Polk County Public Schools
Four students won laptop computers in an essay contest held in conjunction with a school district event.
Reyna Castro, of Lakeland’s Sleepy Hill Middle, and three Haines City High students—Justina Chavez, Juanita Delgado and Lyanette Pillot won the computers in the English for Speakers of Other Languages Department’s “Hispanics in the USA Family Literacy Project” essay contest. Castro is a seventh grader and Chavez, Delgado and Pillot are all ninth graders.
The essay contest was part of an event that involved students and parents and centered on projects that families could do at home to improve reading and writing. The event also included information on career development and college preparation for older students.
Macy Bailey, a Winter Haven High junior, served on the Student Advisory Board for the National Football League’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2009 season. She was the only Polk County student on the board. She was selected for the position based on an essay and interview with Buccaneers staff.
As a board member, she attended monthly meetings with other students in the Tampa Bay area. They worked to promote the Bucs in schools and communities. Macy served as a club level usher at Buccaneers home games at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium and also participated in the team’s community service projects.
Macy is in her second year as a student in Winter Haven High’s Academy of Hospitality and Tourism. The academy gives students instruction, training and experience to work in the hospitality and tourism industry.
Macy is past president and current reporter for Winter Haven High’s Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) chapter. She is also a member of the school’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) organization. DECA and FBLA are student groups with activities centering on marketing and business.
