School district volunteer earns state recognition
April 12, 2025 - Vernon Bryant, a longtime volunteer at Richard O. Jacobson Technical High School in Seminole, has received Florida's Outstanding Senior Volunteer Award. Just 24% of Pinellas County Schools' volunteers are male, and significantly fewer are Black. Bryant mentors students through the district's Lunch Pals and Take Stock in Children programs, serves on the School Advisory Council, helped package over 20,000 meals through the Rise Against Hunger campaign and led a project that built 50 beds for children. The district needs more mentors like Bryant, who can make a lasting difference in a student's life in just 30 minutes weekly.