A two-time Florida Geography Bee champion, Kaylan felt the need to give youth in Central Florida the opportunity to love geography as much as he does.
Category: Southwest Spotlight
Southwest Spotlight
A Full Pint of Joy in a Half-Pint Body
A student at Finnegan Academy of Irish Dance since January, Zoe’s dancing has already gone viral with a video of her dancing at a festival in Oviedo.
Southwest Spotlight
A Sprinkling of Love and Humor
Windermere Heights/Hunter Estates resident and author Birgitt Van Wormer takes readers of her novels to the tropical islands of Hawaii.
Southwest Spotlight
A Tale of Two Sisters
Co-writing their book — In Hindsight: The Story of How Two Sisters Hurt, Hindered and Healed Each Other — is therapeutic for sisters Lisa Scott and Sharon Bonanno.
Southwest Spotlight
Mission Mowathon
Chip Hawthorne of Windermere drives a Toro 4000 Series lawn mower across Florida to benefit West Orange Habitat for Humanity.
Southwest Spotlight
Selfless Service to Others
Ameena Malik of Bay Hill, a pre-med student at the University of Florida, supports people in need of housing.
Southwest Spotlight
Creating Jobs & Educating Children
Orange County Public Schools officials announced the results of a report by PFM Group Consulting on the economic impact of the public school construction program from 2014 to 2021.
Southwest Spotlight
Miles To Go!
Windermere residents Danielle and Miles Newbold create the nonprofit Miles To Go to help supply homeless men, women and children with basic necessities.
Southwest Spotlight
WOW
The West Orange Women organization recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Southwest Spotlight
RipItt
Instead of allowing his death to be the end of their son’s story, the couple turned the tragedy into a beacon of hope in the community.
Southwest Spotlight
It’s in Her DNA
Dr. Phillips resident Gina Hatch does not remember a time in her life when she wasn’t involved with dance.
Southwest Spotlight
Artistic Shopping
Local artists of all ages display and sell their creations, as well as provide demonstrations, at the first Holiday Makers Market.
Southwest Spotlight
Trading Track Shoes for High Heels!
Local resident Summer Schafers is named Miss South West Orlando and will compete in the Miss Florida USA competition in January 2019.
Southwest Spotlight
Against All Odds
Metrowest resident Jimmy Petroski, 32, is one of the most outgoing and active people you will ever meet. He is a thrill-seeking adventurer who enjoys skateboarding, playing basketball, water-skiing, handcycling, archery, weightlifting and Zumba. Not something you’d expect from someone confined to a wheelchair his entire life.
Southwest Spotlight
Serving His Country
A 2003 graduate of Dr. Phillips High School and an Orlando native served in the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).
Southwest Spotlight
Bee-ing a Winner in Geography
More than 500,000 — that is how many children competed in the recent Florida State Geography Bee at Jacksonville University in Jacksonville. One — the one person crowned state champion for the bee: Kaylan Patel.
Southwest Spotlight
A Night of Magic & Hope
Teens from seven different schools organize a gala to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Southwest Spotlight
Writing Her Story
Emma Neary, a sophomore at Windermere Preparatory School, began writing her novel, Broken Dreams: A Modern Twist of the Classic Cinderella Story, at the age of 14 when she was a freshman. She became a published author at age 15.
Southwest Spotlight
The Sky’s the Limit
John currently owns a Cessna 172, a small four-person aircraft. He enjoys flying all over the state with his wife and daughter.
Southwest Spotlight
Finished!
For 365 days, Dr. Phillips High School football was haunted by the demons that destroyed its dream of a state championship in 2016. But rather than succumb to them, the Panthers used them as motivation for redemption.
Southwest Spotlight
An Island in Need
A member of Civil Air Patrol Emergency Services, Collins is qualified as a mission scanner, mission observer and aerial photographer. He was deployed to Puerto Rico for 10 days after the devastation of Hurricane Maria, along with 15 other volunteer members. Several other CAP members in the states also supported the mission as part of a virtual team.
Southwest Spotlight
Southwest Citizen Honored
After 11 years at the helm of Young Fathers of Central Florida, Haki Nkrumah of Winter Garden was named Orange County District 1 Citizen of the Year by Commissioner Betsy VanderLey.
Southwest Spotlight
Diving Into New Heights
For some, looking down 72 feet into water is a feat they can’t do, but professional cliff diver Ginger Huber considers it a challenge she finds thrilling and worthy, attempting any chance she gets.
Southwest Spotlight
A Time-Travel Musical Journey
There is no day the music died when you experience the sights and sounds of Johnny Wild and the Delights, a local tribute band of ’50s and ’60s music. Specializing in the timeless classics of Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Hank Williams and others from the early rock ‘n’ roll generation, this band seeks to immerse audiences in the tunes of their youth or acquaint these artists with audiences for the first time.