SFSC Honors Program Students Receive Scholarships

AVON PARK, Fla.–Jan. 28, 2016 –South Florida State College awarded 13 students in its honors program the Edward K. Roberts Book Scholarship, an award that helps students cover the cost of textbooks.

Students awarded the merit-based scholarship receive $250 in the form of a credit they can use toward the purchase of textbooks at the Campus Store, the bookstore on SFSC’s Highlands Campus.

SFSC’s Honors Program offers students cultural enrichment, smaller classes, scholarship opportunities, and special recognition at the graduation ceremony as well as an honors endorsement on their Associate in Arts degree and transcript. Honors student also take part in a service-learning project in the community.

Students receiving the scholarship must enroll in one Honors course during the academic term in which they receive the scholarship. Returning students must achieve a 3.30 cumulative college grade point average and continue to make satisfactory progress toward the Honors Program Associate in Arts degree.

Nicole Darder, tapped as one of the awardees, singled out the service-learning project as one of the more rewarding features of the Honors Program. “Through the service-learning project, we participate in new and enriching experiences outside of the classroom,” she said. “That contributes greatly to our leaning.”

Dr. Charlotte Pressler, who teaches English and philosophy, heads up the Honors Program. She said SFSC is delighted to work with the Roberts Fund and the SFSC Foundation to recognize students for their outstanding scholarship.

Two other awardees, Mathew Estima and Christian Reitnauer have also drawn recognition for their academic performance through their participation in Phi Theta Kappa, an international academic honor society. They have been selected for the All-Florida Academic Team, which recognizes outstanding students in the Florida College System based on academic achievement, leadership, and service to the community.

Students receiving the Edward K. Roberts Book Scholarship this spring are: Annsley Bohlman, Nicole Darder, Alexis Drzewucki, Mathew Estima, Melissa Garcia-Rodriguez, Carlos Negron, Heather Oyola, Katherine Oyola, James Pinkney, Kayleen Prestridge, Christian Reitnauer, William Sager, and Tyler Whalen.

For more information, contact Charlotte Pressler, director of the SFSC Honors Program, at 863 784-7247.

AVON PARK, Fla.–Jan. 28, 2016–Seven members of South Florida State College’s Basic Law Enforcement Academy Class 246 received occupational certificates Wednesday evening in a graduation ceremony at the SFSC University Center Auditorium, Highlands Campus.

Class Captain Antonio Washington, Jose Becerra, Austin Fackender, German Figeroa, Esaul Hernandez, Adam Olivencia, and Robert Westlake earned their certificates by successfully completing the required 770 contact hours of classroom and practical instruction. Westlake received the two top honors given to Basic Law Enforcement cadets in every class by achieving the highest scores in firearms and academics.

Two former graduates of SFSC’s Basic Law Enforcement Academy were selected by the cadets to participate in the ceremony. Jachin Coggins, a minister of Bridge of Hope Church in Wauchula and an officer with the Wauchula Police Department, delivered the invocation and benediction. The keynote speaker, Corporal Robert Spencer, was an instructor for the cadets and also serves with the Wauchula Police Department.

Spencer urged the cadets to remember the principles of “C.P.R.” – courtesy, professionalism, and respect – as they go on to serve their communities in every capacity from handling medical emergencies to wrangling wildlife. “At some point, you will be a law enforcement officer, a social worker, a preacher, and sometimes feel like a parent raising someone else’s child,” Spencer said. “At some point, you will be the most important person in someone else’s life.”

SFSC’s Criminal Justice Academy conducts law enforcement training year-round. For more information about its programs and ongoing classes, call the academy at 784-7280 or visit the Criminal Justice Academy online.

AVON PARK, Fla.–Jan. 27, 2016–Highlighting the critical importance of improving student success in America’s community colleges, South Florida State College (SFSC) has been chosen as one of the nation’s top 150 out of 1,000 public colleges eligible for the 2017 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence and $1 million dollars in prize funds, as well as Siemens Technical Scholars Program student scholarships. The Aspen Prize has been awarded every two years since 2011. This is the fourth time SFSC has been part of such an honored group of colleges.

The Aspen Prize is the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges and recognizes institutions for exceptional student outcomes in four areas: student learning, certificate and degree completion, employment and earnings, and access and success for minority and low-income students.

“The success attributed to SFSC results from the dedication and commitment of the faculty and those employees who support our instructional mission,” said Dr. Thomas C. Leitzel, SFSC president. “It is an honor to work with outstanding professionals who value open access and place student learning as their highest priority.”

