Fantasy Surf, located in Kissimmee, opened their doors in October of 2010 to a very thrilled flowboarding community. I am a tad bit familiar with this since my son and husband have been flowboarding since 2007 and both hold national titles from the Flow Tour 2009. Fantasy Surf houses a double wide flowrider that local flowboarders and tourists have been enjoying for the past six months. At Fantasy Surf you can not only flowboard and bodyboard but also shop at the Surf Shop and grab something to eat at the Lull (the pizza is amazing by the way!) And if you are visiting you can stay at the Fantasy World Resort Villas located on the property right behind Fantasy Surf. What an amazing facility they have opened for Central Florida. I was privileged to photograph the Fantasy World Resort and Fantasy Surf, including the flowboarding instructors, for their marketing campaigns and encourage everyone to visit Fantasy Surf and “catch a wave…”

The riders featured below are the Fantasy Surf flowboarding instructors including my son Cody along with Gilberto, Vanessa and Brad. Also featured is Sean Silveira-two time world champion and three time national champion who is sponsored by Fantasy Surf.

Fantasy World Resort VillasWelcome to Fantasy Surf

The University of Pittsburgh Alumni Association held a special event for Pitt alumni members at the Lake Nona Country Club called Spotlight on Pitt. This event was actually scheduled for last February, 2010…but due to a terrible snow storm (scratch that…blizzard!) their staff was unable to fly to Orlando to host the event. Thankfully it was re-scheduled for this year and the weather held out for them in Pittsburgh although we can’t say the same for Orlando-this was the night that Orlando had a major bout of thunderstorm and tornado warnings! I can definitely vouch for the loyalty and dedication of the central Florida based Pitt alumni-they braved the weather and had an amazingly successful event! The university’s Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg took center stage as he addressed alumni on the advancements, growth and present state of the University of Pittsburgh. He even included some fun stats-such as Pitt being ranked as one of the top ten schools with the happiest students. Here is the Spotlight on Pitt…

I got to play sports photographer for a local basketball team and it was pretty darn fun. My hairdresser Lissette Cruz is on the team. She owns Headlines Salon in north Orlando across from UCF and is an amazing stylist (she’s the one that took me from blonde to brunette and there is definitely no one else I would have trusted with that!) I also met Stephanie Matos, a local artist who I just blogged about when we collaborated on a writing with light project-huge bonus to meet Stephanie…but hey isn’t that what this is all about! Oh yeah and they won the CHAMPIONSHIP! Woot Woot!

The charter class of 2013 of the University of Central Florida College of Medicine held their Inaugural End of the Year Banquet. They called their event Hygeia.

A daughter of Asclepius and goddess of health.

What an amazing event and what an incredible time for these students. I just kept thinking the entire night how this class of 2013 is paving the way and creating traditions that will forever be a part of the UCF College of Medicine. The students not only conceived Hygeia but also created the precedent that will be followed for years to come. They honored each other, they honored the staff, they honored the faculty and administration and they honored the community. I have no doubt of the success of this first College of Medicine class and look forward to seeing what else they establish on their road to becoming doctors as the class of 2014 follows right behind them.

The moon as I left…making a statement if I do say so myself!

The University of Central Florida’s Medical School is officially one year old. The first class is getting ready to finish their first year and it is time to usher in the next class of future doctors. Second Look is a very special event that the medical school hosts extending an invitation to their potential students to come back and re-visit the school-take a “second look”, before they make their decision as to where to study. It is my understanding that other medical schools do this too, but not like UCF! The prospective students are invited back to take part in discussions, meet the Dean, visit a local hospital, meet with doctors and residents, chat with first-year students, go to Epcot, watch a spectacular firework show and to top it off this visit included a first ever tour of the brand new UCF College of Medicine located in Lake Nona. I felt honored to be capturing the anticipation, excitement and intensity of the two day event. These students are full of hope, eagerness and a special desire…and they are already joking about their “bad penmanship!” Meet the potential 2nd Class of the UCF College of Medicine. I wish them the best on their journey…

The University of Central Florida College of Medicine held it’s Second Look 2010 event this past weekend. Future med students are invited back to take a “Second Look” at the UCF College of Medicine before they make their decision as to where they would like to study. It was an amazing event and I cannot wait to share more of it with you, but for now I thought I would leave you with this lesson I learned…laughter is ALWAYS the best medicine!