SFSC Celebrates Commencement on Dec. 12

AVON PARK, Fla. — Nov. 22, 2019 — South Florida State College (SFSC) celebrates its new graduates with a Commencement ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 12, at 6:45 p.m., at the Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts, SFSC Highlands Campus, Avon Park.

The Commencement speaker is Dolores Breedlove who graduates with her Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management.

Approximately 255 students will have met the SFSC graduation requirements. Of these, 18 will receive a Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management, 97 receive their associate degrees, 103 receive vocational certificates or college credit certificates, and 58 receive State of Florida High School diplomas. Participating in the Commencement ceremony will be 188 students.

Mace bearer and chief marshal for this year’s ceremony is Tom Bush, and marshals are Brian Bohlman, Courtney Green, Robert Hampton, Dr. Theresa James, Shaila Jensen, Cindy Kinser, Michelle Macbeth, Claire Miller, Tasha Morales, and Ricardo Pantoja.

The Commencement rehearsal takes place on Thursday, Dec. 12, at 10 a.m., in the Wildstein Center on SFSC’s Highlands Campus. A Commencement reception will be held in the Catherine P. Cornelius Student Services and Classroom Complex (Building B) immediately following the Commencement exercises.

For questions about SFSC’s Commencement, call 863-453-6661.

AVON PARK, Fla. — Nov. 21, 2019 — During the November meeting of South Florida State College’s (SFSC) District Board of Trustees, 20 students studying for careers in the health sciences at SFSC received approximately $22,000 in scholarships.

Florida Blue Nursing and Allied Health Scholarships were awarded to SFSC students in nursing, dental education, and radiography programs. The students may use the scholarships for tuition, textbooks, lab fees, and childcare.

Students receiving the scholarships are studying within three health science disciplines:

• Nursing: Laura Holda, Kimberly Frazier, Nashley Martinez, Sara Smith, Matthew Stuck, Carolina Barron-Altamirano, Devine Raines, Ashley Massung, and Leonel Rodriguez Jr.
• Dental Education: Cristin Carlisle, Patricia Pacheco-Trahan, Jacqueline Perez, Aliya Blas, Annetude Delhomme, Julia Figueroa, and Sofia Monroy
• Radiography: Jordan Hear, Holly Lang, Rodrigo Mendieta, and Niki Rast

The scholarships are the result of a partnership between the Florida College System (FCS) Foundation and Florida Blue. The Florida Blue Nursing and Allied Health Scholarship was created to sustain a source of funding for student scholarships at Florida colleges to meet the growing need for skilled nurses and allied health professionals who serve the state’s diverse population. The SFSC Foundation, Inc. provided a 50% match of the original award from the FCS Foundation and Florida Blue, as the funds must be matched dollar for dollar by private donors at the local level.

“Because of Florida Blue’s commitment to education, SFSC can ensure students studying toward careers in the health sciences will have the resources they need to complete their programs,” said Jamie Bateman, SFSC’s executive director of institutional advancement. “This year we will award the scholarships to students who will soon start careers in nursing, dental care, and radiography—all of which play a critical role in keeping our community safe and healthy.”

The FCS Foundation, based in Tallahassee, is a nonprofit organization that solicits gifts and donations from corporations and individuals for distribution to Florida’s 28 community and state colleges. SFSC has received scholarships for health sciences students since 2006. Florida Blue, previously known as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, provides individual and group health insurance to millions of Floridians.

AVON PARK, Fla. – Nov. 20, 2019 – The South Florida State College (SFSC) Museum of Florida Art and Culture (MOFAC) features the work of 11 artists in the exhibition, “Relics, Reliquaries, and Objects of Desire,” in the museum on the SFSC Highlands Campus in Avon Park from Wednesday, Dec. 4 through Tuesday, Jan. 28. Patrons of the museum may meet the artists during the exhibition’s opening reception on Thursday, Jan. 16, at 1 p.m. in MOFAC.

In their work, the artists consider the function, symbolism, power, and relevance of relics — cherished objects of sentimental, religious, historical, or political value — in this interdisciplinary and multimedia exhibition. The artists are Linda Brant, Crystal Combrosky, Arlene Friberg-Vivaldi, Josh Garrick, Tre Mark Harris, Catherine Hempel, Saulius Jankauskas, Samantha Shumaker, Mary E. Siegfried, Heather Torres, and H. Glen Ward.

Relics are objects of devotion, both sacred and secular, that connect us to the past in profound and powerful ways. Bewitched by their perceived power and worth, humans have selected, collected, preserved, and publicly displayed relics for centuries. Relics may exist as intact objects, fragments, ruins, or traces. Regardless of their form, relics provide material evidence of the lived experience of our predecessors and possess a spark that commands our attention and draws us into contact with them.