SFSC joins 13 other Florida College System institutions in the top 150 colleges eligible for the 2017 Aspen Prize. They are Broward College, Chipola College, College of Central Florida, Daytona State College, Eastern Florida State College, Florida SouthWestern State College, Florida State College at Jacksonville, Indian River State College, Northwest Florida State College, Palm Beach State College, Saint Johns River State College, and Tallahassee Community College. Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Fla. was awarded the Aspen Prize in 2015, and Valencia College in Orlando, Fla. was awarded the inaugural prize in 2011. A full list of the selected colleges and details on the selection process are available at www.aspenprize.org.

Nearly half of America’s college students attend community college, with more than seven million students – youth and adult learners – working toward certificates and degrees in these institutions across the country.

Scholarship Opportunities

For the first time, the 150 prize-eligible institutions are also invited to nominate exceptional students enrolled in their best middle-skill STEM programs for scholarships. Up to 50 Siemens Technical Scholars will be selected from programs that provide outstanding preparation for high-demand jobs in manufacturing, energy, health care, and information technology. A partnership between the Siemens Foundation and the Aspen Institute, the Siemens Technical Scholars Program intends to help our nation’s community colleges and their business partners bridge the gap between projected shortages of skilled workers and the millions of high-demand jobs in these STEM industries. Scholarship winners and the programs that deliver rigorous training enabling their success will be announced in fall 2016. For more information and to view video profiles of 2015 Siemens Technical Scholars, go to: http://as.pn/stscholars.

South Florida State College and 149 other community colleges were selected from a national pool of over 1,000 public two-year colleges using publicly available data on student outcomes in three areas:

• Performance (retention, graduation rates including transfers, and degrees and certificates per 100 full-time equivalent students)

• Improvement (awarded for steady improvement in each performance metric over time)
• Equity (evidence of strong completion outcomes for minority and low-income students)

South Florida State College has been invited to submit an application to the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence containing detailed data on degree and certificate completion (including progress and transfer rates), labor market outcomes (employment and earnings), and student learning outcomes.

Ten finalists will be named in fall 2016. The Aspen Institute will then conduct site visits to each of the finalists and collect additional quantitative data. A distinguished Prize Jury will select a grand prize winner and a few finalists with distinction in early 2017.

AVON PARK, Fla.–Jan. 26, 2016–On Jan. 25, Sierra Pelham arrived at the Highlands Campus of South Florida State College expecting to fulfill a routine request. But she got the surprise of her life.

Pelham, a senior at SFSC’s Collegiate High School in DeSoto County, had been asked to visit a classroom to talk about her time in a program for students at risk of dropping out of high school.

Instead, a stunned Pelham entered a room to find SFSC president Dr. Thomas C. Leitzel, college and DeSoto school board staff, and her mentor from Take Stock in Children (TSIC) waiting to break the news she earned a $40,000 Leaders 4 Life college scholarship from Asofsky Family Foundation. TSIC is operated by the SFSC Foundation.

Wiping away tears, Pelham struggled to find words for those on hand to congratulate her.

“My family never had much money,” said Pelham, with a voice choked with emotion. “Now I am going to college without money worries.”

Pelham was one among six students statewide who were tapped to receive the scholarship, an award that covers non-tuition expenses like housing, books, and transportation. Pelham already has her tuition covered by a TSIC scholarship.

The Leaders 4 Life scholarship is an initiative the Asofsky Family Foundation, which supports programs aimed at helping the state’s youth. The foundation awards the scholarship in partnership with TSIC.

Pelham was eligible for the fellowship because of her participation in the local TSIC program. The program matches students at-risk of not completing high school with mentors who guide them toward earning their diplomas, with college scholarships awaiting those who graduate and enroll in college.

Irene Castanon, who heads up the SFSC’s TSIC program said Pelham’s academic achievement and leadership on campus were key to her success in earning the scholarship.

“Pelham has been an active in the National Honor Society, music theater, and the robotics club,” Castanon said. “What’s more, she has shown leadership off campus by volunteering for Habitat for Humanity for the past three years.”

Pelham has already gained admission to the University of Central Florida, where she will work toward a degree in social work, with plans to pursue a graduate degree in public administration.

“My ultimate goal is to start a program to help students with parents who suffer from substance abuse,” said Pelham when asked about her plans for the future. “I want to help young people in the same way that Take Stock in Children helped me,” she said as she fought back tears.

Pelham has earned a 4.28 grade point average at the SFSC Collegiate High School and placed in the top 5 percent of her graduating class. When she graduates this spring, she already will have earned 60 college credit hours through SFSC, giving her a two-year advantage over her peers also heading to UCF.

