Library Celebrates National Coloring Book Day on Aug. 2

AVON PARK, Fla. – July 20, 2022 – The South Florida State College (SFSC) Library on the Highlands Campus is excited to bring back the celebration of National Coloring Book Day with a Color-In, featuring a daylong coloring party, free coloring pages, and two door prize drawings.

While the Library offers coloring pages and supplies to students and community members throughout the year, this annual event celebrates the fun and mental health benefits that creativity and social interaction bring. Modern times leave few options to de-stress in community-building activities. Coloring ensures that “drawing skill” levels do not limit or exclude anyone.

The Color-In will be held Tuesday, Aug. 2, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., on the second floor of the SFSC Library (Building Y) on the Highlands Campus in Avon Park. Take Entrance 3 or 4 off of College Drive to the Library parking lot.

For more information, contact the SFSC Library Circulation Desk at 863-784-7306 or email: sfsc-library@southflorida.edu.

AVON PARK, Fla. – July 19, 2022 – South Florida State College (SFSC) honored 11 graduates of its Dental Assisting program in a pinning ceremony in the SFSC University Center on the Highlands Campus in Avon Park on Thursday, July 14. Dental Assisting graduates receiving their pins were: Guadalupe Yazmin Avellaneda-Albarran, Ingrid Rubi Mendoza Arvizu, KayCee Rae Cooper, Nicole Cruz, Florivella Rodrigues De Barros, Viviana Flores, Elizabeth Gonzalez, Julisa Alexis Lopez, Tatjana Barreto Madrigal, Lyss Marie Arroyo Pagani, and Alejandra Sandoval-Ibarra.

Class president Elizabeth Gonzalez addressed her classmates: “We have learned that no matter the challenge, we can overcome it. If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything in life. I will truly miss you all. And no matter where life takes us, remember that in life you have three choices – give up, give in, or give it your all. We, the Dental Assisting class of 2022, are a powerhouse of innovation. We will push the boundaries to make this world a better place, even in small ways. Congratulations, graduates!”

As guest speaker, Rosa Cendejas, an SFSC Dental Education instructor, shared advice on managing money. “We live in a highly marketed world that wants you to buy almost everything there is,” she said. “Once you begin working and earning your own money, for some of you, this will be your first job. Learning how to manage money is a skill that requires learning and practice.”

Cendejas urged the graduates to stay focused on their goals. “Don’t let today’s distractions keep you from doing what you want to do tomorrow,” she said. Cendejas, then, quoted Jack Canfield, motivational speaker and co-author of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book series: “Decide what it is you want, write it down, review it constantly, and each day do something that moves you toward those goals.”

As she concluded, Cendejas offered encouragement: “I can attest that you have received great training and education to be competitive and sought after in today’s job market. Remember to provide your best infection control practices and best standard of care to every patient.”

After completing the 11-month Career Certificate program in Dental Assisting, graduates can work as certified dental assistants by passing the Dental Assisting National Board Examination (DANB) and qualify for the Expanded Functions Dental Assisting Certification as well as Orthodontic Assistant Certification.

For information about SFSC’s Dental Education programs, contact Danielle Ochoa, Health Sciences advisor at 863-784-7027 or by email at healthsciences@southflorida.edu.

AVON PARK, Fla. – July 19, 2022 – The sumptuous holiday classic, The Nutcracker, returns to the Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts on South Florida State College’s (SFSC) Highlands Campus in Avon Park on Sunday, Dec. 4. 

Cindy Garren, SFSC Cultural Programs director, has contracted Columbia City Ballet, South Carolina’s premiere ballet company, to perform the beloved ballet for one performance. Columbia City Ballet produces what critics have described as “some of the highest quality cultural entertainment in the Southeast.” The Ballet attracts not only audiences from all over the Southeast but also quality dancers from all over the country. Entering its 60^th season, Columbia City Ballet travels to 15 cities in three states performing a full ballet season. 

William Starrett, artistic director of Columbia City Ballet, will conduct local auditions at the Wildstein Center on Saturday, Aug. 27. Children ages 5 to 6 will audition at 10 a.m. and ages 7 to 10 will audition at 11 a.m. Dancers, ages 11 and older, audition at 12:30 p.m. Dancers who have danced on pointe for at least two years must bring their pointe shoes to the audition. Nancy McDuffee will conduct the youth rehearsals at the Wildstein Center.

“Many roles are available, from mice to soldiers to candy canes and more,” Garren said. Dance and gymnastics experience is not required, although it is preferred, and children must have completed kindergarten. “This is a wonderful opportunity for local children to perform onstage with a respected, professional company in a beautiful production,” Garren said.

Children should wear leotards, tights, and ballet shoes or shorts and a plain white T-shirt with comfortable shoes. Sandals or flip flops are not permitted. No audition fee is required, but all children cast in the production are required to pay a small costume rental fee which covers cleaning and repairs. A parent or adult chaperone must accompany a child to the audition.

