Governor DeSantis Presents Funds for Truck Driving Program

AVON PARK, Fla. – Jan. 20, 2022 — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited South Florida State College’s (SFSC) Hardee Campus in Bowling Green today to present Dr. Thomas C. Leitzel, SFSC president, with a check in the amount of $415,000 toward the College’s Commercial Vehicle Driver Program. Those funds will be used to purchase state-of-the art driving simulators to train students.

Gov. DeSantis said he plans to make Florida the No. 1 state for workforce education in the nation by 2030, as well as respond to the shortage of truck drivers and nurses in Florida and nationwide. To that end, he awarded $2.3 million to six educational institutions across the state to support Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and Nursing programs. Besides SFSC’s CDL program, the State College of Florida – Manatee/Sarasota received $930,000, Manatee Technical College received $550,000, and North Florida Technical College received $100,000. Nursing programs at Florida Gateway College will receive $135,000 and the College of the Florida Keys will receive $150,000.

“The American Trucking Association estimates that we’re going to need, nationwide, 1.1 million new truck drivers over the next 10 years,” Gov. DeSantis said. “Right now, there’s a national shortage. Florida has been helping alleviate that. Companies are offering $15,000 signing bonuses to encourage people to sign up and drive trucks. This is a moment when we can give people more opportunity and see them do well with little or no debt while also filling a need.”

“We’re thrilled to have Gov. DeSantis and Senior Chancellor Henry Mack from the Florida College System here today,” said Dr. Thomas C. Leitzel, SFSC president. “It is great that workforce matters in this state and we have a governor who rewards those efforts. The Florida College System can quickly respond to economic matters and Gov. DeSantis recognized this. He boldly went after funds in the midst of the pandemic and said, ‘We need to put people to work in the state of Florida.’ Therefore, the rapid credential program was established. Henry knows it well, because funds came to SFSC and we’re putting students to work. At SFSC, we say jobs is our favorite four-letter word. We enable our learners to get a job, keep a job, or be promoted in a current job. And that’s the bottom line and the governor recognizes it. On behalf of all current students and all future students at SFSC, we are so grateful for the governor’s support.”

In 2020, SFSC was awarded funding through Gov. DeSantis’ Emergency Education Relief (GEER) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to bolster Rapid Credentialing which assists in educating and training residents who are unemployed, underemployed, or furloughed. Funds were dispersed to institutions, such as SFSC, to enroll and complete students in short-term, in-demand workforce/career and technical education (CTE) credentialing and certificate programs. At that time, SFSC was awarded $292,096 with an additional 25% through matching funds for a total of $365,120.

Because SFSC’s Commercial Vehicle Driver Program led the way with strong performance on its grant evaluation, Henry Mack, senior chancellor of the Florida Department of Education overseeing the Division of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, suggested the College move forward on its plans to purchase truck driver simulators as teaching tools for its program.

“We’re seeing evidence that CTE graduates are earning the same median lifetime earning as baccalaureate degree earners,” Mack said. “A case in point are the truck driver graduates of SFSC. Since day one, Governor, you’ve prioritized CTE. So, on behalf all of the faculty, the students, the counselors, the staff, and everyone at the Department of Education, thank you for prioritizing workforce education and helping to elevate it so that we can meet the economic demands of the state of Florida.”

“We’re excited about these simulators because they will give our students an enhanced training experience,” said Tina Gottus, SFSC’s director of corporate and community education. “The simulators will provide students with broader training opportunities. Students will learn how to drive in conditions, such as darkness and high winds, as well as those we don’t experience in Florida – the mountains and snow. On the simulator, they can have a tire blowout and learn how to recover from that incident. When things go wrong on the road, students will better know how to recover. Ultimately, they will become better drivers. When they make it safer on our roads, we all benefit.”

SFSC’s Commercial Vehicle Driver Program is a four-week course that offers in-depth, hands-on truck driving experience and provides connections with future employers. Joe Burke, who was a truck driver for 36 years, is the program’s coordinator and instructor. The College accepts approximately 260 students into the program annually. Currently, 25 students are on its waiting list for acceptance into the program.

