The Aspen Institute Names South Florida State College as a Top 150 U.S. Community College Eligible for the 2025 Aspen Prize $1 Million Prize Recognizes Excellence in Equitable Outcomes for Students in and After College
Oct. 31, 2023 – Today, the Aspen Institute named South Florida State College (SFSC) as one of the 150 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among two-year colleges. The institutions selected for this honor stand out among more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide as having high and improving levels of student success as well as equitable outcomes for Black and Hispanic students and those from lower-income backgrounds.
“We are immensely proud to be recognized by The Aspen Institute for our continued efforts in providing a quality education and valuable services for our students,” said Fred Hawkins, SFSC president. “Our administration, staff, and faculty support our students by equipping them with the access and education they need to overcome financial, social, and academic boundaries and achieve the goals they set for themselves. Community colleges bolster the communities they serve and we are grateful to support the residents of DeSoto, Hardee, and Highlands counties and advocate for a prosperous future.”
The Aspen Prize spotlights exemplary community colleges in order to drive attention to colleges achieving post-graduate success for all students, and is a central way Aspen researches highly effective student success strategies that are shared with the field. The 150 eligible colleges have been invited to submit student success data and narratives about strategies to achieve better and more equitable student outcomes as the next step in an intensive review process that culminates in the naming of the Aspen Prize winner in spring 2025. The eligible colleges represent the diversity and depth of the community college sector. Located in urban, rural, and suburban areas across 30 states, these colleges serve as few as 169 students and as many as 49,619.
“The Aspen Prize is rooted first and foremost in an assessment of whether colleges are walking the walk,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. “As community colleges face enrollment variations, enroll students with pandemic-related learning loss, and graduate students into a rapidly changing labor market, it is easy to lose track of what matters most. The best community colleges are continuing to focus on advancing the core mission: making sure as many students as possible graduate with credentials that lead to fulfilling careers and reflect the development of diverse talent that communities, states, and our nation need.”
While community colleges are an essential contributor to our nation’s success, student outcomes vary substantially among institutions. Aspen measures those variances using multiple data sources and honors colleges with outstanding achievement in six critical areas: teaching and learning, certificate and degree completion, transfer and bachelor’s attainment, workforce success, equitable access to the college, and equitable outcomes for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds.
“These 150 colleges have achieved high and improving levels of student success for all students, including those who are often failed by our institutions,” Wyner said. “We’re excited to learn over the coming months how they achieved that success so we can share the most impressive practices with others in the field.”
In this first round, eligibility for the Aspen Prize is based on publicly available data. Colleges must show strong, improving, and equitable student outcomes in first-to-second-year retention, credentials awarded, and completion and transfer rates. Nationwide, about 15 percent of community colleges have been invited to apply (150 of just under 1,000 public two-year colleges assessed for Prize eligibility). The full list can be accessed on the Prize homepage.
The next steps in the process include:
April 2024: Announcement of 25 semifinalists, selected based on assessments of extensive data and strategy documents by the Prize selection panel, a group of 16 experts in community colleges, higher education, and workforce training, and interviews with institutional leadership teams
June 2024: Announcement of 10 finalists, selected by the Prize selection panel
Fall 2024: Site visits to each of the ten finalists, during which the Aspen Institute and partners will collect additional information, including employment and earnings data and insights about promising practices
January 2025: Prize award decisions made by a distinguished, independent Prize jury at a full-day meeting
Spring 2025: Announcement of the Aspen Prize winner and celebration of the 10 finalists in Washington, D.C.
For a full list of the top 150 eligible institutions and to read more on the selection process, visit
highered.aspeninstitute.org/aspen-prize/.
Avon Park, Fla. – Oct. 30, 2023 – 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 Friday, Nov. 10, 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.
U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael S. Ryan will deliver the official remarks during the ceremony. In August 2022, he assumed command of the 598th Range Squadron, Avon Park Air Force Range. Ryan was previously the director of operations of the 18 Operations Support Squadron, 18th Wing, and HH-60G instructor pilot, 33rd Rescue Squadron, at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. He was commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at Auburn University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, summa cum laude, in 2004. He was awarded his Master of Systems Engineering from George Washington University in 2010 and his Master of Military Operational Art and Science from Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, in 2016. As a command pilot, he logged over 2,000 hours of total flight time. He was deployed twice to Afghanistan as a mission pilot.
