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Palm Beach State right-handed pitcher J.D. Underwood, a Palm Beach Gardens graduate and University of Miami signee, was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fifth round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft on Friday afternoon.

Broward HS Sports

High School Sports blog

Celina is in my Media Law class, and I’ve always noticed her classy and preppy sense of style. After a couple weeks of gloomy weather, Celina’s bright outfit stood out on campus and made me so excited for spring!

Celina 101

Name: Celina

College: Point Park University

Major: Broadcasting

Year: Senior

Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

Let’s Talk Fashion

Who or what inspires your style? “My mom! She has amazing taste in fashion and is always aware of the latest styles and trends.”

How would you describe your sense of style? “Sometimes preppy, but more professional. I am always wearing high heels and blazers. I love blazers; they are so classic.”

Why did you choose this particular outfit? “The outfit I have on today is more on the casual side, but it’s fun and comfortable, too. My yellow jeans are from Bloomingdale’s, my boots are from Michael Kors, and my sweater is from J.Crew. Sometimes I need a day just to be casual and dress down.”

What fashion advice would you give to other students looking to improve their style? “Make sure that your outfits are always appropriate, and most importantly make sure that you feel comfortable in whatever you have on. I would suggest looking on my two favorite sample sale sites online — Rue La La and the Gilt Groupe – all of the clothes on those online sites are fabulous and are usually deeply discounted.”

What are your favorite trends right now? “I love color blocking. For example, I have a pair of light pink pants with black stripes down the sides. I also love colored pants and wearing high socks or knee-highs that show above my boots.”

Do you have any favorite designers? If so, who? “Yes! I love, love, love Michael Kors – I adore everything from his watches to his purses to his clothes. I also love Marc Jacobs, Roberto Cavalli, Ted Baker, Alice and Olivia, and Kate Spade.”

If you could raid anyone’s closet, whose would it be and why? “This is a tough one, but I think I would pick Rachel Bilson. I always loved her style on the red carpet, and whenever I see her in magazines and in interviews she always looks fabulous.”

What do you do for fun? Do you have any unique hobbies or interests? “I love to just relax, go to the movies, and hang out with my friends. I also love to travel. My family and I try to go to different destinations every year!”

Elements of Celina’s Outfit

1. Striped Lavender Top with Mustard-Colored Pants

Celina’s bold outfit color scheme seems to scream “spring is here!” – purple and yellow are complementary colors (or opposites on the color wheel), so they look great when paired together. This particular color combo – a light purple and a deep mustard – is perfect for that transitional season between the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

2. Striped Bag

I am so envious of Celina’s bag! The black-and-white striped pattern fits well with her mustard yellow pants and lavender top, while also adding a professional, classically preppy vibe to her ensemble.

What do you think?

What do you think of Celina’s outfit? Are you inspired by her classic, preppy style? Let us know what you think with a comment below!

College Fashion

A season ago, University School went into its matchup against American Heritage-Delray as the top-ranked team in Class 3A and a favorite to win the state championship.

But against the Stallions, the Suns turned the ball over six times. That, combined with an incredible performance from Heritage-Delray star running back Greg Bryant, kept the Suns from winning that coveted state title. Instead, Bryant’s 171-yard rushing effort and those Suns mistakes helped Heritage-Delray earn a 31-20 win over University School.

Heritage-Delray went on to win the state championship.

Friday, University flipped the script in a highly-anticipated matchup that pitted two of the nation’s best high school football teams.

This time, the Suns forced two turnovers, while committing none of their own. And this time, University held Bryant to just 40 yards, while Suns running back Jordan Scarlett stole the show. The sophomore had 29 carries for 248 touchdowns with three touchdowns. His 50-yard touchdown run in the opening minutes of the second half erased Heritage-Delray’s 17-12 halftime lead and the Suns never trailed again.

First-year Heritage-Delray coach Stacy Sizemore was an assistant during last year’s game and he felt this year’s University School team is stronger than the squad the Stallions faced a year ago.

“They’re good coaches and there are a lot of good players on both sides,” he said. “They’re a lot better than they were last year because what they’ve done is, they’ve been able to run the football. That’s the biggest difference in what they did. They were just able to run the football tonight.”