This exhibition is sponsored by Dr. Catherine P. Cornelius.

MOFAC is located in the Wildstein Center at SFSC, 600 W. College Dr., Avon Park. The museum is open to the public on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 12:30 – 4:30 p.m., or by appointment for group tours. Patrons of the Wildstein Center may visit the museum one hour prior to matinee and evening performances. The museum will be closed during SFSC’s Winter Break, Monday, Dec. 16 through Wednesday, Jan. 1. For more information about MOFAC and its programs or to request a museum tour, contact Megan Stepe, curator, by phone at 863-784-7240, email at stepem@southflorida.edu or visit mofac.org.

LAKELAND, Fla.– Nov. 14, 2019 – VITAS Healthcare, the nation’s leading provider of end-of-life care, has donated $20,000 to South Florida State College (SFSC) in Avon Park to support the College’s nursing program and to enhance hospice education.

Renee Followell, general manager of the Lakeland-based VITAS office covering Mid-State Florida, returned to her alma mater on Tuesday, Oct. 29 to present the check to SFSC Dean of Health Sciences Michele D. Heston.

“Support from our community partners promotes excellence in nursing education, enhances the profession, and benefits the community as a whole,” Dr. Heston said. “We are extremely proud of Renee and her work in hospice care.”

The funds are earmarked to update the nursing program’s equipment and to incorporate hospice nursing education into its curriculum for home health aides (HHA), licensed practical nurses (LPN), registered nurses (RN) and students seeking a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).

“VITAS is proud to play a role as a community partner that improves the healthcare profession by supporting the education of today’s nursing students and tomorrow’s colleagues,” said Followell. She discussed VITAS’ reliance on professionally trained, compassionate nurses, physicians and other allied healthcare professionals to ensure that hospice patients and their families enjoy the highest possible quality of life.

“I am personally proud that this donation will ensure that today’s nursing students have the same opportunities that I had as an SFSC student to shape a successful and satisfying career in the healthcare profession and the hospice specialty,” she said.  

For more than 40 years, VITAS has provided quality compassionate care to terminally ill patients throughout South Florida. Today the company employs nearly 6,700 healthcare professionals in the Sunshine State, caring for over 10,000 residents each day.

About VITAS® Healthcare   
Established in 1978, VITAS Healthcare is a pioneer and leader in the American hospice movement. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, VITAS (pronounced VEE-tahs) operates 48 hospice programs in 14 states (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin) and the District of Columbia. VITAS employs 12,388 professionals who care for terminally ill patients daily, primarily in the patients’ homes, and also in the company’s 28 inpatient hospice units as well as in hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living communities/residential care facilities for the elderly. At the conclusion of the third quarter of 2019, VITAS reported an average daily census of 19,137. Visit www.vitas.com.

About SFSC’s Nursing Education Programs
SFSC offers an online Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, a two-year generic associate in nursing degree program, a one-year transition licensed practical nurse to registered nurse program, and an 11-month practical nursing occupational certificate. For more information about these programs, call 863-784-7131 or visit southflorida.edu.

AVON PARK, Fla. – Nov. 11, 2019 – South Florida State College (SFSC) inducted 22 students into its Tau Epsilon chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society on Friday, Nov. 8, at the SFSC University Center Auditorium on the Highlands Campus.

With families, fellow students, and college administrators looking on, the students recited an oath of membership, joining the honor society that recognizes distinguished academic achievement by students in two-year academic programs.

Dr. Keith Calvedo, SFSC English professor, served as the guest speaker. He opened by telling the story of how his education allowed him to teach in Turkey, a country that is a culture of contrasts. He urged the inductees, when going forth into the world, to “be prepared, be adaptable, and maintain a sense of humor even in potentially stressful situations.”

“Take advantage of the possibilities your educational achievements may provide you,” Dr. Calvedo said. “Even if you do not visit or work in a foreign country, your achievements may open doors of opportunity for you in sometimes unexpected ways. In other words, your education will allow you to embark on new voyages of discovery.”

As the ceremony drew to a close, each inductee stepped forward to sign the Honor Society’s membership book and record their status as a scholar of distinction at SFSC. As the auditorium lights dimmed, the scholars each lit a candle to signify their fellowship in the society.

The PTK inductees were: Elizabeth Becerra, Jesula Bellegarde, Jacky Bishop, Dawn Cain, Sonja Dale, Stephany Diaz, Estafani Espinoza, Jillian Febres, Julia Frost, Jim Gross, Andrea Guido, Rebecca Hale, Tonya Hamilton, Jessica Hampton, Noel Henry, Mayra Hernandez Martinez, Alana Lambert, Ethan Morton, Kelli Sullivan, Ashley Torres Vargas, Aleta Wells, and Isaura Zamora.