The Sebring High School Show Choir will perform a musical tribute and the Avon Park High School Air Force JROTC color guard will present the American flag. After the ceremony, guests are invited to participate in a Remembrance Walk through a portion of the SFSC Highlands Campus.
To reach the location of the ceremony at the SFSC Highlands Campus in Avon Park, take Entrance 3 on College Drive. Enlightenment Circle is on the southeast side of the Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts.
For further information about SFSC’s Veterans Day ceremony, contact Dr. Brent Ferns, SFSC dean of Applied Sciences and Technologies, at brent.ferns@southflorida.edu or 863-784-7424.
Hayden Tyler
AVON PARK, Fla. – Oct. 24, 2023 – In April 2023, Hayden Tyler was a second-place winner when over 70 lineworker apprentices and 12 journeyman teams competed during the Duke Energy Florida Lineman’s Rodeo in Winter Garden, Fla. With that win, Tyler advanced to the International Lineman’s Rodeo held in Kansas City, Mo., Oct. 11-14. Although he didn’t come away with a win during the International, Tyler said that participating in the rodeos enhances his work as an electrical lineworker.
Tyler is a 2021 graduate of South Florida State College’s (SFSC) Electrical Lineworker program and a lineworker apprentice for Duke Energy out of its facilities on Kenilworth Boulevard in Sebring.
“I work with a lineworker journeyman on a truck every day,” Tyler said. “Right now, we’re building power lines for new houses. ‘New customer work’ is what we call it. So, for people who are building new houses, we’re supplying them with power. But we’re also maintaining what’s already in place — our system and our grid. Of course, during storms and outages, we’re getting the power back on.”
A lineworker apprentice has fewer than four years of utility experience, while a journeyman has more than four years of utility experience.
Becoming a lineworker wasn’t part of Tyler’s career plans when he was a student at Avon Park High School. “When I was in high school, I worked with my dad at Mark Palmer Electric & Air Conditioning, so I did electrical and air conditioning work,” he said. “I was thinking about getting a business degree and opening my own electrical and air conditioning business. However, after taking college courses, I realized that college isn’t really my thing. And I wanted to work outside.”
Tyler’s family owns property behind SFSC’s Hardee Campus in Bowling Green, so he’d see the students climbing the telephone poles and his interest was piqued. “I thought that was really cool, so I looked into it,” he said. “The other big thing was the kind of money you can make as a lineworker. So, I enrolled in the program right after high school.”
Tyler competing in the Guy Wrap Change Out event
After graduating from SFSC, Tyler was hired by Duke Energy along with graduates of lineworker programs from other institutions. He was pleasantly surprised to find that he’d graduated from a program that was well considered by his colleagues at the company.
Tyler was given the opportunity to participate in Duke Energy’s Lineman’s Rodeo in Winter Garden and competed in all events available to apprentices. Competitors were divided into groups of apprentices and journeymen. Apprentices competed individually and journeymen competed as three-person teams. Each group was required to complete a set of competitive job-related events, such as a Pole Climb, carrying an uncooked egg to the top of an electrical pole; a rescue climb to free a dummy trapped in the wires; and two mystery events. Competitors are only given details about the mystery events the night before the Rodeo. According to Tyler, competitors were also required to take a written test the day before the Rodeo.
“In the Hurtman Rescue, a dummy hangs on the pole, you have to climb up and cut him down, and bring him down safely to the ground,” Tyler said. “It’s all timed.”
“For what people call the Pole Climb, Speed Climb, or Egg Climb, you have a little bag with an egg in it, you put it in your mouth, you have to climb to the top of the pole, there’s a bag up there, throw that bag down, hang your bag and take the egg out of the bag, put your egg in your mouth, and climb down as fast as you can without breaking the egg,” he said. “Of course, the judges inspect the egg to make sure you didn’t crack it.”