The effort sends University School to the state semifinals, where the Suns will face Clearwater Central Catholic. A win there and the Suns are playing for a state title.

Broward HS Sports

Well, that was a short stay.

Predictably, Dwyer was dumped from this week’s USA Today Super 25 High School Football Rankings as a consequence of its shocking 28-12 loss to Atlantic last Friday night – just days after making its debut in the poll at No. 25.

The Panthers, who lost on their Homecoming night to add insult to upset, also fell from No. 25 out of PrepNation.com’s National Prep Poll and plummeted from No. 35 in Rivals’ Top 100 to unranked.

The new No. 35 in Rivals’ poll: American Heritage-Delray, which shot up 13 spots following its 49-0 rout of previously unbeaten Cardinal Newman to capture the District 7-Class 3A title.

Meanwhile, University School remained the highest rated team from Broward and Palm Beach counties, though opinions differed on the Suns.

They moved up one spot in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 poll on the heels of their 27-0 win against Palmetto Bay Westminster Christian and dropped one spot in Rivals’ poll.

Here’s a look at this week’s polls:

MaxPreps XCellent 25
University School moved up one spot from last week to No. 11 in this week’s poll.

USA Today Super 25
Dwyer dropped out of the poll. University School is listed as one of the “Best of the Rest” after the Top 25.

PrepNation.com National Prep Poll
University School remained No. 8 in the rankings after wrapping up the district title – No. 3 in the Southeast — while Dwyer not surprisingly fell from No. 25 to unranked.

ESPN Power Rankings
No changes here. University School remained at No. 21, and American Heritage-Delray also didn’t budge, sitting just behind the Suns at No. 22.

Rivals 100

Despite winning, University School dropped from No. 8 to No. 9. The poll’s comment on the Suns: “University scraped by with a 27-0 victory over Westminster Christian.”

Meanwhile, this was the comment for Heritage-Delray moving up from No. 48 to No. 35, the spot previously held by Dwyer (no longer ranked): “This is starting to look like the team that began the season in the Top 25. It rolled Cardinal Newman this week, 49-0. With a test in traveling to West Monroe (La.) this week it could be a bigger boost with a win.”

Broward HS Sports

You can imagine it’s been a frustrating two weeks for the University School football team. First the Suns have a game against Treasure Coast suspended (and later canceled) because of lightning, then they have a bye week.

While it’s been a while since the Suns (4-0, 1-0) played a full game, but that will change Thursday when they host District 8-3A rival Chaminade-Madonna (4-0, 1-0) in a game that will likely decide the district champion.

Heading into that game, University has seen its national ranking improve yet again. The Suns rose a spot in the ESPN 25 Power Rankings. They also rose a spot in the MaxPreps XCellent 25.

Dwyer, American Heritage-Delray and St. Thomas Aquinas are the only other teams from either Broward or Palm Beach counties to be nationally ranked in any of the major rankings.

Here’s a look at this week’s polls:

Rivals 100
Bradenton Manatee is Florida’s highest-ranked team, taking the No. 2 spot. Also ranked are Dwyer (No. 27), American-Heritage Delray (No. 51), University School (No. 52), and St. Thomas Aquinas (No. 71).

USA Today Super 25
No South Florida team has made it onto this ranking yet. But the Sunshine State has the bookend spots in the poll, with Manatee at No. 1 and Orlando Dr. Phillips at No. 25.

MaxPreps XCellent 25
Manatee is again, ranked No. 1 here and University moved up a spot to the No. 18 spot.

PrepNation.com National Prep Football Poll
Like several other major pollsters, Jamie DeMoney has Manatee ranked No. 1. University is ranked No. 10 and Dwyer is ranked No. 24.

ESPN 25 Power Rankings
Again, Manatee is the state’s top-ranked team at No. 2. University rose a spot to No. 22 and Heritage-Delray rose a spot to No. 24.

Broward HS Sports

University School’s 56-point first quarter against Miami Archbishop Carroll in a 69-0 rout Friday night wasn’t just eye-popping — it was historic.

The total ranks as the fifth most ever in a quarter by a high school football team in the nation, and the most in eight years, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations record book. Eugene (Ore.) owns the record with 75 points in a quarter against Cottage Grove (Ore.) in 1919.

