AVON PARK, Fla. – June 22, 2017 – South Florida State College is offering preparatory courses in mathematics and language arts to aspiring teachers for the required General Knowledge Test (GKT) portion of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination (FTCE).
SFSC offers a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education degree (BSEE) that prepares students to work with children in kindergarten through grade six. Graduates are eligible for Florida certification in K-6 with English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and Reading endorsements. One of the prerequisites for entering the program is a mastery of general knowledge, including the ability to read, write, and compute, by passing the GKT of the FTCE.
The GKT is one of three tests that compose the FTCE. Florida law requires that teachers demonstrate mastery of basic skills, professional knowledge, and a content area of specialization. Testing requirements for teacher candidates seeking certification are described in 6A-4.0021 Florida Administrative Code (FACE).
The FTCE-GKT Mathematics Test Prep (EDF 1963, CRN 30811) course will meet July 10, 12, 17, and 19, 2-4 p.m., on the SFSC Highlands Campus, Avon Park. Students will have access to online course components, June 19-31.
The FTCE-GKT Language Arts Test Prep (EDF 1968, CRN 30810) course meets July 24-26, 1-3 p.m. on the SFSC Highlands Campus, Avon Park. Students will have access to online course components, June 19-July 31.
They are 1 credit hour transfer courses, and the cost of each course is approximately $100.
Students currently enrolled at SFSC, should register for the FTCE-GKT Mathematics Test Prep course or the FTCE-GKT Language Arts Test Prep course in Building B on the Highlands Campus or at any SFSC campus or center. Those who are not currently enrolled with SFSC will need to apply and be accepted to the college. It is advised that prospective students contact Dr. Maday Leon at 863-784-7154 or Michele DeVane at 863-784-7174 for further information.
AVON PARK, Fla. – June 20, 2017 – For a second time, South Florida State College received recognition as a Most Promising Place to Work in Community Colleges, and the findings for 2017 were published in the May 18 edition of Diverse Issues in Higher Education magazine. SFSC was initially recognized in 2015.
SFSC joins 11 other colleges across the country to receive top marks for the extent to which diversity and inclusiveness imbue their administrative structures, work environments, and staffing practices.
“This recognition confirms a strong commitment by college trustees and leadership to ensure diverse employment practices throughout the organization,” said Dr. Thomas C. Leitzel, SFSC president.
The Center for Higher Education Enterprise (CHEE) at the Ohio State University conducted the survey and analyzed the results for the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) and Diverse, a magazine which reports and publishes on diversity, access, and opportunity in higher education. With a focus on workplace diversity, staffing practices, and work environment, the CHEE research team used a web-based survey to examine categories such as family friendliness, salary/benefits, and professional development opportunities.
NISOD and Diverse commissioned their inaugural study in 2014.
One other member of the 28-member Florida College System, Tallahassee Community College, gained a spot on the list of Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges. Other colleges that received recognition were Blinn College, Texas; El Centro College, Texas; Montgomery County Community College, Pa.; Mountain View College, Texas; Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology, Okla.; Pierpont Community College, W.Va.; Seward County Community College, Kan.; Southwest Virginia Community College, Va.; and Stella and Charles Guttman Community College, N.Y.
Award recipients were also provided with a specially designed logo they can use to promote their institutions’ commitment to diversity during student and staff recruitment efforts.
Graduates light candles on their Nightingale lamps.
AVON PARK, Fla. – June 16, 2017 – Thirty-four graduates of South Florida State College’s Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program were honored in a traditional pinning ceremony on June 15 in the Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts at SFSC, Highlands Campus.
The graduates are Ashley Acosta, Shelby Anderson, Angelina Avila, Cristal Badillo, Angela Barrs, Vanessa Brooker, Ashley Cross, Erica Escamilla, Yuri Estrada, Clint Fowler, Treson Francis, Mishel Franklin, Jesus Garcia, Jacob “Ross” Gunn, Karlee Henderson, Angela Hester, Ashely “Taylor” Jones, Darby Jones, Nikole “Niki” Jones, Zoo Kue, Jennifer Lopez, Lindsey Lovett, April Lozano, Thu Luong, Evelyn “Renee” Marley, Lydia Mejia, Adna Metayer, Jennifer Penny, Karen Pilkington, Vanette See, Josue Somarriba, Richenda Trenchfield, Sara Weeks, and Shea Young.