Tyler won one of his mystery events with the fastest time and with no point deductions. It was the Spool Change Out, in which an insulator near the top of a pole must be changed out through a series of complex activities.
Tyler placed first in the Spool Change Out mystery event and earned second place for the Apprentice Overall awards for his scores from all events.
Tyler headed to the International Lineman’s Rodeo in Kansas City, along with Duke’s three-journeyman team of Mike Silver, Tanner Bell, and Kirby Whitehouse. For apprentices, the International Rodeo featured the Hurtman Rescue, a Pole Climb, two mystery events, and a written test.
Tyler at the Duke Energy Lineman’s Rodeo last April
“The International is a lot different, because you’re competing with people and companies from across the country and all over the world,” he said. “Teams from Canada, Brazil, all over, come to Kansas City. It was exciting. But I was nervous because you know the caliber of people you’re competing against and I’m representing my company – Duke Energy.”
Tyler explained that at the International Rodeo, teams of apprentices and journeymen are further divided into investor utilities, such as Duke Energy; electric cooperatives, such as PRECO and Glades Electric Cooperative; and municipalities, such as the City of Fort Meade or City of Wauchula. “They still compete in all events, but they might also win in the category, “Best Investor Utility” or “Best Municipality.”
Tyler believes that the rodeos enhance his performance as a lineworker. “Especially when it comes to outages,” he said. “We’re trying to get the power back on as fast as we can and in a safe manner. Those little tricks will help us decrease outage minutes, which is basically how we’re rated as a power company. Just those little tips can make us faster and more efficient out in the field.”
According to Tyler, participating in the rodeos “is a way to showcase to everyone else in our company what we’ve learned. Also, I’m a first-generation lineworker, so my family didn’t understand what goes into the job. Being able to bring my family to Winter Garden and to Kansas City to watch me and other competitors at the rodeos let them see what we do on a day-to-day basis. It’s kind of nice and opens people’s eyes.”
Although Tyler loves his job and says that it’s rewarding work, he acknowledges that it isn’t for everyone. “Because I work for a utility company, I’m prone to call outs,” he said. “If a storm rolls in and somebody’s power goes out in the middle of the night, my phone is ringing and I have to go to work. We live in Florida, so we have the heat. It’s also physically demanding work — digging holes by hand. It’s hard work, but at the end of the night when you’ve had an outage, you throw that final switch, we see the lights come on, that makes it all worth it. And the pay is quite good.”
AVON PARK, Fla. – Oct. 17, 2023 – Exile kicked off its 60th anniversary year with several projects, including a new record, a documentary, and the current tour aptly named “A Million Miles Later” which comes to the Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts at South Florida State College (SFSC) on Friday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.
The tour will highlight Exile’s hits like the four-week No. 1 song “Kiss You All Over,” “Woke Up in Love,” “Give Me One More Chance,” “I Can’t Get Enough,” and “Super Love,” as well as new songs from the upcoming record “A Million Miles Later.” The performance is part of the AdventHealth Trending Now Series which includes performances by Country Music Association (CMA) Award winners Thompson Square, Rumours (Fleetwood Mac tribute), and The Brothers Doobie. The Exile concert is sponsored by the Olympic Restaurant in Avon Park.
“Exile has toured with Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac, The Oak Ridge Boys, Kenny Rogers, and The Judds,” said Cindy Garren, director of cultural programs. “We’re thrilled that they are coming to South Florida State College. We’ve got the best big city entertainment with small town prices. Tickets start at $18 and groups of 12 or more can save 50% on admission. Subscriptions packages to the AdventHealth Trending Now Series start at $94 — that’s less than $25 per concert.”
On Sept. 30, 1978, the award-winning band that had initially set out to play small clubs in Richmond, Ky., back in 1963, skyrocketed to worldwide fame with a multiweek chart-topper “Kiss You All Over.” In fact, it made Billboard’s Year End Hot 100 Singles of 1978 (Top 5) and later placed in Billboard’s The 50 Sexiest Songs of All Time (Top 10) category. The iconic song has been showcased in feature films such as “Happy Gilmore,” “Employee of the Month,” “Zookeeper,” and “Wildhogs.”
