FLORIDA
Roof having an impact on kids' lives
Shawn Roof never seemed to fit in. As a child, he was an orphan and was shuffled throughout foster care. He never really felt at home anywhere, and for years he was at The Children's Home in Tampa with barely any possessions of his own. "You can't change the past," said Roof, a New Port Richey resident. "(Being an orphan) used to make me angry, but not anymore. It made me who I am now."
Roof, 19, is a karate instructor at Ingram's Pro Karate Center's New Port Richey and Carrollwood locations. He works with mostly children, helping them gain confidence and helping them learn the Isshin-Ryu style of martial arts.
"Without a shadow of a doubt," Ingram's owner and instructor Sheri Ingram-Angwin said when asked if being an orphan made Roof a better teacher. "Kids always look forward to him teaching, and kids can sense that he's genuine when he takes them under his wing."
When Roof was 11, he was taken into a home with parents who were ready to be supportive and be there for him. It was a requirement of the household that he learn a form of martial arts for self defense. For years, Roof had wanted to learn karate.
When he started working at Ingram's, Roof was introverted. He didn't know how to handle his emotions, especially anger, so he kept it to himself. That was, until he met Ingram-Angwin. "He was never a bad kid, but if he ever had a problem, it was dealing with anger," Ingram-Angwin said. "He'd just bottle up everything. He'd never talk about anything, but karate was his outlet at a young age."
Ingram-Angwin quickly saw something else in Roof – a passion for the training – and she saw the impact she was making on him. Ingram-Angwin knew she had a special student.
Roof starting working off the fees for his classes by teaching a class each week, and that turned into coming in every day to do routine chores. Eventually, Ingram-Angwin had to hire him, because Roof was working 40 hours a week for free and was old enough to have a full-time job. "Shawn Roof is someone that if my kids grew up to be like him, I'd be really proud of them," Ingram-Angwin said. "I feel that's the best compliment I can give Shawn."
Now a young man, Roof has the credentials to back up his status as a respected instructor. He was a gold medalist at the 2008 Goodwill Tournament in Tokyo, a national champion at the 2008 AAU Junior Karate National Championships and a gold medalist at the 2009 AAU Karate National Championships.
Despite owning more awards and accolades than anyone can count, Roof has stayed humble and has not forgotten his roots. His commitment to the children is a product of his experiences nearly a decade ago.
Roof now relishes making an impact on his students' lives after the way it happened to him. "It's awesome being able to see the kids change and grow. It's amazing to see how you affect someone," Roof said. "I really had nothing, now I have everything and I don't want to do anything to screw that up. I feel that's why I was (shuffling through foster parents). It helped me relate to kids and teach kids and it helped me understand them and life better. It all had it's purpose."
Mike Camunas
31 January 2010
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/jan/31/pa-roof-having-an-impact-on-kids-lives/