The SFSC Collegiate High School is an initiative between the college and DeSoto school district that allows students to complete their high school diploma at an SFSC campus while simultaneously earning college credits or an occupational certificate. SFSC has similar arrangements with Hardee and Highlands counties.

“This is a huge accomplishment and you deserve it,” said Jamie Bateman, SFSC’s executive director for institutional advancement, who oversees the SFSC Foundation and the local TSIC program. “We are touched that someone as deserving as you will represent SFSC.”

Ellen Sutphin, who recently retired after 37 years teaching in DeSoto County schools, has served as Pelham’s mentor since she entered the seventh grade. Sutphin said she had to be on hand to see Pelham receive her award.

“She has been a dedicated student ever since I met her in elementary school,” said Sutphin. “She has been determined to go to college and make something of herself so that she can help others overcome obstacles.”

TSIC mentors typically meet with their assigned students each week during the schoolyear, offering encouragement, advice, and a sympathetic ear. A TSIC college success coach provides support and guidance to the mentor and the mentee.

Pelham’s selection from among 90 scholarship applicants also brings her a MacBook Pro laptop. She will travel to Tallahassee in February for a formal ceremony arranged by the Asofsky Family Foundation that will include state legislators and educators.

Also, on hand to give Pelham hugs and congratulations were Kris Rider, an SFSC district board trustee, her instructors from DeSoto County, and TSIC staff.

Before long, though, Pelham looked at the clock. She had leave so that she could make it to her next class.

Thanking all those who had come to surprise her with the news of her scholarship award, Pelham said she would never forget the day. But with an eye toward the future, she had parting words for everyone.

“I just want to help others in the same way I’ve been helped,” said Pelham.

AVON PARK, Fla.–Jan. 19, 2016–Bravo Amici, an internationally renowned group of classical-crossover vocalists, will perform at the Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts at South Florida State College on Jan. 26, at 1:30 pm.

Combining elements of Broadway, opera and pop with classical overtones, the five-member group presents a powerful performance of uplifting classical and contemporary music.

“Bravo Amici travel worldwide, and this may be the region’s only opportunity to see them perform live,” said Cindy Garren, director of cultural programs at SFSC. “With fans like Sir Elton John and Queen Elizabeth, you know this is a world-class performance.”

Scheduled for the Good Times Tuesdays Matinee Series at SFSC, the performance stars Geoff Sewell, a multi-platinum selling, international recording artist, along with a cast of tenors and divas.

Sewell, a tenor from New Zealand, became an international classical crossover star 12 years ago with the “opera band” Amici Forever. He has had two top-selling albums with the group and his own solo debut album “Believe,” selling 3.5 million copies worldwide.

Tickets are $21, $25, and $28. Special rates are available for groups of 12 or more, with the group leader receiving a free ticket to the show.

SFSC launched the Good Times Matinee Series this year to showcase world-class entertainment in the early afternoon. The series is sponsored by Highlands Regional Medical Center, Family Elder Law, Lampe & Kiefer Hearing Aid Center, and Palms of Sebring.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.sfscarts.org or at the SFSC Box Office located on the Highlands Campus at 600 West College Dr., Avon Park. For more information, call 863-784-7178. For information on group sales, contact Lorrie Smith at 863-784-7177.

Upcoming Good Times Matinee performances are: A Band Called Honalee on Feb. 2, Lady With All the Answers on Feb. 9, and Ballroom: South Beach Style on Feb. 16.

AVON PARK, Fla.–Jan. 12, 2016–The Polish Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra performs at the Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts at South Florida State College on Jan. 20, at 7 pm. The orchestra is making its premiere United States tour.

Massimiliano Caldi will conduct the program which includes the “Overture to The Flying Dutchman” by Richard Wagner, Frederic Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor (Op. 21) and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade.”

“This is a rich and beautiful program for classical music lovers,” said Cindy Garren, director of cultural programs at SFSC.

Tickets are $29, $33, and $38. Students can purchase tickets for $10 at the SFSC Box Office. This special student rate is not available online, and students may be asked to present a student ID. Carol Emery, SFSC professor emerita, is sponsoring the performance.

The orchestra hails for Gdansk, a city rich in history that lies along Poland’s Baltic coast. Gdansk, formerly known as Danzig, was once an independent city-state. It fell alternately under German and Polish rule. It was the birthplace of the Solidarity protest movement that ushered in the downfall of Poland’s communist government.

