_{Left to Right: Superintendent Dr. Bill Vogel, School Board Chairman Dede Schaffner, School Board Member Dr. Tina Calderone, Crooms AOIT Principal Dr. Connie Collins, SCPS District Employee of the Year Nathaniel Perkins, School Board Member Karen Almond and School Board Member Sylvia Pond.}

Dr. Connie Collins, Principal of Crooms, shared a myriad of responsibilities and skills possessed by this honoree, who has worked at Crooms since its inception in 2001. "He has...skills to coach our athletic teams and to coach individual students. [As an award-winning track and field coach, Nate Perkins has become affectionately known as 'Coach' Perkins.] He can be found working with our most at-risk students building confidence and self-reliance both on the field and off. Our top academic performers also gravitate toward Coach Perkins' nod of approval. Two years ago, when our valedictorian was being honored at a local breakfast, and was given the opportunity to invite a parent to attend with him, it was Coach Perkins who attended as a surrogate to provide support and nurturing. Coach knows everybody in the community, and their parents, and grandparents...and they know him. His involvement with students, parents, and community has all but negated any responsibilities relating to violence or disruption."

Nathaniel Perkins became the man he is today from a challenging start in life. Principal Collins shared: "He has said that he remembers his own childhood, and wants to provide opportunities that were not there for him. That's the thing about Nate, he never forgot what it meant to be a child from an impoverished background, a single parent home, a place with few opportunities. He remembers that someone reached out a hand to him and he keeps reaching his hand out to others."

Seminole County Public Schools congratulates Nathaniel Perkins on being named the 2011 School-Related Employee of the Year. The other two finalists were Debbi Pegel, a secretary at Stenstrom Elementary and Debra Skipper, a paraprofessional instructional assistant at Eastbrook Elementary. The event honored 67 employees selected by their schools/sites.

Crooms Academy of Information Technology Class of 2007 graduate James "Brock" Mangus has joined the Crooms AoIT Alumni Association's Board of Directors. Mangus officially joined the board on March 16, 2011 and his first board meeting will be in April.

Crooms Academy of Information Technology is one of nine career academies to be awarded the National Academy Foundation's (NAF) distinguished academy recognition. This designation is given to a select few who have exhibited fidelity to an educational model that prepares students for success in college, work and life.

"This award is a testament to our teachers, advisory board members, and students whose hard work and dedication are what truly make our academy a success," said Principal Connie Collins.

Looking to support the Crooms AoIT Alumni Association each year without having to exert any effort? In the words of Charlie Sheen, we have a #Winning solution for you! We don't know if our web development team has #tigerblood running through their veins or if they are just #warlocks, but they just added an annually recurring billing option to our membership form. The recurring billing option works with PayPal Subscriptions to annually bill you without you having to remember to renew your support each year.

Dear Crooms Class of 2011,
 
It is with pleasure that the Crooms AoIT Alumni Association, Inc. invites you to apply for the Crooms AoIT Alumni Association Community Scholarship. As a way of congratulating you on making it this far in your educational career, we will be offering one (1) $500 scholarship to a graduating senior. Our group of contributors would like to recognize those who have continually performed well academically while still carrying a passion for giving back to their community and school. In an effort to encourage involvement and contribution in the community, we proudly present the requirements and application for the Crooms AOIT Alumni Community Scholarship.
 
The deadline for application is Friday, April 1st, 2011 by the end of the school day. Take note, this is the first Friday after Spring Break. The scholarship recipient will be notified before graduation. The Scholarship Application is attached and includes instructions on how to submit the scholarship. We look forward to answering any questions you might have and carefully reviewing all applications received. Remember, this application is only open to graduating Crooms Seniors, so your chances of receiving the scholarship are quite high - that means you need to apply :-).
 
Congratulations again on making this far and good luck in your future endeavors!
 
-The Crooms AoIT Alumni Association, Inc. Board of Directors