Palmer Trinity School

ALUMNEWS PALMER TRINITY SCHOOL AND ITS TEACHERS STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF SERVING THE COMMUNITY AND GIVING BACK TO THOSE LESS FORTUNATE—AND they sponsor. Samantha and Robert return to Africa as often as possible to visit the children Like most Palmer Trinity School students, Samantha spent most of her Falcon years involved in a wide range of activities—including, but not limited to, Girls Varsity Volleyball, Soccer, and Softball, Peer Counseling, Honor Council, National Honor Society, the International Thespian Society and Mu Alpha Theta. Aside from these organizations, Samantha always had a passion for community service, and even more importantly, a passion for learning. "PTS taught me how to think outside the box," Samantha recalls. "From classes like The Universe Story and Religion in America, to 'Head Start' Christmas parties and debates during convocation, I learned about the unfortunate disparities in our country and around the world. At Palmer Trinity School, we always knew about the importance of giving back to the greater community." THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE NEVER FORGOTTEN. Having accomplished so much already, Samantha knows that, for her and Robert, this is only the beginning. "One of the ideas for my doctoral research will focus on an Early Intervention Screening process that will help facilitate the early diagnosis of children with development delays, children on the Autism spectrum, or children who have a Sensory Processing Disorder," Samantha explains. "Eventually, I want to help push legislation that enables all parents to understand and utilize Early Intervention in their states—and once I finish, I hope I can bring my clinical skills to our friends in schools in the Arusha, Tanzania area." With goals like these, Samantha knows she couldn't have gotten to where she is today without help along the way. "PTS provided us with a very progressive and open-minded education that enabled us to see the world outside of Miami," she explains. "Palmer Trinity School and its teachers stressed the importance of serving the community and giving back to those less fortunate—and that's something we've never forgotten." After graduating from PTS, Samantha took her first trip to Africa with her family. "My father spends a lot of time doing business in different countries in Africa, so he went there often," Samantha says. "After taking one more 'touristy' trip to Tanzania with Robert, we knew we had to go back and spend more time in that amazing country." Returning in 2010 to volunteer with POSA, Samantha and Robert had found their niche. "With the assistance of my family and friends, we have been able to assist POSA by renting classrooms, purchasing desks, books, school supplies and hiring an English-speaking teacher," she says. Aside from that, the Moores currently sponsor 21 children at English-speaking schools who graduated from POSA, allowing them to continue their education and go on to receive their secondary school degree, and are also in the process of setting up a foundation to continue to fund school-age children leaving The Evans family has been working with the POSA program for many years. POSA for Primary One School. W I N T E R 2 0 1 2 / 1 3 49

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