that he wonât be available to them if they have questions in the future.
âMedicare is confusing,â he says, âBut it doesnât have to be. In 30 minutes or an hour Iâve helped a lot of people to give them clarity, so they can make a decision about whether or not to enroll in Medicare, as well as which plan to choose.â
Understanding The Differences
There are four types of Medicare insurance, known as âParts,â that include Part A through Part D. Part A provides hospital insurance; Part B provides medical insurance; Part C comprises Medicare Advantage Plans; and Part D provides prescription drug coverage.
âOriginal Medicareâ is managed by the federal government, while âMedicare Advantageâ plans are managed through private insurance carriers and may offer additional benefits, such as coverage for prescription drugs, dental, vision and wellness.
Shaun can help you determine whether you should enroll in Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan, and he works with many large insurance carriers â such as Simply Blue, Aetna, Humana, United Health Care and others â all of which offer a variety of options when it comes to out-of-pocket costs, including deductibles, copayments and coinsurance.
Shaun is certified through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. He says that some Medicare plans vary based on the state you live in, but the plans all basically offer the same benefits and he can walk you through the specifics of all of the plans available to you.
âWe start with a no-cost, no-obligation meeting, which can be in person or a phone call,â Shaun says.
Heâs quick to point out that even if you sign up with him, thereâs still no cost to you for his services. Insurance Opportunities doesnât charge service, consultation or advisor fees â the carrier you sign up with is who pays Shaun.
âThereâs no cost to you except the 30 minutes to an hour you spend with me â so just the time,â he says.
Shaun says for clients who want to meet face to face, heâll come to you. He takes phone calls at all hours and typically meets with clients Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
To schedule a free consultation with Shaun Fagan of Insurance Opportunities, call him at (816) 305-3337 or visit Calendly.com/shaun-185 to set a time. You also can get more information on the website at InsOppty.com.
New Tampa residents Nidhi Dwivedi and Arvind Gupta of Financial Vision can help you with estate planning, life insurance and more. (Photo by Charmaine George)
Itâs easy to imagine how emotionally difficult it would be to navigate losing your spouse, but for anyone who was not prepared financially for that scenario, it makes an already terrible situation even worse.
Thatâs why married couple Nidhi Dwivedi and Arvind Gupta say they started their business â which they call Financial Vision â to help clients with estate planning, wills, trusts, as well as life and health insurance.
Nidhi explains that anyone who doesnât have an estate plan in place could find themselves having to go to probate court, where a judge would decide what accounts they could access, which can take months to resolve.
âThere is not only a financial cost,â explains Nidhi, âbut also the struggle while someone is already going through the emotional difficulties of losing their spouse.â
Arvind adds, âMany people do not know about the importance of having a plan and appropriate documents in place for their family.â
Thatâs where Financial Vision can help. And, in addition to estate planning, Nidhi and Arvind also help clients with financial and retirement planning and saving to pay for college for their kids.
The couple lives in K-Bar Ranch in New Tampa with their children, ages 15 and 9. Both Nidhi and Arvind are information technology (IT) professionals who have long dreamed of owning their own business. They have lived in Tampa since 2007, when they moved here from India.
Nidhi says her husband always hoped to move to the United States, and now they are living their shared dream of being entrepreneurs, with the freedom to both provide for their familyâs needs and to have the flexibility to travel back to India to care for her aging parents whenever needed.
When they realized the great need for education on financial matters, Nidhi worked to become licensed as a life and health insurance agent through the State of Florida. She often meets with clients, while Arvind works as her support âstaff.â They launched their business in May of 2023, so they have been helping clients get their financial matters in order for more than a year now.
Being a licensed life and health insurance agent means Financial Vision has access to many large companies â such as Nationwide, Fidelity and others â that offer products such as life insurance and annuities to help clients plan for their retirement and other long-term savings.
Financial Vision offers a complimentary consultation, which can be conveniently held in your home or even online if you prefer.
âDuring this consultation session,â Nidhi explains, âwe delve into crucial topics such as understanding the mechanics of money, the significance of financial planning and the essentials of estate planning, including wills, trusts and strategies for avoiding probate. We also provide insights into how taxes and market volatility can impact financial stability, especially during retirement.â
She says she and Arvind believe that financial decisions should be a shared responsibility within the household, so they make it a point to engage both spouses in educational sessions to ensure that both partners are equipped to actively participate in managing their financial affairs.
On the estate planning side, they help people document who will be the guardian of their minor children in case something unfortunate happens, and explain documents such as wills and trusts, living wills and powers of attorney.
Nidhi and Arvind say that the process may prove to be easier than you think, and the idea that you have to have a lawyer prepare these types of documents is a common misconception.
