WATCH: Ray Herring’s 321Empowerment Event on Dec. 6 to Feature NFL’s Jaylon Smith
By Steve Wilson // December 3, 2025
event is FREE to attend at Eastern Florida State College Palm Bay campus
WATCH: The NFL’s Jaylon Smith and 321Empowerment founder, Ray Herring II, talk with the Friday Night Locker Room’s Steve Wilson about their upcoming event. The Space Coast nonprofit, 321Empowerment, will hold its third event of the year on Saturday, December 6, at the Palm Bay Campus of Eastern Florida State College, 250 Community College Pkwy. SE, Palm Bay, Florida. This free program is designed for young males in grades 9-12 and runs from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – The Space Coast nonprofit, 321Empowerment, will hold its third event of the year on Saturday, December 6, at the Palm Bay Campus of Eastern Florida State College, 250 Community College Pkwy. SE, Palm Bay, Florida.
This free program is designed for young males in grades 9-12 and runs from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Lunch and snacks will be provided.
321Empowerment founder, Ray Herring II, told me the nonprofit is all about “teaching the kids life skills, the things that a lot of us learned later in life by trial and error. Topics include financial literacy, business etiquette, emotional intelligence, networking, and mentorship.”
He went on to say, “We are just kind of bringing all the core things in life that you are going to continue to need your entire life.”
The event’s guest speaker, Jaylon Smith, was a second-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys and will be focusing on financial literacy.
I had the opportunity to talk with Smith and asked him what his message to the young people would be.
He told me, “A lot of it will be rooted in education and to be comfortable in the uncomfortable.” He went on to say, “As it pertains to financial literacy, it’s only hard because we haven’t been exposed to it.”
To sign up for the free event, CLICK HERE.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Steve Wilson was born in DeRidder, Louisiana and grew up in both New Orleans and Macon, Georgia. He moved to Brevard County in 1984 and retired from local government as the Community Advocate/Assistant to the City Manager with the City of Rockledge in 2018.
Among the awards and accolades Steve has received over the years are 15 + year Rockledge Little League volunteer, Brevard Public School Jefferson Award Recipient, Rockledge High School Raider Booster Award 2001, 2006, City of Rockledge Employee of the Year 2006, Rockledge Kiwanian of the Year 2006-2007, City of Rockledge Quality Public Service Award 2008, 2012, 2017, Rockledge Kiwanis Citizen of the Year 2012-2013, Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame – Sportscasting 2015, Rockledge High School Leadership and Service Award 2016, Central Florida Humanitarian Award 2017, Space Coast Inspiration Award – 2018, Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame – Lifetime Achievement – 2020, Ecofest Achievement Award – 2022, Quality Floridian Award – 2022, presented by U.S. Congressman Bill Posey, Florida House District 32 Constituent of the Week 4/20/25.
Wilson is especially proud of his chairing two fundraisers in support of pediatric cancer research through the St. Baldrick’s Foundation in honor of Merritt Island resident Julie Spurlock that raised over $25,000.00.
He has been a partner, along with Orville Susong, for the past 26 years with the Friday Night Locker Room, a broadcasting team that covers and reports on a wide variety of local events that are of significance to the residents of the Space Coast and beyond. Their mission is to promote youth sports, support first responders and law enforcement personnel, and showcase community and charitable events that are produced by our nonprofit partners in central Florida.
The Friday Night Locker Room has awarded hundreds of sports achievement plaques to Brevard County student-athletes over the years. They have also awarded more than $18,000 in academic scholarships to Brevard County high school seniors.
