Navarre grad Jordan Jefferson grew up chasing a dream of playing in the NFL. This past season, he lived it with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“It was special to live out that dream that a lot of kids wish they could,” Jefferson said. “I was in the 1% that got to do that. It was a blessing. God is good.”
The popular saying “you can’t understand someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes” encourages empathy and understanding. For the family of Lilliana Boczar, an 11-year-old Navarre resident with two rare genetic disorders, they found out just how empathetic their community can be when a child is in need.
Over the past few weeks Lilliana’s church, Ignite – A free Methodist Community, organized a shoe and donation drive to get Lilliana a new bed. At a cost of roughly $16,000, the Cubby Bed is designed for people with special needs and includes a protective mesh and a seizure monitoring system. Mari, Lilliana’s mom, said the bed will ensure that Lilliana is safe and secure throughout the night.
On the evening of Easter Sunday, April 20, a teenage boy was swimming with family members out in the Santa Rosa Sound east of Navarre Beach Bridge. At some point during the evening, the teen’s family lost track of him, leading to a missing person report and a search and rescue effort which lasted until the next morning.
Shortly after 6 a.m. April 21, the teen’s body was discovered in the Sound near Navarre Beach Marine Park’s Pelican and Black Skimmer pavilions.
Whether it’s on the baseball diamond or in the classroom, Mycah Daniel is always looking to make a positive impact.
Daniel, a 2016 Navarre High School graduate, was recently named rookie of the year at Gulf Breeze High School. He has been teaching and coaching at was once his rival school for two years.
Whether it’s working on planes or educating middle school students, Frank Veres feels at home.
Veres, who served for 21 years in the U.S. Air Force, recently was named rookie teacher of the year at Holley Navarre Middle School. He is in his second year of teaching.
Josh Carter nearly walked away from football in eighth grade. But his dad convinced him to go to one more practice
The rest is history for Carter, a Navarre alum who is now gearing up for the NFL Draft and hoping to get an opportunity to live out his football dream.