They work with an online provider called Net Law, which complements their educational services.
âDonât procrastinate,â says Arvind. âThis is important. I feel passionate about it because we have understood first-hand why you need to have it, and the cost of not having it.â
They say that, especially if you have children, estate planning is essential, and Net Law offers a package for families at what Arvind calls an âoptimizedâ cost.
âItâs almost DIY,â he says. âYou can do the paperwork at home, take it to a notary, and itâs done. It doesnât take hours. It takes maybe an hour and it will really help you.â
While Nidhi is licensed in Florida and based in New Tampa, she also is licensed in all 50 states and has helped clients across the country, as well.
Joining The Team!
Now that their business is established, Nidhi and Arvind are looking for partners (photo) to help them expand Financial Vision.
If you or someone you know is interested in getting licensed and being trained by Nidhi to learn about financial services and all that they do, they welcome you to contact them.
âYou donât need a financial services background,â Arvind says. âWeâll guide you and explain everything you need to know. This is a part-time opportunity for anyone with a passion for helping people and a willingness to learn…someone who is looking to bring in additional income.â
One business partner they are already working with is a friend who was first a client, Kanchan Mishra.
âWe wanted to secure our family with estate planning and have the will and trust done,â says Kanchan, who adds that she has learned so much â especially the value of understanding her familyâs finances and not leaving it only in her husbandâs hands.
Kanchan says that she used to think that since sheâs not a citizen of the United States, she didnât need to worry about estate planning, but she has come to learn that anyone who has any property or financial accounts in the U.S. should still have an estate plan.
To contact Financial Vision to set up a free consultation for estate planning, creating a will and trust, planning for rolling over a 401(k) retirement savings account, planning for retirement or your childrenâs college education, or if youâre looking into options for life insurance â or want to join the Financial Vision team, call (813) 390-1086 or (813) 385-1601. You also can email Nidhi@ financialvision.us or visit the website at FinancialVision.us.Â
This is just a small sampling of the 100% organic produce sold at the Nutrition Smart store at 1821 BBD Blvd. in Wesley Chapel. (Photos by Charmaine George)
If you think the Wesley Chapel Nutrition Smart (located on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. just south of S.R. 56) is a store for vitamins and supplements, youâre not wrong.
And, if you think thatâs all the popular store carries, youâre not alone.
But, if youâre one of those people who thinks Nutrition Smart is only a place where supplement fanatics stock up, youâre missing out on all that our areaâs original âgreen grocerâ has to offer.
âA lot of people come in expecting just vitamins, but theyâre impressed by what they see,â says Fausto Soriano, the storeâs general manger. âThatâs definitely a misconception.â
Nutrition Smart offers fresh, organic produce, natural grocery items and refrigerated and frozen food, from dairy (including raw milk) and eggs to meat, bread and healthy snacks.
Fausto says that many of the storeâs customers do all of their grocery shopping in the store, which also includes the largest selection of supplements in the area, plus vitamins, bulk foods, sport nutrition, health and beauty items, pet care, household products and more.
Fausto says itâs not on a huge scale like you would find at a large grocery store, but there is a little bit of everything, and Nutrition Smart offers something other stores donât.
General manager Fausto Soriano checks out a customer at the register.Â
âAll of our fresh produce is 100% organic,â Fausto says. While other stores stock both organic and non-organic products that are sold right next to each other, at Nutrition Smart, âOur customers donât have to worry about buying conventional products by mistake.â
Fausto also says that at his store in particular, many people believe in an âeat firstâ philosophy where they make healthier food choices now instead of needing supplements later.
Customers seem to like the storeâs organic, fresh chicken and grass-fed beef, and get a wide variety of unique products at Nutrition Smart that arenât available anywhere else. For example, he says, raw milk from a Florida dairy farm is extremely popular.
âEvery Tuesday, we get a fresh delivery of raw milk,â he says. âCustomers line up waiting for the milk to arrive.â
The store also is able to offer mom-and-pop brands from nearby vendors, too, including locally made raw honey.
Local desserts are delivered fresh to the store from Dade Cityâs Hillbilly Farms Bakery. Tampaâs Samiâs Bakery delivers fresh breads, wraps, cookies and desserts every Thursday. Both bakeries offer specialty items such as low-carb and gluten- free desserts and bakery items.
Other unique products include a variety of trending supplements, such as those derived from mushrooms and shilajit, a resin from the earth that reportedly can help with hormone balance and other functions. The store also carries a large variety of CBD products.Â
Wesley Chapel Nutrition Smart stocks a huge selection of natural vitamins, supplements, CBD and beauty products…and more! (Below) You canât beat Nutrition Smartâs selection of local, raw honey.Â
Fausto adds that the Wesley Chapel location of Nutrition Smart is the number one store in the state of Florida for selling the energy drink Celsius.