Starrett will offer a free ballet workshop for students with at least two years of ballet experience. It will be held on Friday, Aug. 26, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at SFSC. To register for the ballet workshop or for more audition information, visit https://www.sfscarts.org/box-office/education/nutcracker/. If you have any questions, email culturalperformances@southflorida.edu. Please do not call the SFSC Box Office which is closed for the summer.

July 14, 2022 – South Florida State College (SFSC) was reaffirmed for accreditation by the Board of Trustees of Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in a meeting on June 16, 2022. Every 10 years, each institution of higher education submits to a comprehensive review of its overall operations, including a site visit by peer evaluators. In the recent visit, SFSC succeeded with no noted recommendations or sanctions. SFSC’s next reaffirmation will take place in 2032.

SFSC’s accreditation encapsulates its four campus locations in DeSoto, Hardee, and Highlands counties and its online programs.

“Maintaining institutional accreditation is essential, and SFSC is proud to be recognized by SACSCOC for the maximum 10-year reaffirmation period with no further documentation or follow-up required,” said Dr. Thomas Leitzel, president of SFSC. “It’s an awesome feeling to receive this high level of endorsement that is directly attributed to institutional quality and full compliance with accreditation principles.”

SACSCOC is the accrediting body for degree-granting higher education institutions in the southern region of the United States, which includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Latin America and certain other international sites approved by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees. The Commission also accepts applications for membership from domestic institutions in the other 39 states, as well as international institutions of higher education around the world. SACSCOC focuses on six core values: integrity, peer review/self-regulation, student learning, continuous quality improvement, accountability, and transparency.

For more information about SFSC, call 863-453-6661, email recruiter@southflorida.edu, or visit southflorida.edu.

July 13, 2022 – AdventHealth Sebring and South Florida State College unveiled the new AdventHealth Sebring Center for Nursing Excellence at South Florida State College’s Highlands Campus in Avon Park today. South Florida State College faculty will train students in the state-of-art facility to become future Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and Registered Nurses (RN) through the two-year nursing program.

The nursing students will do their clinical studies at AdventHealth Sebring, AdventHealth Lake Placid, and AdventHealth Wauchula.

“In partnership with South Florida State College, this facility will allow us to educate and develop high caliber nurses to fill the nursing void many health care facilities are currently facing,’’ said AdventHealth Sebring Chief Nursing Officer Elsie Graves. “In addition to receiving the scholarship, these nurses will already have firsthand knowledge of AdventHealth’s whole-person care philosophy and be ready to provide the high-quality nursing care AdventHealth is known for on their very first day as a part of the team.’’

Those students who are enrolled in the AdventHealth Nursing Scholars Program at South Florida State College will receive a $10,000 scholarship to be used for tuition, fees, and books. Upon graduation, those students also will be offered a nursing position at one of the AdventHealth hospitals where they trained.

“South Florida State College and AdventHealth have entered into a formal academic-practice partnership, and we are extremely grateful for the support this innovative agreement provides for our students and our faculty,” said Michele Heston, Ph.D., RN, CNE, dean of health sciences at South Florida State College.

AdventHealth Sebring and South Florida State College have a long history of partnering to educate future health care providers. AdventHealth Sebring previously funded nursing faculty positions at the school to ensure students continue to have the best leaders to help forge new paths to support the shortage of nurses.

About AdventHealth West Florida Division
The West Florida Division of AdventHealth has some of the nation’s brightest medical minds making lifesaving breakthroughs with surgical pioneers, scientists, and researchers using leading-edge technology and innovation to deliver our brand of whole-person care. Our network of care includes AdventHealth Carrollwood, AdventHealth Connerton, AdventHealth Dade City, AdventHealth Heart of Florida, AdventHealth Lake Placid, AdventHealth Lake Wales, AdventHealth North Pinellas, AdventHealth Ocala, AdventHealth Sebring, AdventHealth Tampa, AdventHealth Wauchula, AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and AdventHealth Zephyrhills, as well as seven freestanding offsite Emergency Rooms including AdventHealth Belleview ER, AdventHealth Brandon ER, AdventHealth Central Pasco ER, AdventHealth Four Corners ER, AdventHealth Palm Harbor ER, AdventHealth TimberRidge ER, and AdventHealth Westchase ER. We are more than hospitals, as we have a robust system of care including specialty acute care, over 200 primary care and specialty employed physicians, Express Care at Walgreens clinics, urgent care centers, wound care, physical therapy, home care, mobile mammography and more. AdventHealth is a faith-based not-for-profit health care system with a mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ. AdventHealth has hundreds of care sites and more than 50 hospitals across the United States. For more information about AdventHealth, visit AdventHealth.com, or Facebook.com/AdventHealth, and for West Florida Division, click here.