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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - Humidity is in the air. Pads are thumping. Whistles are blowing all throughout the Big Bend and South Georgia. We are just days away from getting football back. We continue our New Faces, Different Places series with FAMU DRS and Alex Williams.

There’s some hitting going down on the South Side. FAMU DRS with a new man in charge. The Baby Rattler alum who went on to play college football at Ole Miss couldn’t be more excited to be back at his alma mater.

“We can’t wait to get started man. This year is going to be one for the ages. It’s going to be the start of something beautiful,” Williams said with a smile, “We’ve been out here all summer long working out. Now it’s time to put the pads on and we just cannot wait to get started. Honestly, between myself, the players, and the coaches--I don’t know who is the most excited.”

As Williams takes over the program, he brings ample experience of winning. With that comes implementing core details to the program that have gone by the wayside in years past: an offseason lifting program, diligent film study, and a refined winner’s mentality on the gridiron.

Williams says his players have gained an average of 15 pounds of muscle because of the new regimen. It’s all part of building a foundation for success.

“You know, these guys have been down for a little while, and with winning comes a mentality in itself,” Williams concluded, “These guys haven’t had the ability or the opportunity to experience that. I’ve been in some different programs and we’ve always been winners. That’s what I want to give these guys.”

The Baby Rattlers first game on the gridiron is Friday, August 26th as they play host to Hilliard at 7:00PM.

By Michelle Roberts
Published: Jul. 28, 2022 at 11:54 AM EDT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - Local youth are experiencing what goes into running the Leon County Government, during the Summer Internship Program.

Students are assigned to work at different locations for the 5-week program.

FAMU DRS Graduate, Jordan Fitzpatrick, works at the Leroy Collins Library, organizing and preparing books for students, teachers, and visitors.

Fitzpatrick said this program is giving him valuable work experience before he heads to college.

“Just meeting new people and building relationships, I feel like that experience is going to go a long way,” Fitzpatrick said. “I get to see day to day of what goes into helping run a city.”

Fitzpatrick said he appreciates the family atmosphere at the library and his mentors have been really helpful - and that’s a cool thing for youth to learn.

Fitzpatrick is attending Tallahassee Community College in the Fall and he hopes to become a Sports Broadcaster.

The Youth Summer Internship Program ends this week.

For more information on programs within the Leon County Government visit their website here.

Copyright 2022 WCTV. All rights reserved.

FAMU alum helping incoming freshmen prepare for college
By Savannah Kelley
Published: Jul. 19, 2022 at 3:52 PM EDT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) -

One FAMU alum is giving back to her school, providing incoming freshman girls with all the essentials they need for college.

Yennifer Castillo will be hand-delivering baskets full of notebooks, folders, pencils and a whole lot more to 10 lucky students ahead of the start of classes.

“There was not much money for me to go to college,” Castillo said. “My mom gave me $60 and I was supposed to just make that work.”

Castillo knows what it’s like to struggle to pay for the essentials in college.

Now, as a FAMU grad, she wants to help young women who are in a similar situation.

“At first, it was just going to be like one or two whatever I could afford,” Castillo said. “I was going to pay for it myself.”

But soon, the initiative grew.

Over the last five years that she’s been doing this, people have donated and sponsored baskets, allowing her to give even more.

The baskets have everything from pencils and folders to hygiene products to sheets for those twin XL dorm mattresses.

For some, it’s not just about the gift, but the relationship that came out of it.

“You can tell like she really wants to see you win,” Ayanna Fontaine said. “And you just know that you have someone in your corner.”

Fontaine was a recipient of one of Castillo’s baskets two years ago.

She said neither of her parents attended college, so she didn’t know what to expect.

“I really didn’t know what to do,” Fontaine said. “I didn’t know what to prepare for.”

After meeting Castillo when she hand-delivered the basket, Fontaine said she gained a friend--one she could go to for pep talks, encouragement or advice.

“That meant so much,” Fontaine said. “And it still means so much to me right now.”

Castillo is still accepting applications from incoming FAMU female freshmen. The deadline is Sunday, July 24.

Copyright 2022 WCTV. All rights reserved.