The next highest totals: Prescott (Ariz.) tallied 66 vs. Kingman (Ariz.) in 1925; Acton Vasquez (Ca.) piled up 58 vs. Lebec Frazier Mountain (Ca.) in 1999; and Palmer (Texas) amassed 57 vs. Dallas A+ Academy (Texas) in 2004.

Smith Center (Kan.) High reportedly scored 72 points in its 2007 Class 2-1A playoff opener against Plainville, though it is not listed in the NFHS record book.

All of those totals are crazy considering high school football quarters are just 12 minutes compared to 15 in college.

Broward HS Sports

Ah, happy new year!

Okay, technically it’s not January 1. But for hundreds of high school athletes across Florida, today marked the start of a new year. First practices were held in football, volleyball, golf, and swimming and diving on Monday and at Miramar, even the band and chorus were practicing. Sounds like a new year to me.

It sounds like a new year to athletes too, many of whom were eager to get on the field and begin preparations for the games ahead. Miramar football coach Damon Cogdell told me he received more than 50 text messages last night from players excitedly waiting for the first practice. And at University School, quarterback Mike White said a little rain wasn’t going to dampen anyone’s spirits.

Here’s a post-practice clip from White, whose Suns open the season in Ohio against Trotwood later this month.

Broward HS Sports

As part of my constant search for fashion inspiration (a.k.a. the best procrastination from summer classwork), I’m always on the lookout for new personal style bloggers to follow – especially those from around my area. I stumbled across Sealed With Style and after scrolling through the first few images, I knew this blog was an immediate favorite of mine and that I have definitely seen the face behind those sassy, cat-eyed sunglasses before. After clicking the about page, I found that the writer was Meaghann, one of the girls I used to dance with in high school!

After years of having seen her in a leotard and tights, I was completely blown away by her natural ability to turn everyday pieces into spectacular outfit combinations. So, not only did we get the chance to catch up, but I got the chance to show you guys one of the most trendy girls I know, who always accessorizes with a vibrant smile.

Meaghann 101

Name: Meaghann

School: Pennsylvania State University

Year: Junior

Major: Business Marketing and Management

Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

Favorite hobbies & interests? ”You can catch me almost every day shopping, hanging with friends and family, taking morning runs, or posting and writing for my personal fashion blog titled Sealed With Style. I love all things fashion and starting a fashion blog has really changed my life in the best ways! I am always searching for things that inspire me, especially in the city of Pittsburgh.”

Let’s Talk Fashion

What sparked your interest in fashion? “Ever since I was a little girl, I have always been fascinated with fashion, whether I was dressing my Barbies in gorgeous gowns or designing my own clothes. I wore a uniform in grade school and high school, so fashion was something I wanted to do the minute I came home from school. Throughout the years, fashion has become a part of who I am, and my love for it continues to grow.”

Describe your personal style: “Where to begin? My personal style is a little bit of everything in one! I would say it is mostly classic, but with a little edge. The cool thing about fashion is that you can wear a classic, preppy look one day and the next morning you could wake up wanting to wear an edgy spiked necklace and black booties. It’s like playing dress up every day for me, and that makes it all the more fun!”

Favorite places to shop? “Oh, this list could go on for pages! I love American Eagle Outfitters, H&M, ModCloth, Asos and Forever 21 when I need a cute, inexpensive necklace or pair of colored jeans — college girl on a budget. When shopping for more long-lasting, staple pieces, I look to J.Crew; they have the most gorgeous knits and prints. Macy’s and Anthropologie are also perfect when I am looking for shoes and accessories.”

What would you say is a wardrobe essential, something every girl should have in her closet? “For a college girl, boyfit crops, like I am wearing now, are perfect because they are comfy for sitting in class, (no sweats!) but also on trend and fashionable! Also, jobs and internships are very important at this time, so it is very handy to have a well-fit pencil skirt and blazer in your closet.”

Who or what inspires you to wear what you do? “As a personal style blogger, I look at many other bloggers for inspiration and ideas. However, I am most inspired by the city of Pittsburgh and people on the street. I look for the details that people have on, and try to create my own look from them. My family and friends also inspire me every day. My two adorable sisters are also so stylish so it’s fun to collaborate and create looks that we love.”

