21 Intriguing Floridians
Florida Monthly spotlights 21 Floridians, excelling in fields from Public Service and Film to Technology and Health, who intrigue us. They mirror the unique demographic and cultural makeup of the Sunshine State.

HEALTH - PAT PEDRAJA

"You're never too young to change the world," said 12-year-old Pat Pedraja to an applauding crowd of celebrities at the CNN Hero Awards in December. He was one of seven who received the award, and he was voted "Most Popular Hero" among viewers.

In March 2006, Pedraja, of Gulf Breeze, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia after being misdiagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. He is undergoing chemotherapy treatment and will continue to do so until July 2009. When a friend died because she couldn't find a matching donor for a bone marrow transplant, Pedraja felt compelled to take action.

He started Driving for Donors and traveled around the country registering people for the National Marrow Registry. The Pedraja family drove cross-country in the "donormobile" raising awareness of donor shortages, especially for minorities. Driving for Donors works alongside The National Marrow Donor Program, The Marrow Foundation, different law enforcement agencies, local donor centers, businesses and media in more than 30 major U.S. cities. The 2007 program quickly gained steam, out-registering the original goal of 2,007 new donors by signing more than 6,500 people to the registry. Driving for Donors also raised more than $100,000 for tissue typing fees and driving expenses with the innovative idea of selling ad space on Pedraja's bald head. Setting his sights on the future, Pedraja plans an international trip for the 2008 Driving for Donors tour. For more information, visit www.drivingfordonors.com.

PHILANTHROPY - JOSEPH O'SHEA

There is not much that Joseph O'Shea has not done. O'Shea, a model student and citizen, was president of his Pi Kappa Alpha pledge class, student body president for Florida State University, winner of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship and, recently, he added Rhodes Scholar to his dossier.

A double major in philosophy and social science, O'Shea, a senior at Florida State University, is native to Clearwater. He has his sights set on a law degree and a career as a social entrepreneur working on projects to better his community and environment.

Along with the Common Ground Relief Collective, he began the Lower 9th Health Clinic in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans. In an area devastated by Hurricane Katrina, the clinic serves as the only health care provider for the ward, and the "medical hub" of the area, offering basic healthcare, information and referrals.

O'Shea has found time to serve as the deputy chief of staff and director of the office of social justice at FSU, student assembly president, and member of the student judicial board. He spearheaded the development of a free dental clinic for homeless and impoverished adults, and the organization of the Leon County Community Healthcare Coalition.

ART - ISAAC KNIGHT

When 17-year-old Isaac Knight moved to Fort Pierce in 1959, he had not drawn or painted in his life. "I had no interest in it," says Knight. Born and raised in Tallahassee, he worked on a small family farm growing crops and raising cattle. "We did some of everything," Knight explains. But as time went on, Knight tired of farm life and opted to head south to St. Lucie County. He began working odd jobs and assisting his brother-in-law, Al Black. "Al and the others would go out on Saturdays, and I would help them sell their paintings," Knight says. It was after helping Al and his friends that Knight first toyed with the notion of picking up the brush himself. "I saw them doing it, and it didn't look too hard, so I figured I would try it out," Knight explains.

Knight began painting scenes of the local flora as he had seen others do. He worked full-time and painted in his spare time. On weekends, he would travel with his friends, selling his art wherever he could. "We'd sell anywhere," Knight says. "We couldn't go into the galleries, so we'd go anywhere there was people—beaches, shopping centers or the side of the road." They traveled all across the state, from Miami to Jacksonville.

While there was money to be made, that is not what Knight remembers most today. "[Being on the road] gave me an opportunity to meet and talk to all different types of people, and I got to see places that I had never seen."

"I've always been a nature lover," Knight says. "I would see something that would fascinate me—a palm tree or poinciana—and go home and paint it." Knight paints only from memory.

Retired after working for Northrop Grumman for 31 years, he still paints today. "I paint at least three times a week." He frequently sells his art on his website, and he shows his works in galleries. In 2004, Knight and the other 25 Florida Highwaymen were inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. He recalls, "I never even considered I would be a part of something like that. It was the best feeling in the world."

LAW - DEXTER DOUGLASS

Dexter Douglass, a true Florida Cracker, has done everything from tending cattle to rubbing elbows with politicians. Born in Pensacola on December 6, 1929, Douglass grew up in Crestview. He attended Georgia Military Academy, and the University of Florida, earning his bachelor's degree in journalism. He began law school but was commissioned as an artilleryman with the 7th Infantry Division during the Korean War.

Home from active duty, Douglass returned to UF and finished his law degree, graduating in 1955. He was hired straight out of school by the law firm of Caldwell, Parker, Foster & Wigginton in Tallahassee. He served as the only associate, handling a myriad of work and assisting with cases across the board. "I like to say that I carried a lot of briefcases for a lot of important cases," jokes Douglass, who at 78 is still practicing. As the only associate attorney for the firm, he was charged with closing loans, reading abstracts, sitting in on high-level litigation cases and trying cases. The varied tasks laid the groundwork for his career in civil and criminal law. He was named as one of "The Best Lawyers in America" in three different categories.