Born in Milan, Caldi served as the principal conductor of Milano Classica Chamber Orchestra from 1998 to 2009 before taking up his post in Gdansk in 2012. From 2006 to 2010, he was the artistic director of the Silesian Chamber Orchestra.

The performance features piano soloist Marcin Koziak. Born into a musical family in Krakow, the 26-year-old Koziak made his debut with Krakow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra when he was 11 years old. He has performed in 22 countries around the world, including Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing, National Opera in Warsaw, and the Art Center of Kobe in Japan.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.sfscarts.org or at the box office located on the Highlands Campus at 600 West College Dr., Avon Park. For group sales or more information, call the box office at 863-784-7178.

Upcoming performances include: Live From Nashville on Jan. 28, The Buddy Holly Story on Feb. 4, and The McCartney Years on Feb. 13.

AVON PARK, Fla.–Jan. 12, 2016–South Florida State College has extended the deadline to register for the first two events of the 2016 Games. Those wishing to participate in track and field at Avon Park High School on Saturday, Jan 23 or racquetball at Gold’s Gym, Sebring on Tuesday, Jan 26  may register in advance or at the event. Those waiting to register on the day of competition are asked to arrive 45 minutes before the start of competition. For track and field, please register between 8:15 and 8:30 on Jan. 23. For racquetball, last minute registration takse place between 1:15 and 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 26.

Registration forms, as well as complete information about Heartland Games for Active Adults, are available online at www.southflorida.edu/heartlandgames. Registration forms are currently available at these locations throughout the Heartland and will soon be available at local golf courses.

In Wauchula: Hardee County Chamber of Commerce, Alan Jay Chrysler Dodge Jeep, Alan Jay Chevrolet

In Avon Park: South Florida State College, Avon Park Chamber of Commerce, Turner Furniture

In Sebring: Sebring Chamber of Commerce, Heartland Bowl, Sun ‘n Lake Office, Newsom Eye, Edward Jones/Alan J. Holmes, and Legacy Bicycles

In Lake Placid: Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce

Please register early for all future events: tennis on Feb. 16, 17 and 18; cycling on Feb. 20; bowling on Feb. 22 and 23; indoor volleyball on March 4; golf on March 5; bridge on March 11; pickleball on March 12 and 13; euchre on March 18; shuffleboard on March 21 and 22; swimming on March 22; and tai chi on March 29.

For further information, contact Lorrie Key, director, SFSC Corporate and Community Education and Heartland Games coordinator, 863-784-7033, lorrie.key@southflorida.edu.

AVON PARK, Fla.–Jan. 11, 2016–Insights from archeologists on the development of the human mind will be the topic of the next Kissimmee Valley Archaeological and Historical Conservancy lecture at South Florida State College.

Ryan Murphy, an archeologist based in Sarasota, will be the conservancy’s speaker on Jan. 21, 7 p.m., in Building G, Room 101, on SFSC’s Highlands Campus. The public is invited at no cost.

Murphy will talk about developments in the field of cognitive archaeology, including an overview of advancements regarding archeologists’ understanding of the development of the modern human mind.

Cognitive archaeology is an interdisciplinary field that applies the theories and methods of several disciplines (psychology, archaeology, linguistics, and philosophy) to the tangible evidence of human development.

Murphy studied humanities and history at California State University, Dominguez Hills. He completed graduate work in cognitive archaeology at the University of Colorado.

Murphy’s professional background includes surveying Florida’s cultural resources, a stint as a field technician among the Seminole Tribe, archaeologist for the Historic Spanish Point museum, and Sarasota County’s archaeologist.

SFSC’s Highlands Campus is located at 600 W. College Dr. The talk is one of a series at SFSC sponsored by the conservancy. For more information, call Anne Reynolds at 840-3995.

AVON PARK, Fla.–Jan. 8, 2016–On a recent evening, Whitney Broadaway mounted the stage at a South Florida State College auditorium to talk about her career in art. She had returned to her alma mater to take part in a forum showcasing alumni of SFSC’s art program.

Broadaway, a museum manager, was joined by an art teacher, a landscape architect, a photographer, and a graphic artist—all gainfully employed.

At a time when Forbes magazine says art is one of the least valuable college majors, the career success met by Broadaway and her fellow alumni debunks the notion there’s no value in art education.

“I hope there are current students in the audience because I’d like to add a message of hope,” Broadaway said. “Being an artist is really hard but if you never stop making art you can make it happen.”

The 29-year-old Broadaway said she knew her future lay in the arts when she was making her way through Sebring High School, where she was a member of the art club and the drum major in the band.