The guest speaker was Christine Greenwald, an SFSC Nursing professor who retires at the end of this academic term. Addressing the graduates and guests, she said, “This is how I feel about this whole class—I have no reservations in having any one of these students to be my nurse, or my family’s nurse, when the need may arise. This is the greatest compliment one nurse can give to another.”
“I want you to never lose sight of the wonder and honor it is to be a nurse at the most vulnerable times of your patient’s life,” Greenwald urged the graduates. “You will see, and some have already seen, life at its best and at its worst. What is so exciting is that you have the power to make the most out of that person’s life at that moment and touch them deeply. You, in turn, will never be the same.”
She gave the graduates one last assignment in their journey. “I would like you to embrace change and technology, but hold onto your humanness; take charge of your learning; find a mentor and be a mentor; continue to help each other; and let your words be encouraging, not destructive.”
In his farewell, Class President Shea Young said, “I want to thank our incredible faculty who endured two years of our crazy.” He then addressed his fellow graduates. “Thank you for being the best group anyone could ask for. I walked into a classroom two years ago, knowing absolutely no one. And today, I will walk out of this theater with another family. As our journey together comes to an end, I take comfort in knowing that a new journey begins. I pray that our paths cross again.”
Each year, ADN graduates award the Golden Duck to someone who has served as a mentor to the students in the program. The D.U.C.K. acronym represents the foundational elements of the mentoring arrangement: Developing, Understanding, Compassion, and Knowledge.
During the ceremony, ADN graduate Vanette See presented the 2017 Golden Duck Award to Mary von Mervedt, SFSC director of Nursing. “I, personally, have looked up to her and developed a great respect for how she handles herself, her patients, and her students,” See said. “She has always treated us with integrity, honesty, and respect. In classroom lectures, exams, and teaching us skills, she has never made us feel inadequate. She has always encouraged us with positive reinforcement. She has shown us what a true nursing professional should be.”
The practice of pinning new graduates has been a nursing school tradition in the United States since 1916. The pin is worn prominently on a nurse’s uniform throughout her or his career. One story of the ceremony’s beginning goes back to 1883, when Queen Victoria awarded Florence Nightingale the Royal Red Cross on St. George’s Day for her service to the sick and injured during the Crimean War. In turn, Nightingale later extended the honor to her outstanding nursing students by presenting them with a medal of excellence.
Graduates of the ADN program become registered nurses by passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX) exam. SFSC nursing graduates are usually fully employed in nursing within a few months of graduation.
SFSC’s ADN program is the only nationally accredited nursing program in its service district of Highlands, Hardee, and DeSoto counties. It is accredited through the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. (ACEN).
SFSC offers ADN program options for students interested in becoming registered nurses: a two-year Generic-RN program and a one-year Transition-LPN to RN program. The college also offers a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing program as well as a one-year practical nursing occupational certificate program. For program entry requirements, consult the SFSC College Catalog or call 863-784-7027.
The 22 graduates of SFSC’s BLE Class 252
AVON PARK, Fla. – June 14, 2017 – Twenty-two graduates of South Florida State College’s (SFSC) Basic Law Enforcement (BLE) Academy, Class 252, were recently recognized at a ceremony on June 13 on the SFSC Highlands Campus, Avon Park.
The 22 prospective police officers receiving BLE occupational certificates were Seth T. Abeln, Tyler L. Avery, Steve Benitez Jr., Stella Brakefield, John Caminero, Dwayne T. Council, Nadean S. Crossley, Cody A. Daigneault, Tyler Dawson, Eugenio DeArce, Toby M. Elam, Aaron Gilliard, Jose Mar, Brandon D. Olsen, Issaih Palacios, Cody Pearlman, Simon Shackelford, Terrance B. Stoute, Benjamin J. Toney, Tevin T. Toney, Juan Valdez-Pinon, and James C. Wright.
Before receiving individual awards and certificates, keynote speaker Major Brandon Ball of the Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Investigative and Financial Services, Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations, addressed the cadets.
“Commit to family and teammates,” Ball said. “Your ultimate goal is to go home at the end of every shift. Remember that your training has helped to save your life. Your training has helped to save your family’s and teammate’s lives as well.”