In 1995, he was appointed as General Counsel to Governor Lawton Chiles, serving as one of the counselors for Chiles's lawsuit against Big Tobacco. In 2000, Douglass gained more media attention as lead counsel for the Gore-Lieberman Recount Committee, participating in litigation in an effort to obtain vote recounts in Florida counties where the results were contested.

Douglass served on the Constitutional Revision Commission; as a board member and chairman for the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind; a member of The Foundation for Schools for the Deaf and the Blind of Florida; and as a member of the advisory board for the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. He served as a member and president of the Supreme Court Historical Society.

Douglass was once referred to as the "last of a dying breed," to which he replied, "I'm not dying."

Today, Douglass runs his own firm, tackling high-level cases, and plans to continue. "I love Florida, and I love what I do."

SPORTS - ROY JONES JR.

The "pound-for-pound" best fighter in the world, Roy Jones Jr. is a man of many talents.  With an astonishing professional boxing record of 52 wins, 4 losses and 0 draws, Jones has more than proven his skills in the ring. Yet, Jones also thinks outside the box—and the boxing ring. He is a semi-professional basketball player, entrepreneur, music producer, recording artist and actor.

Roy started his career in his hometown of Pensacola, where he still lives today.  He fought in the amateur leagues as a youth, winning 121 of 134 bouts, as well as two Golden Gloves junior welterweight titles.  But perhaps the most famous (or infamous) fight of his amateur career was the medal-round bout at the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea.  Jones never lost a fight on his way to the final round, and he landed 86 punches on his final opponent, Park Si-Hun, compared to the Korean fighter's 32.  However, in a highly controversial call, Si-Hun was awarded the gold medal, while Jones was relegated to second place. This only added fuel to his fire to succeed, and soon Jones was off and running on a stellar professional career.

He won his first world title in May 1993, beating Bernard Hopkins to earn the title of World Middleweight Champion, and retained the title versus Thomas Tate a year later.  That same year, he secured the IBF Super Middleweight title, and defended it three times successfully.

In 1996, Jones became the first athlete to participate in both paid basketball and boxing events in the same day, when he played a semi-pro game in Alabama the morning of his fight with future world champion Eric Lucas.  It wasn't until 1997 that Jones gained his first professional loss, losing via disqualification to Montell Griffin.  However, a rematch quickly ended in Griffin's defeat in the first 20 seconds of the fight.  As a boxer he would eventually win the IBA, IBF, IBO, NBA, WBA, WBC and WBF Light Heavyweight titles, plus the WBA Heavyweight title. He was named the no. 1 fighter in the middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, as well as "Fighter of the Decade" for the 1990s by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Never to be pigeonholed, though, Jones has spent most of the new millennium pursuing his music career. He established Body Head Entertainment, a Pensacola-based record label. The label's most successful group is the Body Head Bangerz, a group which includes Jones.  The boxer also released his own album, Round One: The Album, featuring the hit singles "That Was Then" and "Ya'll Must've Forgot."  Jones also found time to make an appearance in cinema, playing parts in New Jersey Turnpikes and The Matrix: Reloaded.

ART - IRINA PATTERSON

Character balloons are a fun treat for children, but Irinia Patterson has transformed them into art. Her one-of-a-kind balloon creations have turned into a career for the South Florida resident.

Patterson began her life in Russia, the daughter of a teacher and an engineer. She was a bright student who became an emergency room physician in her hometown of Izhevsk. But, life was hard for a doctor in Russia, as proper medications were hard to come by and her average daily wage translated to about $120 a month in U.S. dollars. Her life changed, though, when she visited Miami and met the man who would later become her husband.

In the United States, she turned to modeling, as she did not want to endure the rigorous re-training and certification process to practice medicine in her new homeland. Patterson landed a role as Cindy Crawford's body double in Fair Game. She worked shortly for a technical support firm, then for a public relations firm before watching a man at a party turn a skinny balloon into a small at a party. So began her passion.

She was insatiable, buying a pump and plenty of practice. She cut her teeth on the streets of Coconut Grove, making and giving away small creations to passersby. But soon her talent grew, and she was making all sorts of things, including alligators, ballerinas, horses and butterflies. She even created a giant Shaquille O'Neal, utilizing more than 50 balloons.

Today, she is a hit at parties and other events, wearing her signature balloon hats and gowns, and creating—on the spot—anything and everything a person might suggest.  She has been profiled by Reader's Digest and the Miami Herald, and her balloon designs afford her the ability to make her living from her passion in life—her creative impulse and the wish to see people smile.

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