TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay 28 is honoring National Hispanic Heritage Month and amplifying the voice of Donna Parrino, a local woman who’s had a huge influence on the Latino Community.
“My parents as sweethearts. This was shortly after they got married. My father and his siblings. This was my father's uncle, look how old this is,” said Donna Parrino.
Donna Parrino was born and raised in Ybor City, which she says looked quite different back in the day.
“Think of a Latino style Small Town America, and that's what it was. Small Town America, where deals are made on a handshake. Neighbors are at your beck and call, if you need something,” said Parrino.
As a fourth-generation Tampa native, Parrino’s Cuban and Spanish great-grandparents and grandparents worked in cigar factories. Her grandma stripped tobacco leaves.
“The word in Spanish is 'Despalilladora' but in English it's stripper. Think of romaine lettuce, and you're stripping. You know how you strip from the stem? So that's what she did,” said Parrino.
Her grandpa’s job was to trim the cigar.
“This is the chaveta, or the blade that is used to make cigars to cut. And this was my grandfather's,” said Parrino.
“And he used that every day?” Asked Tampa Bay 28 anchor Wendy Ryan.
“He used that every day at work,” said Parrino.
Their hard work, along with the work of her own parents, allowed Parrino to graduate from Loyola University and receive a master’s degree in library science at Florida State University.
She then returned to Tampa to work at the University of South Florida as a librarian. But soon after, she was recruited to be the new USF President’s assistant.
“He had an appreciation for ethnicity. And he asked me, 'What relationship when he learned about the Latino community, what relationship did the university have to the Latino community?' And I said, 'Well, not really much.' And he says, 'Well, you will help us build the bridge.', And that's what I did,” said Parrino.
Parrino became the founding director of The Latino Scholarship Program at USF, paving the way for other Hispanics to attend higher education.
“These are students, most often whose parents have come from another country, and it's just really foreign to them. They don't understand anything about our educational system and how it works in getting into higher ed,” said Parrino.
This program, now in its 34th year, has helped open the door for hundreds of Latinos with over 1,200 alumni today.
“The Latino scholarship gives them a lot of help and a lot of mentoring and support, both from USF and from the community, from the people that sponsor the scholarships,” said Parrino.
For 36 years, Parrino also served on the mayor’s Hispanic Advisory Council, which often gives back to those in need.
“A program called 'Canastas de Amor' and that's Love Baskets. And that is on Valentine's, giving gift baskets, taking them directly, knocking on the doors of the elderly who live in low-income housing and apartments. And that's a wonderful thing,” said Parrino.
Parrino shared pictures of her husband of 57 years, Sam, her two children, six grandchildren, and the many influential individuals she was honored to meet along the way.
“This was the President. This was Al Lopez, Stan Musial and James. James Michener. We ate at the Columbia,” said Parrino.
But it was the USF Hispanic students she loved connecting with who appreciated the scholarships and her guidance year after year.
“There are no words to describe how thankful I am for everything that you have done for me. There are numerous things that I cannot have accomplished without your help,” said Parrino.
Parrino also wrote her own memoir of growing up during the 50’s in Ybor City titled “Work, War, Wit, Wisdom: Lessons and Legacies from Ybor City.” It was published by the Tampa Bay History Journal, but it didn’t happen overnight.
“I would say it took years because I was working and I didn't, it didn't kind of gel till after I retired,” said Parrino.
Despite retiring, she’s still giving back and volunteering at her local church.
“It's the St. Vincent de Paul Society. We have a helpline. And people call because they need help with rent or they need help with TECO bills, and you know, other issues,” said Parrino.
But she’s most grateful to help elevate Hispanic generations for years to come.
“That's what makes me feel proud and humble that I had these opportunities that my grandparents didn't have at all, you know. But that's the role of the immigrant community. They come to make the investment for the next generations,” said Parrino.
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