PTK is an honor society that recognizes the academic achievements of community and state college students and helps them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of over 3.5 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in nine nations. In 2018, PTK celebrated its 100th anniversary. For more on PTK, visit ptk.org.

For more information about SFSC’s PTK chapter or Honors Program, contact Dr. Charlotte Pressler at 863-784-7247.

AVON PARK, Fla. – Nov. 13, 2019 – The South Florida State College (SFSC) Library will join over a thousand libraries around the world in celebration of International Games Week as they transform their libraries with play.

Why games in a library? Claire A. Miller, librarian at SFSC Library, notes that “Board games teach critical thinking, teamwork, reading, and practical application of written information, but at the same time, games are fun and help build community.”

At the SFSC Library, the International Games Day celebration on Friday, Nov. 15 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., is open to everyone. It includes board games from the classics Life, chess, and UNO to new games, such as Exploding Kittens and Sushi Go. Over 50 games will be demonstrated or available for pickup play at the library. The Annual SFSC Epic Twister Championship returns for a thrilling elimination-style tournament on a custom oversized mat. Qualifying Twister matches will be at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. with the final round for the grand prize to start at 3 p.m. Thanks to generous support from the SFSC Student Government, SFSC students can get free pizza at 12:30 p.m.

International Games Week is an international initiative supported by the American Library Association, the Australian Library and Information Association, Nordic Game Week, Finnish Game Week, and L’Associazione Italiana Biblioteche. For more information on International Games Week, visit the Games in Libraries blog games.ala.org. For more information on the events at SFSC Library, contact Miller at 863-784-7305. The SFSC Library is located at 600 W. College Dr. in Avon Park on the second floor of Building Y.

AVON PARK, Fla. – Nov. 8, 2019 – Through a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant, South Florida State College (SFSC) will offer a presentation called “African-American Diaspora in Florida” on Thursday, Nov. 14, at 4 p.m., in Building B, Room 206, on the Highlands Campus in Avon Park. Members of the community are welcome to attend for free.

Dr. Anthony E. Dixon is the presenter for “African-American Diaspora in Florida.” In 1994, he received a Bachelor of Science in History with a minor in African-American Studies from Florida A&M University. In 2001, he received a Master of Applied Social Science from Florida A&M University with a concentration in History. In 2007, he was awarded his doctorate from Indiana University’s History Department where he majored in the African Diaspora. His studies included African-American history and African history, with a minor in Library Science/Special Collections and Archives. Dr. Dixon is a native of Fort Valley, Ga.

Dr. Dixon is the founder and president of Archival and Historical Research Associates, L.L.C., field director for the Florida African-American Heritage Preservation Network, and adjunct professor of History at Florida A&M University.

“The National Endowment for the Humanities is doing something innovative with its grant to SFSC,” said Charlotte Pressler, professor of English and philosophy and director of the Honors Program at SFSC. “Its program is designed to build up the knowledge base of SFSC’s faculty in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. We faculty can then refresh our own courses and offer our students exciting opportunities for research into this strange and wonderful state that is Florida. Florida’s history is like no other state’s history, and students can get involved with projects that illuminate the past, present, and future of this state they call home.”

AVON PARK, Fla. – Nov. 7, 2019 – South Florida State College (SFSC) graduated a class of 10 paramedics during an evening ceremony at the SFSC University Center Auditorium at the Highlands Campus on Monday, Nov. 4.

Receiving their paramedic certificates were Kevin Alexander, Jamael Autry, Robert Bohn, Nicholas Gregorio, Kaleb Leon, Nicholas Minervini, Michael Mount, Evan Reighard, Stephen Tingler, and Courtney Waters.

The graduates had just completed an 11-month college credit certificate course offered through SFSC’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program. Paramedics work as part of an emergency response team called out to traffic accidents, fires, and other life-threatening situations.

Three students were recognized for special achievement. Kevin Alexander was acknowledged for having the Highest GPA in Lecture, and Nicholas Gregorio was recognized for having the Highest GPA in Lab. Courtney Waters was awarded with Most Heart, the student who showed the most determination and drive.

Steven L. Ashworth, director of SFSC’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Fire Science programs, served as the ceremony’s guest speaker and addressed the graduates. “If I can tell you one thing: I look forward to the day when I’m in need and I can look to a hero like you to take care of me,” he said. “I have the utmost faith that you guys are going to do that and do it with willing disregard for your own personal health and safety which is no more than I would expect from anyone else. Thank you for what you do. Thank you for being a hero. And thank you for choosing SFSC.”

SFSC also offers a 300-hour course leading to employment as an emergency medical technician (EMT). EMTs provide entry-level patient care as part of an emergency response team.

