School Zone
Local Students Participate in Paul Robeson Scholar Athlete Summit
Florida Senator Anthony “Tony” Hill and Duval County School Board Chairwoman Brenda Priestly Jackson recently hosted the Paul Robeson Scholar Athlete Summit for more than 900 local students.
“Being the mother of a student athlete and the wife of an educator, I am always encouraging students to strive for greatness in every area of their life,” said Chairwoman Priestly Jackson. “Mr. Robeson was a perfect example of how hard work and determination inside the classroom creates opportunity.”
Born in 1898, Paul Robeson was the epitome of the 20th-century Renaissance man. His father, an escaped slave, was a Presbyterian minister, while his mother was from a distinguished Philadelphia family. At 17, Paul received a scholarship to Rutgers University. In addition to being his classes’ valedictorian, he received an unprecedented 12 major letters in baseball, football, basketball, and track and field.
An exceptional athlete, actor, singer, cultural scholar, author and political activist, his talents made him a revered man of his time. Mr. Robeson spoke 15 languages, and performed benefits throughout the world for causes of social justice. More than any other performer of his time, he believed that the famous have a responsibility to fight for justice and peace.
“As a former athlete, I believe it is extremely important that our young people know there are many post-secondary opportunities out there other than sports,” said Senator Hill. “This summit teaches just that - it pushes the students to excel in their communities – both on and off the field.”
During the summit, middle and high school students had the opportunity to listen to a group of dynamic speakers from the world of college or professional sports, and shared in "one-on-one" conversations with local, state and national scholar athletes who continue to excel beyond the playing field.
The theme for this year’s summit was “Leveraging Athletic Abilities to Achieve Academic Excellence.” Guest speakers included Morehouse College graduate John H. Eaves, Ph.D.; U.S. Naval Forces Commander Victor G. Guillory; and Jacksonville Jaguars manager of player relations Bahati Van Pelt.
One of the biggest messages the students received was that every high school athlete will not become a college athlete; every college athlete will not become a professional athlete; however, with a strong academic background and a commitment to working hard they will find their ticket to success.
More pictures from the Paul Robeson Scholar Athlete
Summit are available on the
DCPS' flickr photostream.
|