Ball urged the graduates, “Maintain focus and dedication to your craft. Your communities are counting on you. Keep that service mindset.”
Special awards were presented to Cody Pearlman who earned top honors for his academic excellence while Seth Abeln scored the Top Firearms award for his work on the shooting range. Dwayne Council was recognized as the Class Leader.
SFSC’s BLE Academy students are trained to become law enforcement officers in Florida. By completing the program successfully, graduates are eligible to take the state certification examination to become certified law enforcement officers. For more information about SFSC’s BLE Academy, call 863-784-7285.
Twenty-three Take Stock graduates bid farewell.
AVON PARK, Fla. – June 9, 2017 – Family and friends came together on June 8 at the South Florida State College (SFSC) Highlands Campus to celebrate and recognize Take Stock in Children mentors and to honor the accomplishments of 23 Take Stock student scholars who had just graduated from high schools in DeSoto, Hardee, and Highlands counties.
The 23 graduates completed the journey to receiving their high school diplomas with the help of their Take Stock mentors. Take Stock in Children 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. Many of the students began participation in the program when they were in the seventh grade.
“Each year, we come together for our mentor appreciation and mentee recognition ceremony,” said Jamie Bateman, executive director for Institutional Advancement at South Florida State College, who also heads up the SFSC Foundation. The SFSC Foundation serves as the lead agency for Take Stock in children within the college’s service district of DeSoto, Hardee, and Highlands counties.
“Our mentors are an amazing group of individuals,” Bateman said. “They motivate and inspire our students. Thank you for volunteering your time. Our program would not be successful without you. And Take Stock graduates, everyone here this evening will go with you in your journey ahead. Know that you have an entire community standing behind you.”
Bateman recounted the students’ achievements. “The average grade point average for the 23 graduates was 4.097,” she said. “One student graduated with a 5.02 grade point average.”
Take Stock student Diana Rivera graduated from DeSoto High School and earned her associate in arts degree in the same year. Sophia Emile graduated a year early from Sebring High School and will attend South Florida State College in fall 2017. Maria Gloria, who graduated from Lake Placid High School, was one of six Take Stock Leadership 4 Life fellowship winners statewide, receiving a $40,000 scholarship to college and won a car at graduation through the Alan Jay Wheels for A’s program. Gloria Montoya-Vazquez graduated number one in her class from DeSoto High School.
Jamie Bateman and mentor Danielle Ochoa with Take Stock graduate, Rosie Fimbres, who won the drawing for a laptop computer during the ceremony.
Bateman indicated that, collectively, the students earned $146,707.80 in college scholarships, and explained that they had earned 492 hours of college credit toward their undergraduate degrees by participating in SFSC’s dual enrollment program.
Each graduate approached the stage to introduce themselves to the audience, mention their mentor’s name, and say what college they would attend and what they will study. Most of the Take Stock graduates plan to complete their first two years of college at SFSC.
“It’s special to watch the mentors and mentees come together for one final meeting,” said Irene Castanon, coordinator for the local Take Stock program. “But some Take Stock graduates come back to us. Our mentors Genesis Castillo, Luzedy Ocasio, and Danielle Ochoa are all Take Stock alumni who are paying it forward.”
Take Stock mentors typically meet with their assigned students each week during the school year, offering encouragement and advice. A Take Stock college success coach provides support and guidance to the mentor and the mentee.
To become a Take Stock mentor, contact Irene Castanon at 863-784-7343 or by emailing Irene.Castanon@southflorida.edu.
The 23 Take Stock graduates were from Desoto High School:
Marvin Coronado-Lopez, Lourdes Espino, Jessica German, Gloria Montoya-Vazquez, and Diana Rivera
From Hardee Senior High School:
Ricardo Aleman, Rosie Fimbres, and Priscilla Villazana
From Lake Placid High School:
Meghan Bennett, Maria Gloria, and Isaac Vega
From Sebring High School:
Jasmine Barajas, Kendall Bowen, Sophia Emile, Leticia Jauregui, Marilyn Lorino, Alison Romero, Hally Sebring, Kaitlynn Wilson, Danielle Woodham, and Kelley Young
From Avon Park High School:
Erin Bonini and Elrad Nevers
