UthMpact is Proud to Announce Its 2015-2016 Leadership Class V

UthMpact is Proud to Announce Its 2015-2016 Leadership Class V

Polk County, FL - Students from Polk County high schools have been nominated by their school principals or community members to participate in the 2015-2016 UthMpact Leadership Class V. This unique program, spearheaded by InnerAct Alliance, StandUP Polk Coalition, UthMpact Coalition, and key business and community partners, is designed to help teens develop crucial leadership skills.  Please see the following page for a list of participating students.

UthMpact is the dynamic coalition of teen leaders committed to helping educate and deliver key substance abuse prevention messages to teens by their peers. Beginning in September, the new youth leaders will travel throughout the county once a month to experience the inner workings of local business, government, healthcare, education, and law enforcement. The teens will meet with influential leaders to discuss challenges faced in the community and suggest proactive solutions.

We are proud of the nearly 125 students representing almost every high school in the county who have been enriched by this program in its five years in existence. The Leadership Program entails a two-day summer retreat; six Leadership Days spent traveling throughout the community; as well as participation in dozens of events and volunteer opportunities throughout the year. The group’s most prominent project has been its social-norms program that has impacted students in 8 area high schools with important messages about bullying, distracted driving, tobacco, marijuana, alcohol, and prescription drugs.

UthMpact would also like to congratulate the graduates of UthMpact Leadership Class IV who were honored at a special graduation ceremony on April 8, 2015:  Derek Apgar, Coral Barron, Brooke Benton, Shirnest Brunson, Alexie Cadena, William Cain, Raven Calloway, Julia Canady, Katherine Carlton, Emma Carter, Danielle Clark, Adriana Colon, Jared Cossin, Catherine Curran, Emily Dunson, Madison Feddeler, Justin Gill, Lindsay Giliam, Grace Hamilton, Alexis Mace, Jobe McDermott, Hadley Owen, Karishma Patel, Emily Rozen, Racquell Salerno, Tirthan Shah, James Shiver, Daniel Sussingham, Logan Watkins, and Kenyetta West.  Each Class IV graduate received a certificate to commemorate their year together and several scholarships were awarded deserving students.

For additional information on the UthMpact Leadership Program, please call Emily Plank  at (863) 802-0777. Please visit the UthMpact website at www.UthMpact.org, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UthMpactPolk, and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/UthmMpact. We also invite interested teens to attend UthMpact’s monthly meetings held on the first Wednesday of each month at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on Jim Keene Blvd. in Winter Haven, FL.

Leadership Class V Participants 2015 - 2016

Alyssa Blythe, All Saints Academy
Morgan Boles, Harrison School for the Arts
Ana Brighton, IB at Haines City High School
Sydney Burroughs, Victory Christian Academy
Abby Burton, Lakeland Christian School
D’Quavion Burton, Lake Region High School
AJ Cadena, Aerospace Academy
Wendy Capule, Lake Gibson High School
Essence Clark, Fort Meade Middle & Senior High School
Gabrielle Clark, Summerlin Academy
Jackson Cook, Lake Wales High School
Emily Cornelius, George Jenkins High School
Audrey Cossin, IB at Bartow High School
Trenton Curtis, Lakeland Collegiate High School
Paula De La Torre, Mulberry High School
Conor Devore, Harrison School for the Arts
Alex Fagan, Lakeland Senior High School
Payton Gary, Auburndale Senior High School
Andrew Grant, Haines City High School
Rebecca Green, Kathleen Senior High School
Joshua Guerra, Winter Haven High School
Macy Gullifer, McKeel Academy of Technology
Llulisa Gutierrez, Fort Meade Middle & Senior High School
Andre Hall, Harrison School for the Arts
Trevor Hallet, All Saints Academy
Kayli Higginbotham, Lake Wales High School
Hannah Hogg, McKeel Academy of Technology
Catherine Holcomb, McKeel Academy of Technology
Taylor Jackson, Harrison School for the Arts
Alain Julsaint, Jr., Haines City High School
Francis Mabito, Harrison School for the Arts
Demetrius Marshall, II, Victory Christian Academy
Megan Martinez, Lakeland Senior High School
Nereli Mejia, IB at Haines City High School
Allen Mendes, Frostproof Senior High School
Jesse McKelvey, Bartow Senior High School
Emily McKinney, Lakeland Christian School
Georgia Michael, Mulberry High School
Magdalena Moskal, All Saints Academy
Sydney Mumbauer, Lake Gibson High School
Sadie Owen, Winter Haven High School
Nandan Patel, Bartow Senior High School
Victor Persichetti, Auburndale Senior High School
Colin Phillips from All Saints Academy
Mackenzie Pike, Harrison School for the Arts
Claire Pinket, IB at Bartow High  School
Desmond Richemond, Ridge Community High School
Jazmin Rodriguez, Lakeland Senior High School
Yatziri Rodriguez, Ridge Community High School
Noemi Rosario, Auburndale Senior High School
Brandon Rubio, Haines City High School
Elania Salerno, Lake Gibson High School
India Saxena, Harrison School for the Arts
Lyla Saxena, Harrison School for the Arts
Carlos Torres, Haines City High School
Jennifer Vasquez, Bartow Senior High School
Grceshma Venigalla, IB at Bartow High School
Anastasia Wall-Lobdell, Victory Christian Academy
Shelby Ward, Bartow Senior High School
Taylor Welch, Lake Wales High School
Caleb Willis, Lake Wales High School
Cole Yrastorza, Harrison School for the Arts