AVON PARK, Fla. – Jan. 14, 2022 – Rick Hitt, athletic director and head baseball coach at South Florida State College (SFSC), was recently named president of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and, officially, took office on Friday, Jan. 7, during ABCA’s annual convention in Chicago.

Hitt initially joined the ABCA Board of Directors while serving as the Junior College Division Chair before being selected by the ABCA membership to serve as ABCA fourth vice president in 2018. Since that time, he has served simultaneously on the ABCA’s Board of Directors while progressing up the vice-presidential ladder. As second vice president in 2020, Hitt was tasked with arranging all of the clinic speakers for the 2021 ABCA Convention, which was held virtually.

In addition to Hitt, each of the ABCA’s vice presidents moved up one seat. Jim Schlossnagle of Texas A&M University is first vice president, Matt Noone of Babson College is second vice president, and Bob Whalen of Dartmouth College is third vice president. John McCormack of Florida Atlantic University was voted by the ABCA membership in fall 2021 to serve as fourth vice president in 2022.

“I am grateful to have the opportunity to represent SFSC, Region 8 and the NJCAA in this position,” Hitt said. “The ABCA organization is an outstanding group. To have been accepted as a member of the board of directors several years ago and to serve coaches worldwide is amazing. I owe a great deal of thanks and am grateful to many people for this opportunity. 

My father told me many years ago that if you feel you have something to offer, some talents, some tools, don’t be selfish and waste them on yourself. Be willing to serve others. I have never forgotten that. I am genuinely honored to serve.” 

Hitt began his 24th year as the longest tenured coach in SFSC Panther Baseball history this past August. In his tenure as head baseball coach, Hitt has seen over 170 players move on to four-year schools and/or professional baseball. Hitt’s expectations of the players are simple: “Dedicate yourself to being an outstanding young man and representative of SFSC daily, commit to academic accountability and graduation, and play the greatest game in the world as hard as you can play it each day you get the chance. The growth that occurs within this process has the opportunity to stay with you as you venture on in life.”

In May 2020, Hitt was selected to be inducted into the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame, and he will be inducted in May 2022. He has been inducted into two additional Halls of Fame — the Santa Fe College Hall of Fame, as a member of the 1985 State Championship and National Tournament Team, and the Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA) Hall of Fame. Hitt began his coaching career 34 years ago as an assistant coach at Sebring High School. 

In the past 13 years, Hitt has completed terms as the NJCAA Coaches Association secretary, vice president, and served five years as the association’s president which included six years as a member of the NJCAA National Team staff. Hitt is currently the FCSAA State Baseball Chairperson for Region 8 in Florida and served 16 years on the FCSAA State Baseball Committee.

“All of SFSC is honored to share in Coach Hitt’s joy,” said Dr. Thomas C. Leitzel, SFSC president. “He is a natural leader and contributes willingly to advance academics and athletics from his platform, locally, as a director of athletics and from his positions on national organizations. His professional passion is baseball. Coach Hitt has been and continues to be an influence on countless students who play baseball for the Panthers and others who participate in Panther athletics. Rick willingly shares his experience through his daily discharge of duties that shape the lives of current athletes who will become future leaders when they graduate.”

The ABCA, founded in 1945, is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level. Its over 13,000 members represent all 50 states and 33 countries. Since its initial meeting of 27 college baseball coaches in June 1945, Association membership has broadened to include nine divisions: NCAA Division I, II, and III; NAIA; NJCAA; Pacific Association Division; High School; Youth; and Travel Baseball.

AVON PARK, Fla. – Jan. 12, 2022 – Tango Fire, the global dance production seen by 20 million people, comes to the Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts at South Florida State College (SFSC) on Saturday, Jan. 29 for a 7 p.m. performance. As one of the world’s most popular dance forms, this exhilarating show combines the rawness, sophistication, seductive, and sultry sides of tango, evoking the intoxicating passion of late-night Buenos Aires.

International master of Tango, German Cornejo and his sensuous and passionate partner, Gisela Galeassi, are joined by an outstanding cast including World Tango Champions and the best dancers from the greatest Tango houses in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The production features live music by Quarteto Fuego and singer Jesus Hidalgo.

