West Area Adult School

We are thrilled to celebrate Makenol Profil, who first joined our West Area Adult School family as a student in our ESOL program. As he neared completion of the program and began exploring career pathways, we discovered something remarkable ~ Makenol has an incredible talent and passion for painting! 🎨

With that spark in mind, we helped Makenol secure a studio at the new Depot Arts District, a creative space that empowers artists through professional development and opportunities to grow both creatively and financially. Makenol is thriving at the Depot and his artwork has already been featured in their galleries! 🖼️

Makenol’s paintings beautifully capture the synergy between humans and nature, as they live together protecting and nurturing each other. His inspiration comes from his cultural and spiritual heritage. 🌳

We are so incredibly proud of Makenol and can’t wait to see where his artistic journey leads! ✨️




Allen-Polk County School Board District 1

CONGRATULATIONS to our Inspire Awards 2025-2026 Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Kimberly Morrison! ✨️
We appreciate all the amazing things you do for West Area Adult School!

West Area Adult School is beaming with pride as we celebrate the achievements of our WAAS graduates and alumni! 🎉

Lacie Willis – A 2025 graduate of our GED program, Lacie was honored as a Guest Student Speaker at the HCC Foundation Scholarship Partners Luncheon. She delivered an inspiring speech, sharing her journey to Hillsborough College, where she is obtaining her AA – Medical Pathway degree. Lacie is also the proud recipient of a Hillsborough College Foundation Scholarship in the amount of $1,000.00. 🏥

Jeffry Joseph – A 2025 graduate of our ESOL program, Jeffry was awarded a Hillsborough College Foundation Scholarship in the amount of $2,500.00. He had the opportunity to meet his scholarship donor and share his academic and career goals at Hillsborough College. Jeffry is pursuing his AA – Pharmacy Pathway degree.⚕️

Nikauris Santos Nunez – A WAAS ESOL alumni, Nikauris is currently completing her AS - Respiratory Care degree at Hillsborough College. She was awarded a Hillsborough College Foundation Scholarship in the amount of $2,500.00. 🩺

We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments and can't wait to see them continue to pursue their dreams! ✨️




William Allen-Polk County School Board District 1

We would like to wish these 2024-2025 West Area Adult School GED/ESOL graduates an amazing 2025-2026 school year as Polk County Public School teachers and paraprofessionals!
👩‍🏫👨‍🏫

We are excited to see you all fulfilling your dreams of making a positive difference in the lives of your students! ✨️




William Allen-Polk County School Board District 1

Celebrating our amazing Director, Mrs. Shaquita Armstrong! Thank you for your support, guidance, and inspiration, each and every day! ✨️

CONGRATULATIONS to our Laura Delgado!
Laura completed our West Area Adult School ESOL program and then transferred to our GED program, where she earned her State of Florida high school diploma. Upon graduating, she transitioned to Hillsborough Community College where she will be pursuing her AA Liberal Arts & Sciences degree. 🦅
We are so excited to follow Laura on this path toward her dream! ✨️




William Allen-Polk County School Board District 1

Yevhenii Pankratov completed our ESOL program at West Area Adult School and immediately transitioned to Florida Polytechnic University in January 2024 to pursue his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree. ⚙️
Yevhenii’s academic performance during his first year at FPU has earned him the esteemed honor of being placed on the Florida Polytechnic Provost’s List, a prestigious commendation bestowed upon students who achieve a 3.50-3.89 GPA! 🏆
Congratulations on this outstanding achievement, Yevhenii! Your hard work and commitment to achieving your dream is an inspiration! ✨️




William Allen-Polk County School Board District 1

CONGRATULATIONS to our Dennis Clavijo! 🎉
Dennis enrolled in our West Area Adult School ESOL program upon moving to the United States. He wanted to become proficient in English and use his credentials from Colombia in Baking & Pastry Culinary Arts to secure employment in a job he is passionate about doing each day.
We are excited to share that Dennis interviewed and was hired by the Publix Bakery!
🥖🥐🥯🧁🍰🍩
We are so proud of Dennis and thrilled to see him living his dream!




William Allen-Polk County School Board District 1

We are always excited to assist our GED and ESOL graduates with transitioning to programs at Traviss Technical College. 🎓
Congratulations to these students pursuing their dream careers:

GED Graduates ~
Jordan Johnson – Aviation Airframe & Powerplant Mechanics ✈️
Sean Rodriguez – Computer Systems & Information Technology 💻

ESOL Graduates ~
Worken Diverlus – Electricity ⚡️
Rony Jean-Baptiste – Diesel Systems Technician 🚛
Talma Laurore - Diesel Systems Technician 🚛
Rosanie Louigene – Diesel Systems Technician 🚛

We are so very proud of you! ✨️




William Allen-Polk County School Board District 1

West Area Adult School Alumni, Ronnie Gainey, continues to make us proud! 👏
Upon his graduation from WAAS in 2022, Ronnie immediately transitioned to Hillsborough Community College to pursue his AA degree in Psychology. Ronnie has just earned his degree, graduating HCC with a PERFECT 4.0 GPA! 🎓
As you can see, Ronnie is taking the Bull by the horns! He has been accepted to the University of South Florida, where he will be pursuing his BA degree in Psychology!
Congratulations, Ronnie! We are so excited to watch you achieve your dreams! 💭✨️




William Allen-Polk County School Board District 1

A third WAAS ESOL student has become a Polk County Public Schools employee!

Congratulations to our Kendy Mejia! We are excited to announce that she has begun her career with PCPS as the Pre-K Paraprofessional at Medulla Elementary! We are so excited that Kendy is fulfilling her dream of making a positive difference in the lives of her Pre-K students! ✨️




William Allen-Polk County School Board District 1