What are your favorite trends right now? “I love color blocking! I used to always wear black, white, and grey, and now I can’t get enough color! I also love colored jeans, crazy prints and peplum. Peplum shirts are a girl’s best friend when enhancing curves. And ikat print is super in for summer right now, too; so bohemian. I love it!”

What fashion advice would you give to students trying to develop their own looks? “The best fashion advice I can give to anyone is to be true to yourself and wear what you love! I’ve learned throughout the years that you have to feel comfortable and confident in what you are wearing. Wear what you want, not what others tell you to wear. Start your own trends; and a smile is always fashionable!”

Elements of Meaghann’s Outfit

1. Statement Sunglasses

In the hot summer sun, you’re not going to want a big statement necklace or chunky earrings to weigh you down. Play up your sunglasses with a funky shape or print like Meaghann’s leopard for a practical and fun way to pull focus to your face.

2. Mixed Match Bracelets

Meaghann’s intentionally uncoordinated stack of bracelets really make the look her own. Things don’t have to be exactly the same matching hue to work.

3. Pops of Pink 

The pink accents added in Meaghann’s nails, bag, bracelets and lip color are both bright and polished, tying her look together instead of breaking it up.

4. Boyfriend Crop Jeans 

It’s not easy to pull off hot pink, heels and sequins without feeling like Barbie, but Meaghann balanced them all out perfectly with her boyfit cropped jeans. The casual cut made her look versatile for class or a day out with friends and can easily be swapped with dressier bottoms to change up the look.

5. Color Block Heels

I know I’ve had my eye on these babies from H&M, too. Their simple structure and on-trend colors are sure to add a few extra inches (five perhaps?) to any outfit’s wow factor.

What do you think?

Do you love Meaghann’s look as much as we do? What color do you like to throw in as an outfit accent? Do you have a personal style blog or are you thinking of starting one? Let us know in a comment!

College Fashion

Some degrees can do a great deal to help ensure that graduates are able to find work once they graduate.  The University of the Sciences is home to the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, which awards very useful degrees including a B.S. in Pharmacology and Toxicology, and various degrees in the Pharmaceutical Sciences.  All of these fields will offer students a variety of employment opportunities.

Part of the reason that pharmacists are in such high demand has to do with dramatically changing demographics.  The staggering wave of Baby Boomers that are scheduled to retire is also syncing up with the obesity epidemic, which brings with it greater incidences of heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes.  While these facts may be depressing, they also serve to underscore the impressive demand and need for medical industry professionals across the board, including pharmacists.

What does a degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology look like?  In addition to a wide range of Pharmacology and Toxicology classes, you will also learn statistics, medical physiology and experimental design.  There are a variety of career opportunities for pharmacologists as well.  Pharmacologists are the professionals who study drugs and how they impact the human body.  The number of drugs that the population as a whole is taking is simply skyrocketing, as prescription medication is being prescribed for a very large array of diverse conditions.  This fact coupled with a rapidly aging and increasingly unhealthy population results in a dramatic increase in the need for pharmacologists.

Toxicology is similar in nature in that it explores how chemicals can harm living systems.  Knowledge in this field can lead to employment in a surprising number of different industries.  You could expect to find work in the food industry, the drug industry, the chemical industry, environmental industry, research as well as government.

If you are interested in this degree, it will likely not come as much of a surprise to learn that you should feel comfortable with the world of chemistry and science or at least believe that you can quickly acclimate your mindset.  Both of these degrees are obviously focused on chemistry and science.  While these may stand as demanding degrees, they likely have ample built-in job security for the next few decades due to the aging population and the current trajectory of poor health trends.  This should mean that those pursuing these degrees could expect ample and varied employment options.

The University of the Sciences is located in Philadelphia’s University City, an area that is very vibrant and active.  Students considering this school will be able to live in one of America’s most vibrant and historic locations, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  It should also be noted that this location gives students easy access to numerous major metropolitan areas on the East Coast ranging from New York City to Boston and more.

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1. Useful Degrees Series: Bachelor of Arts in Spanish at National University
2. Useful Degrees Series: Bachelor of Arts in Spanish at National University
3. Useful Degrees Series: Digital Marketing Degree at The University of Michigan-Dearborn

My College Guide