Cornejo and Galeassi have been practicing and perfecting their tango since the ages of 10 and 16, respectively. They have mastered the skills and styles of classical dance, contemporary dance, jazz, ballet, acrobatics, and tango in the company of Argentina’s most respected teachers. After collectively winning 40 gold medals at national competitions, Cornejo and Galeassi became World Tango Champions in 2005 and 2003, which pushed their dance skills to the highest level imaginable. Cornejo and Galeassi’s performances have received rave reviews all over the world including: Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles, USA), Joyce Theatre (New York, USA), New York City Center (New York, USA), Colón Theatre (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Beijing Opera House (Beijing, China), Sydney Opera House (Sydney, Australia), Civic Theatre (Johannesburg, South Africa), MAAG Music Hall (Zurich, Switzerland), Place Des Arts (Montreal, Canada), GREC Theatre (Barcelona, Spain), and Tokyu Theatre Orb (Tokyo, Japan).

“Anyone who loves ‘Dancing with the Stars’ must see this dance spectacular,” said Cindy Garren, director of SFSC Cultural Programs. “It’s sultry, it’s glamourous, and it’s live on stage, right here in Highlands County.” 

The Tango Fire Company of Buenos Aires was established in 2005 with its world premiere in Singapore. In that same year, the show was presented at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where it received critical acclaim, resulting in engagements in the most prestigious venues around the world. The company has toured the world extensively over the past 11 years. Tango Fire’s choreographer is International Tango Superstar German Cornejo. The individual couples in the company choreograph their own solos with Cornejo refining the steps, as is traditional in the world of Argentine Tango. Allowing the couples creative freedom to create a showcase of the five couples’ individual styles, Tango Fire Company of Buenos Aires is unique in the world of tango.

Tickets start at $32 and are available online at sfscARTS.org. Groups of 12 save 50%. The Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts is located on SFSC’s Highlands Campus at 600 West College Drive in Avon Park. To view videos and purchase tickets to any performance, visit sfscARTS.org. To purchase tickets by phone, call the SFSC Box Office at 863-784-7178.

AVON PARK, Fla. – Jan. 10, 2022 – The Museum of Florida Art and Culture (MOFAC) on South Florida State College’s (SFSC) Highlands Campus in Avon Park presents “Mindscapes,” now through March 25. The exhibit features the intaglios and drawings of award-winning artist Elizabeth Grange Okulski Coachman, M.D. An Artist Reception and Talk will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 19 at 12:30 p.m. in the Museum.

Coachman grew up near Chicago in a family of punsters and art appreciators. After initially studying advertising design at Philadelphia’s Moore College of Art, she transferred to Rutgers University’s Biology Department in Camden, N.J. with aspirations toward medical illustration work. Somehow, she morphed into a pre-med major but continued drawing and painting.

Coachman married young and the U.S. Navy sent her first husband to serve in semitropical Okinawa, Japan where she was a civilian medical lab assistant and a freelance artist. Her exotic experiences while creating paintings for an outlandish American nightclub entertainer were memorable. Coachman’s travel left an indelible impression on her.

Back in the United States, Coachman acquired an M.D. at Philadelphia’s Temple University School of Medicine. In her spare time, she drew humorous illustrations for the school’s yearbook and advertising posters for her medical class. Retiring after 20 years in hospital pathology practice, she studied drawing, painting, and printmaking at the Fine Art Center in Dunedin, Fla. There she won several awards including a best of show for print work.

In 1998, Coachman remarried, moved to a Florida cattle ranch and spent several summers in a 17th century fishing village in Newfoundland, Canada. She belonged to St. Michael’s Printshop, learned carborundum mezzotint technique, and sold prints and landscape paintings through the now-closed St. John’s gallery.

Much of Coachman’s visual pun intaglio work was in her first solo exhibit of 88 works, held in Tarpon Springs, Fla., and called, “Fun and Other Words.” She is a charter member of and has exhibited with the Floridian printmaking group, 24 Hands.

