April 29, 2010
By Erin Campbell
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Division I athletics provide student-athletes with many unique experiences. Whether it involves the memories made on the competitive playing field, the tight relational bonds that people build or simply representing your school with pride, playing a sport at the highest level is truly a remarkable time in an athlete's life. But, for Kazandra Holliday, her placement on the UCF softball team has provided her the opportunity to do something truly remarkable, meeting her half brother for the first time.
Holliday's father, Thomas, was previously married and the couple gave birth to a son named Jeffrey. After enlisting in the military, Thomas was stationed in Idaho, a long cry from where he was originally from. Due to the strong familial ties that his first wife had to her hometown, she decided to stay there with Jeffery. The distance eventually caused the couple to decide to part ways.
When his tour in the military was complete, Thomas attempted to go and see Jeffrey, but the house that his family once occupied was now empty.
"My dad went back to the house that they used to live in a year after the divorce and the house was empty," Kazandra said. "He was devastated."
Holliday always knew about her long-lost half brother, but never had the opportunity to meet him. After much research and effort by her father through the Internet and through his hometown ties, he finally got a lead on where Jeffery was.
Kazandra turned to the popular social networking site Facebook to find him. To her surprise, she saw his face on her computer screen. She sent him a message, but was apprehensive to his response.
After much anxiety and waiting to hear back from him, Jeffrey finally responded on Christmas Day, a fitting gift for his anxious family.
"It had been exactly 27 years since my dad had last talked to Jeffrey," Holliday said. "At the end of the message he left his phone number and my sister and I immediately called him."
Then her father got on the phone and the emotions that were flying were indescribable. Everyone in the Holliday family felt the immediate flood of emotions and broke out into tears.
After remaining in contact after that Christmas Day, the Holliday family and Jeffrey knew they had to meet. Ironically enough, Jeffrey's hometown in east Alabama was in close proximity to Columbus, Georgia, where the UCF softball team would be playing in the NFCA Leadoff Classic.
Holliday and her family felt like this was the perfect opportunity for her to meet her brother for the first time. Her father and mother decided to make the trip as well.
"It was an emotional moment," Holliday said. "We just hugged for a bit and the tears were flowing. My dad was trying to hold back tears the whole time. It was just exciting to finally meet him and see him in person."
Kazandra knows that Jeffrey will be in her life forever.
"He definitely fits right in with our family," Holliday said. "Him and I are a lot alike. I will keep in contact with him forever because I've already missed so much of his life and I want to make up for all that time lost."
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to www.UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit www.UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures. -UCF-