âWe are known in the area for having a huge Celsius selection,â he says. âWe have all the new flavors first, and the biggest variety of flavors, along with one of the most aggressive prices.â
He says he and his staff, including assistant store manager Joe Geier, pay attention to trends in the industry to be sure they know what customers want. When vendors pitch new products to the store, they watch for commonalities. Many customers also read articles and often ask for certain new products or ingredients.
Joe has been with the company for six years and was previously a vitamin manager. He and Fausto, who has been with Nutrition Smart for 15 years, are among about 24 store employees in the Wesley Chapel location. Definitely not a big chain, Nutrition Smart has just two other locations â in Port St. Lucie and Pembroke Pines.Â
âOur vitamin staff is super knowledgeable,â says Fausto. âA lot of them have been doing this for 15 or 20 years. They focus on individualized service for each customerâs unique needs. Weâre not just trying to sell a product. We want to hear what their needs are and hopefully gain their trust so theyâll come back in the future.â
Itâs a service they have been providing for 15 years now, since the Wesley Chapel location of Nutrition Smart opened in 2009.
âWe were the first in this area to provide these products,â Fausto says. âWeâve been here since before Wesley Chapel was a destination.â
Introducing: Divine Leaf Vegan
Â
If you like freshly-made vegan wrap sandwiches and fresh fruit smoothies, you have to visit the Divine Leaf Vegan counter at the Wesley Chapel Nutrition SmartÂ
âItâs been awesome to have them,â says Fausto. âThereâs not a lot of vegan restaurants or options in our area, so itâs worked out well. Iâm not vegan and I buy stuff from there all the time. They have a really good ranch sauce they make from scratch, and I buy a full-size bottle because my kids love it. Itâs phenomenal.â
Fausto adds that the partnership is great because people who find out about Divine Leaf through its own social media often become Nutrition Smart customers as they discover the store, too.
Making Health More Affordable
Nutrition Smart offers many discounts and coupons, including a 20% -off coupon in this issue. In addition, active and veteran military members, first responders, nurses and teachers all receive 10 percent off their purchases all day, every day. On Tuesdays, seniors (ages 55 & older) also receive 10 percent off. Shoppers also can sign up for Nutrition Smartâs text club by texting âWESLEYâ to (866) 603-3532 for exclusive offers.
Pam T. is a Wesley Chapel Nutrition Smart shopper who recently wrote a review. âLove this little health food store,â she says. âItâs my go-to every week. With great rewards and coupons, the prices are not painful. I love that all the produce is organic. Great selection of most items I need on a week-to- week basis.â
Nutrition Smart is located at 1821 BBD Blvd. It is open MondayâSaturday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m., and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit NutritionSmart.com, call the store at (813) 341-4444, or see the ad below for the coupon that will get you 20 percent off your purchase.Â
(L.-r.) Medical assistant Emily Peterson, Dr. Holly Ouillette and medical receptionist Yousra Boumansour welcome the New Tampa & Wesley Chapel communities to the new Elite Womenâs Care office located just north of S.R. 56 near I-75 in Wesley Chapel. (Photos by Charmaine George)
Board-certified gynecologist Holly Ouillette, M.D., recently opened Elite Womenâs Care in Wesley Chapel in the Cypress Ridge Professional Park, located east of I-75 and north of S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel.
Dr. Ouillette is passionate about helping women, building relationships with her patients and providing excellent care.
She is the only provider in the Wesley Chapel office of Elite Womenâs Care, which also has offices in Spring Hill and Clearwater. Dr. Lauren Juyia and a nurse practitioner see patients at those locations.
The practice is physician-owned by FastMD, a multispecialty group that also owns Florida Advanced Spine & Orthopedics. Dr. Ouilletteâs husband, Dr. Ryan Ouillette, is part of that group, as is Dr. Juyiaâs husband, Dr. Rushad Juyia.
In November, Dr. Ouillette was hired by FastMD to bring Elite Womenâs Care to Wesley Chapel. The practiceâs new office shares a building with Florida Advanced Spine & Orthopedics (photo below).
She says that being the sole provider in the office helps her build trust with her patients.
âWhen you come in, you will always see me,â Dr. Ouillette explains. âNever a nurse practitioner or a physicianâs assistant. Itâs always going to be me.â
Elite Womenâs Care offers comprehensive and specialized care for women from adolescence to menopause. This includes well-woman exams, family planning (e.g., birth control counseling and intrauterine device, or IUD, placement), plus care for abnormal bleeding, painful periods, ovarian cysts, fibroids, breast concerns and follow-ups for abnormal pap smears.