RED RIBBON FIFTH GRADE RALLIES POSTER, POETRY & ESSAY CONTESTS – WINTER HAVEN AREA WINNERS

RED RIBBON FIFTH GRADE RALLIES
POSTER, POETRY & ESSAY CONTESTS – WINTER HAVEN AREA WINNERS

Polk County, FL – InnerAct Alliance is proud to announce the winners of its Fifth Grade Rally for The Facts Poster, Poetry, and Essay Contest for Fifth Grade Students in the greater Winter Haven/Haines City area schools. Contest participants will be recognized during the Red Ribbon Rally on Wednesday morning, May 13, at 10:00 a.m. at Polk State College Gym in Winter Haven.

The prevention rallies focus on reinforcing critical substance abuse resistance skills before students enter middle school in the fall. Students were challenged to compose essays, write poems, or draw posters to illustrate how they live their lives drug free and show the truth about how most young people do not use drugs or alcohol. Overall winners in each category will be awarded cash prizes of $100 (first place), $50 (second place), and $25 (third place).

Winter Haven Area Rallies Contest Overall Prize Winners

Poster Contest
1^st Place $100.00 - Alexandra Gorokhova from Jewett School of the Arts   

2^nd Place $ 50.00 - Cody Holliday from Lena Vista    

3^rd Place $ 25.00 - Camila Madrid from Lake Alfred   

Poetry Contest 
1^st Place $100.00 - Laura Segura from Snively    

2^nd Place $ 50.00 - Jackson Widener from Lake Alfred     
3^rd Place $ 25.00 - Nicholas Moore from Elbert     

Essay Contest
1^st Place $100.00 - Meredith Smith from Alta Vista Elementary
2^nd Place $ 50.00 - Sasha Guertin from Lena Vista Elementary   

3^rd Place $ 25.00 - Mayson Walker from Berkley

School with the Most Contest Participants Overall – Berkley

The prevention rallies focus on reinforcing critical substance abuse resistance skills before students enter middle school in the fall. Students were challenged to compose essays, write poems, or draw posters to illustrate how they live their lives drug free and show the truth about how most young people do not use drugs or alcohol. Overall winners in each category will be awarded cash prizes of $100 (first place), $50 (second place), and $25 (third place).

Guest speaker for the Rallies is Patrick T. Grady, a former middle and high school educator who travels throughout North America encouraging students to do their best in all of their endeavors. Grady is the author of “Who Packs the Parachute,” and co-author of “Teen Power Too,” and “Teen Power and Beyond.”

A similar rally for Lakeland area schools was held last week on May 6^th at The Lakeland Center.

