St. Pete is celebrated for its fabulous weather, beautiful vistas, world-class food scene, and thriving cultural atmosphere but the people of St. Pete truly make this city something special. In appreciation, each month Green Bench shines a light on one of the many people that make St. Pete unique.
This month we’re focusing our attention on Scott Drouin. A Tampa Bay native, Drouin joined the St. Petersburg Parks & Recreation department in 1999. A teen himself at the time, he assisted with the teen programs at a neighborhood recreation center. Twenty-two years later, he’s back at a recreation center, now as a supervisor.
Proudly Local
Drouin has been in the area his whole life. His parents grew to love the Tampa Bay area during his father’s time stationed at MacDill Air Force Base. After his dad left the service, the family stayed. The couple settled on this side of the bay, established careers as St. Petersburg-based elementary schoolteachers, and raised two boys under the Florida sun. Drouin and his younger brother absorbed their parents’ attitudes about the value of education and community. As a teen, he earned the rank of Eagle Scout and entered St. Pete College, vaguely planning to become a teacher. At the same time, he saw an advertisement for a part-time job at a local recreation center with the city’s Teen Arts, Sports, and Cultural Opportunities (TASCO) Division. “That sounds fun,” he thought. He got the job.
Making a Difference
Drouin was only 19, but he was right about the job. It was fun. It also was important. Offering a wide variety of special events, camps, and after-school programs focused on technology, sports leagues, and recreation, TASCO “prides themselves on promoting good sportsmanship with a lot of fun while affirming positive learning experiences,” he said. Already, he was helping to provide kids with opportunities they might not have had otherwise. In 2006, he became a full-time employee. Aside from a brief time with adult sports leagues, he has worked with youngsters ever since and is a Parks & Recreation supervisor at the Shore Acres Recreation Center.
Looking to the Future
Professionally, Drouin is taking part in this year’s Leadership St. Pete® program, which is designed to develop community leaders. The class project is focused on WestCare’s transitional housing facility at the Mustard Seed Inn. Drouin said he has “loved” the challenging six-month effort. “It makes me want to get out and do more for my community,” he said. Drouin and his wife, Jessica, an elementary school math coach, are parents to a 2-year-old daughter, Emilia, with another daughter, Magnolia, on the way in July. “I’m sold on this girldad thing,’’ he said.
