Media Release

5:24 p.m.

ALACHUA COUNTY - Beginning on October 3, Alachua County Commissioner Rodney J. Long will speak to elementary and middle school students in Alachua County, as he has done for a number of years, in his words, sharing his life experiences, the obstacles he had to overcome, the pitfalls and challenges of life and what it's going to take in order for the students to beat the odds.  Commissioner Long focuses primarily on speaking to 4th, 5th, 7th and 8th grades.

Commissioner Long said of his school visits, "I know that many of the students come from families who are headed by single family moms, many have relatives either in jail or prison, know of someone who has been incarcerated for drug offenses or who has died a violent death related to drugs.   A disproportionate number of them have family members who did not graduate from high school."  Commissioner Long says he tries to encourage the students that they can overcome these odds if they excel in school, avoid the pitfalls of drugs, gang violence, teenage pregnancy and dropping out of high school.

Commissioner Long has been volunteering his time each week in blocks of consecutive weeks, for a number of years.

His speaking schedule for this autumn is as follows:

October 3 - Westwood Middle School - 6th, 7th, and 8th grades

October 10 - Duval Elementary School - 5th grade

October 17 - Howard Bishop Middle School - 8th grade

October 24 - Lincoln Middle School - 7th grade

November 7 - Duval Elementary School - 4th grade

November 28 - Howard Bishop Middle School - 7th grade

December 5 - Rawlings Elementary School - 4th grade

December 12 - Williams Elementary School - 5th grade

For more information, please call the Alachua County Commission Office at (352) 264-6900.

-30-