Two successful students and loyal leaders have been chosen as the grand marshals of this year’s Civitan Club Youth Parade at the Florida Strawberry Festival, and their credentials are nothing short of impressive.
The grand marshals will be Jackson Hardee, a senior at Plant City High School, and Kevin O’Hare, a senior at Durant High School.
“They’re just outstanding,” Pat Pogue, president of the Plant City Civitan Club, said. “The community selected them for several reasons — their leadership abilities and scholastic achievements.”
Hardee has a GPA of 5.3, and has received numerous honors for academic success, as well as community service.
As president of Junior Civitans at PCHS, Hardee has established a monthly event at which the club gives food to the homeless. He also initiated the club as a member of the Wounded Warriors project, to which the club gives a monthly donation and looks for other ways to help veterans.
Under Hardee’s leadership, the PCHS Junior Civitans have their biggest membership ever this year, with about 40 students in the club, as well as about 100 Civinettes.
“I’ve learned to be more responsible (through Junior Civitans), and get the club as a whole to do things,” Hardee said. “It’s helped me to be more organized.”
In the realm of athletics, Hardee is an accomplished pole vaulter. He takes lessons in Orlando and won the title in the Western Conference last year.
With a 4.0 GPA, Kevin O’Hare also strives for excellence in his school work, but some of his biggest interests are advocacy and political involvement.
As the southeast regional director of the Campaign for a Presidential Youth Council, O’Hare works with federal government officials to advise the executive branch on youth-related issues. He is also a board member of the Citizens Advisory Committee to the Hillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organization.
O’Hare is a state officer for Florida Future Business Leaders of America and holds numerous other leadership positions at his school and throughout Hillsborough County.
“In my 27 years of education, I’ve never seen a young man who has the enthusiasm and leadership and dedication that Kevin does,” Franci Dupre, O’Hare’s college and career counselor at DHS, said.
O’Hare said he is looking forward to being part of the Youth Parade because of its long history and tradition.
“I wholeheartedly recognize the impact that the festival has every year,” O’Hare said.
At the Civitan Club meeting Thursday, Feb. 5, Pogue honored Hardee and O’Hare, “Over the years, you see a lot of these parade marshals come back,” Paul Davis, festival manager said. “It absolutely is heartwarming.”
Don’t miss Hardee, O’Hare in the 2015 Civitan Youth Parade, Saturday, Feb. 28.
Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver.com.