The solo exhibit at MOFAC on the Highlands Campus of SFSC includes intaglios and intricate graphite drawings. Intaglios are a general term for metal-plate printmaking techniques, including etching, dry point, engraving, aquatint, and mezzotint. The word comes from the Italian intagliare, meaning “to incise” or “to carve.” In intaglio printing, the lines or areas that hold the ink are incised below the surface of the plate, and printing relies on the pressure of a press to force damp paper into these incised lines or areas, to pick up ink.

MOFAC is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call MOFAC at 863-784-7240.

AVON PARK, Fla. — Jan. 7, 2022 — During the December meeting of South Florida State College’s (SFSC) District Board of Trustees, 18 students studying for careers in the health sciences at SFSC received approximately $26,594 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: Ebony Gammage, Michaelyn Grantham, Heather Hardisty, Christen Pyles, Marisela Ramos, Brenna Wells, Lyndsee Williams, Maria Gonzalez, Lillian Salazar, and Marilyn Ceballos
• Dental Education: Kaycee Cooper, Alejandra Sandoval-Ibarra, Hayla Krayem, and Jennifer Lopez
• Radiography: Jeremy Ray, Hailea Seyer, Leroy Small, and Ashlyn Smeal

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.

“Students participating in intensive healthcare programs are often unable to take on work outside of their studies,” said Jamie Bateman, SFSC’s executive director of institutional advancement. “Because of its commitment to education and statewide healthcare needs, Florida Blue has provided scholarships to aid these students in completing their programs and alleviating financial stress. These students will soon begin careers in nursing, dental care, and radiography – all fields that are critical 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, FL – Jan. 4, 2022 – The South Florida State College (SFSC) Foundation will host its fifth Annual Million Dollar Hole-in-One Golf Shootout at Sun ‘N Lake Golf Club with qualifying rounds taking place on Thursday, Jan. 13 and Friday, Jan. 14 from 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and on Saturday, Jan. 15 from 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. The final round will take place on Sunday, Jan. 16 at 9 a.m. Proceeds from the Golf Shootout benefit the SFSC Athletic Department. SFSC fields four athletic teams: women’s volleyball, women’s cross country, men’s baseball, and women’s softball.

“We are excited again to host the Million Dollar Hole-in-One Golf Shootout,” said Rick Hitt, SFSC Athletic Director. “Since the inaugural Shootout, we have given out thousands of dollars in prize money to our qualifiers and we look forward to doing it again this year in hopes of delivering on the grand prize of $1 million. This community has supported athletics at every level every year that I can remember in the 34 years of my coaching career. We look forward to the enjoyment of the qualifying rounds and the excitement and enthusiasm that the final round of the Million Dollar Hole-in-One Golf Shootout brings.”

Amateur adult golfers are eligible to participate in the Shootout and compete for $1 million provided through Putting Hole-in-One Shootouts Prize Promotions. If no one sinks a hole-in-one, the closest shots to the hole will win prizes. First place will receive $750, second place will receive $500, third will receive $250, and fourth will receive a pro shop gift card from Sun ‘N Lake Golf Club. Golfers can purchase a bag of 10 balls for $10. Participants may purchase an unlimited number of bags.

“We are thankful to everyone who supports SFSC by participating in our Million Dollar Hole-in-One Golf Shootout,” said Jamie Bateman, executive director of institutional advancement at SFSC. “The success of this event is made possible by our generous donors and sponsors who take the lead in ensuring our students have the means to succeed in their goals of higher education. Our athletes and all our students are blessed because of everyone who comes out to play.”

Sponsorships for the Shootout are still available. For more information about the Million Dollar Hole-in-One Golf Shootout or sponsoring the event, contact the SFSC Foundation at 863-453-3133 or foundation@southflorida.edu.

ABOUT THE SFSC FOUNDATION

The South Florida State College (SFSC) Foundation enhances community awareness of the College, solicits and accepts gifts, receives bequests, and manages and helps to appreciate cash gifts or non-cash gifts donated to the SFSC Foundation. Such contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Funds received by the SFSC Foundation are distributed to endeavors that benefit the college and subsidize its students, staff, and programs. The SFSC Foundation offers scholarships and provides funding to maintain educational facilities.