“I always knew in the back of my head that I would work in the arts,” said Broadaway, from her office overlooking downtown Orlando at the Orange County Regional History Center, where she works as the collections manager for the art and historical items. “It wasn’t an epiphany but just something I knew I could and would do.”

In 2005, Broadaway enrolled at SFSC after graduating from high school, using her Bright Futures and other scholarships to cover her tuition. She took printmaking classes with Mollie Doctrow, an art instructor and the curator of SFSC’s Museum of Florida Art and Culture.

Broadaway said the class set her alight with a love for printmaking. “Studying under Mollie I felt as if she were making an investment in me as an artist,” said Broadaway. “She wasn’t just interested in us as art students but as people.”

After graduating from SFSC, Broadaway earned her bachelor in fine arts in 2010 from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. She concentrated in printmaking while also mastering the art of bookbinding, a skill she had first studied under Doctrow at SFSC.

Her new job brought the fourth-generation Central Floridian back to her roots in the city where her great-great-grandparents settled in 1893.

While printmaking was Broadaway’s passion, her bookbinding skills helped her land her first professional job. The UCF library and archives hired her as a book conservator immediately upon her graduation.

A full-time job at the library was a boon: Broadaway could hone her skills conserving rare books during the day and pursue printmaking in her off hours.

Four years into her job at UCF, the Orange County Regional History Center tapped Broadaway as its new collections manager.

“There are careers in the arts,” said Broadaway. “The focus may not always be on making lots of money, but nonprofit organizations as well as commercial enterprises need artists.”

Broadaway credited SFSC for promoting art education at time when, in some quarters, it is seen as a good elective but not a secure career path. She also showered praise on SFSC’s faculty.

“Besides printmaking, I learned other genre from Cathy Futral, an amazing professor and an amazing artist in her own right,” said Broadaway. “Futral is the rock of the art department at SFSC. She takes a genuine interest in every student and we very much saw her as a mother hen, getting us ready for our next phase.”

When Broadaway is not tending to the collection at the Orlando museum, she watches over her first born child, a daughter, along with her husband of four years. They accompany her when she displays her prints at art festivals and shows throughout central Florida.

Broadaway employs the relief method of printmaking by drawing an image onto a block of wood, then carving the area around image in a process similar to making a rubber stamp. She mainly uses a hand tool but sometimes carves with an electric chisel. Ink is then applied to the relief and a press transfers the image to paper.

Broadaway’s prints have been on display in art shows throughout central Florida, including exhibitions at MOFAC.

Doctrow, who has taught at SFSC since 2005, organized the forum that brought Broadaway and other art alumni back to SFSC to motivate current students. “Our alumni inspire the campus, the community, and especially our current art students,” said Doctrow, who is herself an award-winning printmaker. “Seeing the success our alumni attain spurs our students on and gives them something to strive for.”

Graduates of SFSC art program often move on to earn a bachelor’s degrees in art before getting hired on in a professional position. One recent graduate, Cody Coltharp, earned a bachelor’s in fine art at New College in Sarasota. The Smithsonian Institution in Washington hired Coltharp in 2013 at its Hirshhorn Museum.

Another graduate, Max Gooding, went to the University of Florida where he studied landscape architecture. He now owns his own design studio in Naples, Fla., and has scored several commissions for high-end real estate projects.

What’s Broadaway’s advice to students thinking about studying art?

“If you have a love for the arts and an intense passion for doing art you can make a career of it,” said Broadaway. “If you’re truly passionate about creating art, everything will fall into place and you’ll succeed.”

AVON PARK, Fla.–Jan. 7, 2016–In January, South Florida State College’s Career Development Center joined College Central Network, a nationwide service that connects students, alumni, and district residents with employment opportunities locally and across the nation.

College Central Network is an online, interactive service that provides job boards for local and national positions; online tools for creating cover letters and resumes; a searchable database of internship positions; and hundreds of articles and podcasts that help users explore careers, search for jobs, and develop their employability skills.

Anyone can access College Central Network. Users create an account and access services as a student, alumni, or community resident.

The Career Development Center’s previous online job board, once part of the college’s website, has migrated to College Central Network. With the center’s approval, local employers can post job openings and search posted resumes to find candidates for their open positions. SFSC’s work study positions are also being posted exclusively at College Central Network.

The Career Development Center is using the network to manage employment events such as career fairs and on-campus appearances by featured employers. Participants go to the online site to register and make appointments for interviews.

College Central Network accounts and services are free to all users. If you have questions about College Central Network, visit the SFSC Career Development Center on the Highlands Campus or call 784- 7410.