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Student Overcomes Obstacles To Win Scholarship

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By BARBARA ROUTEN

Tribune Correspondent

Published: June 11, 2008

TAMPA - The Edmund Sheffield Chapter Colonial Dames XVII Century announced Marissa Tweed, daughter of the Revs. Dave and Rita Gardner Tweed, the winner of its 2007-08 Anne Massey General Scholarship at a meeting May 15 at Palma Ceia Country Club.
Colonial Dames XVII Century is dedicated to patriotic ideals and preserving the history of the colonial United States. It is an organization of women who can trace their lineage back to the American colonies.

Members of the chapter come from as far away as Brooksville, Ruth Hemingway, immediate past-president general of the national organization; Sun City Center, Catherine Goodrich; Brandon, Billie Thrascher; and Lithia, Dee Dorman, president, and Connie Smaldone.

The national organization and its state and local chapters grant various scholarships, such as the Pocahontas Scholarship, which is awarded to people of Native American descent studying medicine; a fellowship in historical editing at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va.; and scholarships to outstanding engineering students at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy.

The Anne Massey scholarship criteria included financial need, grade-point average and extracurricular activities.

"Marissa met these requirements - plus, she has overcome a lot," said Ann Dunlap, a two-year member of the chapter. "Marissa seems highly motivated. When asked about her goals for the future, she said, 'I thrive on planning.' She attended the IB International Baccalaureate program at King High School."

Tweed, of New Tampa, said she is a dedicated student. In her freshman year of high school she often spent six hours a night studying for tests and reading paragraphs two or three times to comprehend them.

In her sophomore year, her brother was diagnosed with binocular vision dysfunction, "a genetic neuro-visual condition in which sensory stimuli do not reach the occipital lobe on a regular basis for accurate processing," Tweed said.

Because BVD is hereditary, the rest of the family also was tested. Tweed, her parents and her sister also have the disorder.

"My eye doctor said my incredible grades a 6.32 weighted GPA were a product of Herculean effort, and that I shouldn't have to work that hard," Tweed said. "The solution was vision therapy."

At the completion of 14 months of neural integration and seven months of vision therapy, Tweed and her family are doing much better. She said she "began perceptually processing faster and at a more efficient rate."

She can focus better and remember more, so her study time decreased. She stopped seeing double, so she now can catch a ball, sight sing a line of music and spot, which involves a dancer focusing on a distant spot while whipping her head around as her body spins.

Tweed expressed gratitude for the scholarship, and she could not contain her excitement and surprise when Dorman told her that her application would be sent on to the national level for consideration for an additional scholarship.

Her plan is to attend the University of Florida to study neurological biology and pursue a career as a visuo-neural psychiatrist.

"I want to use this knowledge to help children and others who suffer from similar learning disorders," she said.

Appreciation Concert A Gift From Pastor
SUN CITY CENTER - Monsignor Harold Bumpus of Prince of Peace Catholic Church, 701 Valley Forge Blvd., will present a free concert at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Father's Day, in the sanctuary.

Dwight Thomas, music minister and organist, and Chase White, tenor, will perform.

The date is significant; it is the monsignor's birthday and the 45th anniversary of his priestly vows. He wishes to present the concert as a way to thank the community for its support during his tenure at Prince of Peace.

White served as organist at the church in 2001-02. He and Bumpus "have remained friends since then," White said. The monsignor likes organs and is knowledgeable about them and the history of church music.

"He has been a mentor for me for the last seven years," White said. "He asked me to sing a concert ... and I am happy to do so."

A goodwill offering will be accepted for the church music ministry.

For information, call the church office, (813) 634-2328.

Men's Club To Hear From Public Defender
SUN CITY CENTER - The next luncheon meeting of the Sun City Center Men's Club will take place at 11:30 a.m. June 18 in Community Hall, 1910 S. Pebble Beach Blvd.. The cost is $12.

Hillsborough County Public Defender Julianne Holt, who has held the post since January 1993, will speak to the club about the functions her office performs in the handling of more than 70,000 cases a year.

Holt oversees the largest criminal defense firm in Hillsborough County, according to her Web page. The office has more than 200 employees - nearly half of them lawyers.

"This is a members-only event," said Jack Fischer, club spokesman. To find out how to get in on the action, call membership chairman Jerry Mahoney, (813) 633-2879.

Laugh And The World Laughs With You
SUN CITY CENTER - Members of the Laff-a-Lot Club will meet at 1:30 p.m. Friday in the Maintenance Building Conference Room, 957 North Course Lane.

Residents of Sun City Center and Kings Point are invited to bring some funny friends and a joke - or is it the other way around?

"We will socialize, have light refreshments, and then tell jokes," said Nancy Russell, publicity chairwoman. "We have some nice prizes ... for the best jokes, the worst jokes and a Snickers bar for a joke that just brings a little 'snicker.'"

And soap for the mouth of the teller of the dirtiest joke.

A court-jester logo will point the way to the meeting. For information, call Helen Cooper at (813) 401-9901.

Send news and photos of community interest to Barbara Routen at The Tampa Tribune, 505 W. Robertson St., Brandon FL 33511, call (813) 657-4531 or e-mail neighbors@tampabay.rr.com.

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