"Always have a dream," Wachovia Bank regional president Karen Dee said to the 48 nominees at the Tribute to Young Women's Leadership Awards on Thursday. "And have a big dream, an audacious dream."
Her impressive audience already knows the value of dreams and discipline and hard work.
Special recognition went to Sarah Elizabeth Ogdie of St. Petersburg High School, ages 14-15; Louisa D. Powell of St. Petersburg High, ages 16-18; and Denise Nicholas of the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, ages 19-22.
Nicholas is a psychology student at USF St. Petersburg who organized a support group for girls at her church, Trinity United Methodist, in St. Petersburg. She is an "A" student who moved to the United States from her native Trinidad at age 5, has earned U.S. citizenship and purchased a home for her family at age 21.
Powell is a recent graduate of St. Petersburg High and is entering the University of Florida. She is youth council president of the St. Petersburg branch of the NAACP.
Ogdie has led efforts to educate those at St. Pete High about issues involving racism, sexism and other diversity issues.
Additional nominees were Christina Drew Banks, Keswick Christian School; Carrie Bramlet, Sophie Comiskey, Kelly Curtler, Hayley Jade Fink, Alphia G. Morin an d Cameron H. Williams, St. Petersburg High; Yatae Davis, Pace Center for Girls; LaNier L. Echols, Boca Ciega High; Jessica Evans, Meadowlawn Middle; Shelby K. Ivey-Graham, USF St. Petersburg; Stacy Melissa Graham, Crystal R. Mackerowski and Jessica Marie Tomlinson, St. Petersburg College; Ladai Haywood, Academy Prep Center for Education; Lauren E. Heinen, Christina McNelly and Emory R. Richards, Palm Harbor University High School; Monique A. Henson, Farrah Marie Nolan, Stephanie B. Simmons an d Taylor Swan, Largo High School; Taryn Hooks, Clearwater Academy; Alexandra L. Jennings, John Hopkins Middle School; Ericka W. Jennings, Pinellas Park High School Criminal Justice Academy; Cathryn Kwynn Kirkhuff, Tampa Preparatory School; Kristin J. Koslowski, Berkeley Preparatory School; Leah Frances Lauber, St. Petersburg Catholic High; Mareeka A. Lodge, Dixie Hollins High; Shani Lodge, University of Central Florida; Lisa Matuska an d Lisa N. Portmann, Clearwater Central Catholic High; Nicole Matuska, Northwestern University; Caroline J. McWeeney, Allendale Academy; Jennifer Lorena Nolan, USF; Kathy Peacock, Eckerd College; Tarsila Kawall Reybitz, UF; Khana A. Riley, Shorecrest Preparatory School; Susan Rood, Osceola High; Monserrat Tellez, Clearwater High; Elizabeth Valentin, PTEC South Secondary School; Takara N. Waller and Erica A. Williams, Lakewood High; Jessica Walton, Seminole High; and Jacquelyn-lea R. Wysong, Dunedin High.
Additional speakers were Pamela Y. Skyrme, president of the YWCA board of directors; Sebastian Dortch, diversity officer at the St. Petersburg Times; and Peggy Sanchez Mills, chief executive of the YWCA of Tampa Bay. Progress Energy's Nancy Loehr and Republic Bank's Michele Ranalli introduced the nominees and presented awards.
The Times was presenting sponsor for the event, and Progress Energy and Republic Bank were scholarship sponsors.
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Roslyn Brock, vice chairwoman of the NAACP's board of directors, spoke with the zeal of an evangelist at the Freedom Fund Award Banquet on Saturday at the Coliseum.
She referred several times to a May 31 story in the Times, whose headline read: Is the NAACP still relevant as it nears 100?
Brock stressed personal responsibility and class, race and gender equity in her message. "The NAACP is a fueling station and not a rest stop on the way to freedom," she said.
The 71st annual event, sponsored by the St. Petersburg NAACP branch, was dedicated to the memory of Perkins T. Shelton, a longtime civic and community activist and former secretary of the organization, who died in October.
Linda Hardaway Watkins and Trenia Byrd-Cox were co-chairwomen for the banquet, which drew more than 1,000 attendees. Darryl Rouson is president of the St. Petersburg chapter.
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A cocktail hour preceded the Friday night premiere of American Stage's new production, God's Man in Texas, where the most celebrated attendee had to be Laander Lowry. At 8 days old, he made his theater debut with his beaming parents, recently resigned managing director Lee Manwaring Lowry and husband, Lionel.
Mark Spano, the new executive director for St. Petersburg's Palladium Theater, was attending his first show at American Stage, with Carlus Walters of Chapel Hill, N.C., where Spano was an arts consultant before his recent move.
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The night they met, Jodi and Grady Pridgen discovered they shared a birthday. He asked her her birth date, Jodi Pridgen said, and she told him: May 23. That's my birthday, too, he said.
"Let me see some ID there," she responded.
Grady Pridgen produced his driver's license to prove his point and doubtless thus established his credibility with Jodi, now his wife of six years.
Jodi Pridgen said they often have celebrated in Mexico, where her parents own Hacienda de los Santos in Alamos, Sonora. With four children - Solana, 8 months; Parker, 2; Paloma, 3; and Tyler, 10 - they decided to hold the party in St. Petersburg this year.
The couple invited a crowd of about 200 to celebrate at a tropical fiesta on May 22, a day before their birthday. The bay area developer is 45; she is 10 years younger.
"We really had a fun party," Jodi Pridgen said. Guests received leis and carved-out coconut punch cups, and entertainment included hula dancers and a "human volcano" who performed traditional Hawaiian fire dances.
Attendees wore tropical attire; developer Nick Kotache, in a hula skirt and floral shirt, won the competition for best shirt.
"He's the kind of person you always see in a suit, so it was kind of fun to see him" in his island gear, Jodi Pridgen said.
The Pridgens asked partygoers not to bring gifts, but many made donations to bay area charities, she said.
Looking ahead
Saturday
CASINO NIGHT: St. Petersburg Sertoma Club benefit features food, dancing, casino games, live and silent auctions, and music by Lucian & the All Stars. 7-11 p.m. Gulfport Casino, 5500 Shore Blvd. $50. 647-0813.
- Mary Jane Park can be reached at 727 893-8267; fax (727) 893-8675; e-mail park@sptimes.com or P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731.