SFSC offers a two-year Associate in Science in Emergency Medical Services, which includes training in both EMT and paramedic programs. Upon completing this program, graduates can work in a supervisory EMS capacity.

For more information, contact Ashworth at 863-784-7272 or ashworths@southflorida.edu.

AVON PARK, Fla. – Nov. 7, 2019 – South Florida State College (SFSC) will host a Veterans Day remembrance ceremony to honor the men and women who served their country in war and peace. The ceremony will be held Monday, Nov. 11, at 10:45 a.m., at Enlightenment Circle on the SFSC Highlands Campus in Avon Park. The public is invited to join SFSC students, staff, faculty, and administrators for this annual ceremony.

Tami Cullens, chair of the College’s District Board of Trustees, will open the ceremony with a welcome message, and U.S. Army veteran Cesar Pinzon will lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Reflections on military service will be delivered by two SFSC students: U.S. Army Craig Morris and U.S. Army veteran Lewis Cooper. Student Services advising and retention specialist Robert Hampton, a Marine Corps veteran, will conduct the Veteran Celebration formation, and official remarks will be delivered by General Robert Lee, a veteran of the U.S. Army. U.S. Army veteran, Bishop Ben Carter, will deliver the benediction.

After the ceremony, everyone is welcome to join veterans and military service members in the annual remembrance walk around the Highlands Campus.

Erik Christensen, dean of Applied Sciences and Technologies, is organizing the ceremony with sponsorship from the SFSC Chapter of the Association of Florida Colleges (AFC). Other participants include the Avon Park High School Air Force Junior ROTC, Assembly #3203 of the Knights of Columbus, RSVP of Highlands County, the SFSC Criminal Justice Academy, and Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1097, the Florida State Firefighters Association, the City of Avon Park Fire Department, and the West Sebring Volunteer Fire Department.

Visitors will find Enlightenment Circle when entering through Entrance 3 on College Drive.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nov. 6, 2019 — The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program today named South Florida State College (SFSC) as one of 150 community colleges eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges. Based on strong and improving in student outcomes—including in learning, completion rates, employment rates and earnings, and equity—15% of community colleges nationwide have been invited to apply for the Aspen Prize.

“The recognition from The Aspen Institute affirms that SFSC is a top-performing college due to quality learning initiatives led by a stellar faculty,” said Dr. Thomas C. Leitzel, SFSC president. “By analyzing the data Aspen collects, SFSC far exceeds performance indicators in such areas as number of credentials awarded, graduation rates, and overall student success.”

The 150 community colleges named today as eligible to compete for the 2021 Aspen Prize were selected from a pool of nearly 1,000 public two-year colleges nationwide using publicly available data on student outcomes. Located in 39 states in urban, rural, and suburban areas, serving as few as 500 students and as many as 75,000 students, these colleges represent the diversity and depth of the community college sector.

Data show that over the last two years, student retention, graduation rates, and degree completion have improved at the top tier of 150 Aspen Prize-eligible colleges.

“Community colleges play a vital role in developing talent and enabling social mobility across the country, and it’s critical for them to get better at what they do,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. “We’re pleased to see evidence that these institutions are improving, that more are delivering on their promise. We’re also pleased to play a role in honoring outstanding community colleges and sharing what works to ensure great outcomes for students—through graduation and beyond.”

The top ten finalists for the 2021 Aspen Prize will be named in May 2020. The Aspen Institute will then conduct site visits to each of the finalists and collect additional quantitative data, including employment and earnings data. A distinguished jury will make award decisions in spring 2021.

Previous winners of the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence are: Miami Dade College (Fla.) and Indian River State College (Fla.), 2019; Lake Area Technical Institute (S.D.), 2017; Santa Fe College (Fla.), 2015; Santa Barbara City College (Cali.) and Walla Walla Community College (Wash.), 2013; Valencia College (Fla.), 2011.

For a full list of the top 150 eligible institutions and to read more on the selection process, visit highered.aspeninstitute.org/aspen-prize.

The Aspen Prize is generously funded by ECMC Foundation, Joyce Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, and Siemens Foundation.

The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program aims to advance higher education practices, policies, and leadership that significantly improve student outcomes, especially for the growing population of low-income students and students of color on American campuses. For more information, visit highered.aspeninstitute.org/ and linkedin.com/showcase/aspenhighered and follow @AspenHigherEd on Twitter.

The Aspen Institute is a community-serving organization with global reach whose vision is a free, just, and equitable society. For 70 years, the Institute has driven change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the world’s greatest challenges. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Institute has offices in Aspen, Colorado, and New York City, and an international network of partners. For more information, visit aspeninstitute.org.