Brittany Paige Byer, Age 17 (Continued)
Brittany Paige Byer donated a great deal of her time to community service projects and to her church. She served on the March of Dimes Executive Board, through its National Youth on Board Program. Her interest in their work with reducing the infant mortality rate, stemmed from her little sister, Carlie, who was born premature and lived only 18 days.
Brittany also volunteered alternating days at programs for the deaf at the Edison Park Elementary School and Fort Myers High School, where she was honing her sign language skills. She explained, “It started out as just something fun to do, but then I developed a passion for the language.” While attending Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, she was enrolled full time in the Sign Language Interpreter Training Program. She also volunteered for the Humane Society’s pet therapy program.
When Brittany was a high school senior, she tutored for the National Honor Society, chaired the Renaissance Club, was a four year member of the Math Team, a Fellowship of Christian Athletes Huddle Leader, varsity wrestling team statistician, and a three-time All American Cheerleader. She was enrolled at both Estero High School and Edison Community College, where she took three courses. She held a part-time job at Christ Centered Book Store and Gymnastics World.
Brittany was Lee County’s Reigning Junior Miss and was voted the Most Spirited Individual of her senior class. She also performed as a dancer at the 1999 Super Bowl halftime show with Stevie Wonder and Gloria Estefan. In 2000, Brittany became a recipient of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, “Do the Right Thing Award.”
Brittany shared two of the rules by which she tries to live. “Don’t let your parents down; they brought you up. Be just as enthusiastic about the success of others, as you are about your own.”
(Estero, Florida: 2000)
Written by Trish Routte, Lee County Sheriff’s Office