The mission of InnerAct Alliance is to reduce the abuse and underage use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs through: Community Awareness and Involvement; Prevention Education; Economic Support; and Leadership Development. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency is proud to have provided substance abuse prevention to the Hardee, Highlands and Polk County communities since 1985 with services including science-based education in elementary and middle schools, teen-driven social marketing, and awareness events that touch the lives of youth, parents, families, businesses, faith-based organizations, community groups and others with an important substance abuse prevention message.

For further information on the Fifth Grade Rallies, please call InnerAct Alliance at (863) 802-0777.  

RED RIBBON FIFTH GRADE RALLIES POSTER, POETRY & ESSAY CONTESTS - LAKELAND AREA WINNERS

RED RIBBON FIFTH GRADE RALLIES
POSTER, POETRY and ESSAY CONTESTS - LAKELAND AREA WINNERS

Lakeland, FL – InnerAct Alliance is proud to announce the winners of its Fifth Grade Rally for The Facts Poster, Poetry, and Essay Contest for Fifth Grade Students in the greater Lakeland area schools. Contest participants were recognized during the Red Ribbon Fifth Grade Rallies, on May 6, 2015, at The Lakeland Center.

The prevention rallies focus on reinforcing critical substance abuse resistance skills before students enter middle school in the fall. Students were challenged to compose essays, write poems, or draw posters to illustrate how they live their lives drug free and show the truth about how most young people do not use drugs or alcohol. Overall winners in each category will be awarded cash prizes of $100 (first place), $50 (second place), and $25 (third place).

Congratulations to Lakeland Area Rallies Contest Overall Prize Winners

Lakeland Area Rallies Contest Overall Prize Winners for 9:30 AM RALLY

Poster Category
1^st Place $100.00 - Gabriel Munoz from Padgett              

2^nd Place $ 50.00 - Kennedy Hamilton from Wendell Watson  
3^rd Place $ 25.00 - Kiara Llerena from Carlton Palmore

Poetry Category
1^st Place $100.00 - Christie Gonzalez from Dr. N.E. Roberts

2^nd Place $ 50.00 - Gabriela Guevara from Carlton Palmore

3^rd Place $ 25.00 - John Gallagher from Wendell Watson

Essay Category
1^st Place $100.00 - Iris Denner from Churchwell

2^nd Place $ 50.00 - Angel Lee from Highlands Grove
3rd Place $ 25.00 - Cherish Johns from Kingsford 

School with the Most Contest Participants Overall – Highlands Grove

Lakeland Area Rallies Contest Overall Prize Winners for 11:30 AM RALLY

Poster Category
 

1st Place $100.00 - Kim-Tien Vo from Lincoln Academy

2^nd Place $ 50.00 - Jaiden Lopes from Winston Academy
3^rd Place $ 25.00 - Aja Haggard from St. Paul Lutheran

Poetry Category

1^st Place $100.00 - Madison Kearney from McKeel Academy Central

2^nd Place $ 50.00 - Deme-Simone Garner from South McKeel   
3^rd Place $ 25.00 - Rebekah Hammond from Scott Lake

Essay Category
1^st Place $100.00 - Isabella Salerno from St. Anthony

2^nd Place $ 50.00 - Alanna Wells from R. Bruce Wagner

3^rd Place $ 25.00 - Kennedy Blomeley from South McKeel

School with the Most Contest Participants Overall – McKeel Academy Central

The Guest speaker for the Rallies was Patrick T. Grady, a former middle and high school educator who travels throughout North America encouraging students to do their best in all of their endeavors. Grady is the author of “Who Packs the Parachute,” and co-author of “Teen Power Too,” and “Teen Power and Beyond.”

Another rally for Winter Haven and Haines City area schools will be held on May 13^th at the Polk State College Gym. Contest winners for those schools will be announced next week.

The mission of InnerAct Alliance is to reduce the abuse and underage use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs through: Community Awareness and Involvement; Prevention Education; Economic Support; and Leadership Development. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency is proud to have provided substance abuse prevention to the Hardee, Highlands and Polk County communities since 1985 with services including science-based education in elementary and middle schools, teen-driven social marketing, and awareness events that touch the lives of youth, parents, families, businesses, faith-based organizations, community groups and others with an important substance abuse prevention message.