Dr. Ouillette also treats women experiencing pelvic pain, endometriosis and polyps. She offers menopausal and perimenopausal care, including hormone replacement therapy, non-hormonal therapy and treating urinary incontinence.
When surgery may be required, she offers minimally invasive and robotic surgery.
Dr. Ouillette is trained in and has previously practiced obstetrics (OB), but her Elite Womenâs Care office doesnât offer obstetrics.
âWe see people who are trying to get pregnant and, once youâre six weeks postpartum, you can come right back to seeing us,â Dr. Ouillette says. âWe just donât see you while youâre actually pregnant.â
She explains that with only two doctors in a group covering three geographic areas, itâs not feasible for Elite to provide OB care. Patients who are pregnant are referred to an OB practice during pregnancy.
âThe benefits to the patient of going to an office thatâs just gynecology is that we wonât have to leave (a GYN appointment) to go do a delivery,â says Dr. Ouillette. âPatients are being seen on time and not having to wait while the doctor is delivering a baby. We also donât have to hold spots open for OB patients, so itâs easier to get in here.â
She also says that patients currently can get in to see her in the Wesley Chapel office for same-day appointments for acute issues.
About Dr. Ouillette
Dr. Ouillette was introduced to the medical field at a young age because her mom was a nurse.
âI always knew I wanted to be a doctor,â she says. âAnd, when I did the OB/GYN rotation in medical school, I liked it.â
She says gynecologists develop a special relationship with their patients.
âWhen someone comes in with a gynecology issue, itâs not something thatâs easy to talk about,â she says. âI like making patients feel comfortable.â
While sheâs new to the Wesley Chapel area, Dr. Ouillette grew up nearby in Oldsmar. When she was attending East Lake High, her family moved to Michigan, and she ended up staying there for college.
Dr. Ouillette first earned her Bachelorâs degree at the University of Michigan in Dearborn, followed by earning her Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit in 2012. She then completed residency training at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, where she was named Outstanding Resident Surgeon by the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons. After residency, she received additional training in minimally invasive surgery at The Womenâs Hospital of Texas Pelvic Restorative Center, also in Houston.
Dr. Ouillette and her husband then moved back to Detroit, where she spent the last several years teaching residents and taking care of an underserved patient population at Ascension St. John Hospital.
âI always wanted a big family,â she says, and to that end, she and her husband now have four children â ages six, five, three, and one-and-a-half.
The family moved to Land OâLakes from Detroit for the career opportunities afforded to both doctors. They didnât anticipate working for the same group, but the more Dr. Ouillette looked at work options, the more appealing working for FastMD seemed.
âWith four kids ages six and under, I was trying to find a little slower pace,â she explains. âI would love to still be doing everything I was doing in Michigan â OB, GYN, teaching and academics â but it seemed like it would be too much right now.â
Patient Beverly Stiles says Dr. Ouilletteâs extensive experience is apparent. Although she was a patient of Dr. Juyiaâs in Brooksville, when Beverly couldnât be seen in a timely manner, the staff suggested she go see Dr. Ouillette in Wesley Chapel.
âI instantly fell in love with her,â Beverly says. âSheâs very professional and her staff is so nice.â
Beverly explains that she had a complicated issue, but Dr. Ouillette researched it both before she saw her, and then again, after that appointment. Beverly says she felt comfortable voicing her concerns and having extensive conversations about treatment options, including changing her mind about surgery when her symptoms changed.
âI could talk with her,â Beverly says of Dr. Ouillette. âSheâs very one-on-one. She has tremendous training, expertise and professionalism, and sheâs also easy to talk with. Thatâs what you want in a physician.â
She also describes the Wesley Chapel office as âsparkling clean,â and that the staffâs communication has been excellent and that itâs been easy to get an appointment.
âIf youâre looking for a gynecologist, sheâs the one you want to see,â Beverly says.
Dr. Ouillette says she strives to build strong relationships â like the one she has with Beverly â with all of her patients.
âThe biggest thing is personalized care,â she says. âYouâll see the same faces every time you come in. Youâll see the same medical assistant (Emily Peterson), who knows all of the patients by name. We strive to know our patients well, so that when you call and ask a question, we know who you are. We take the time to listen to all of our patientsâ concerns.â
Elite Womenâs Care is located at 2309 Crestover Ln. For more information or to make an appointment, call (352) 345-4456 or visit Elite-WC.com.