In the early 1980s, Exile began to focus on country music. During its run on the country charts, Exile had 10 No. 1 singles including “I Don’t Want to Be A Memory,” “Give Me One More Chance,” and “She’s A Miracle.” The band members wrote their own songs, played on all their recordings, and also proved to be prolific songwriters composing hits for other artists such as Alabama, Restless Heart, Huey Lewis, Diamond Rio, Janie Fricke, and many more. During this country phase, Exile received 11 nominations including Vocal Group of The Year and Best Instrumental Performance for the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music awards.
The five original Exile members re-formed in 2008 with J.P. Pennington, Les Taylor, Sonny LeMaire, Marlon Hargis, and Steve Goetzman. The Kentucky Music Hall of Fame members continued to perform for legions of fans on the 2018 No Limit Tour and have appeared over 100 times on the Grand Ole Opry. Exile recently released their latest project “Hits” and the album contains 11 No. 1 songs spanning three decades, along with four additional top 10’s. The ultimate, crossover band has sold over 8 million records worldwide, with three gold albums.
The Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts is located on the Highlands Campus of SFSC at 600 West College Drive in Avon Park. Since 1984, the 1,460-seat theater hosts international tours, Broadway tours, Grammy award winners, music concerts, and free performances. Funding is provided in part by the Florida Department of State, Division of Arts & Culture.
Tickets can be purchased online at sfscARTS.org, by phone at 863-784-7178, or by visiting the SFSC Box Office Monday to Friday, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Upcoming shows include: a musical version of “A Christmas Carol” on Nov. 28; “Daybreak – The music of Barry Manilow” on Jan. 9; New Orleans Nighthawks on Jan. 14; “Yesterday: A Tribute to the Beatles” on Jan. 16; Thompson Square on Jan. 20; “Croce Plays Croce” on Jan. 27 and more. To view videos and see the complete schedule, visit sfscARTS.org.
AVON PARK, Fla. – Oct. 12, 2023 – The Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts at South Florida State College (SFSC) in Avon Park presents the live animal show, “Wild World of Animals,” starring Grant Kemmerer on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 3 p.m.
“Wild World of Animals” is an entertaining and educational show voted one of the top five edutainment shows in the world by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. All seats are $15.
Sponsored by Lisa and Bill Jarrett and Get Fish Slapped, a marketing company based in Sebring, “Wild World of Animals” will feature about 13 animal guests, ranging from the critically endangered red ruffed lemur to a laughing kookaburra. The diverse lineup mirrors one of the themes of the show: the importance of all animals.
Grant Kemmerer, a graduate of Florida International University, currently works with and cares for over 200 animals in his southwestern Pennsylvania home. He has trained animals for movies and television and is a guest lecturer for one of the leading ecotourism companies in the world.
Kemmerer, who holds numerous state and federal permits, has been a guest on “Fox and Friends,” “The Martha Stewart Show,” “CBS Early Show,” “Good Morning America,” “Kelly and Ryan,” “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” Animal Planet, and National Geographic.
“This is such a delightful show for kids,” said Cindy Garren, director of cultural programs. “We have preshow activities in the lobby for kids and the first 250 children through our doors will get a free pack of animal crackers and milk provided by M & B Products from Tampa.”
Doors open at 1:30 p.m. Lobby activities include kids’ games, a photo booth, an animal tattoo station, and a scavenger hunt. Kids can enter a coloring contest at https://bit.ly/3Lanimals. “Make a homemade animal mask and bring it to the show and kids can win tickets to Gatorama, Zoo Tampa, or Big Cat Habitat,” Garren said.
This performance is part of the Play Your Part initiative at SFSC Performing Arts where proceeds from the ticket sales of “Wild World of Animals” will support local non-profit organizations. Participating local agencies are: Mason Smoak Foundation, Nu-Hope Elder Care, Florida Future Educators, After School Spot, Children’s Museum of Highlands County, AdventHealth, Historical Society of Avon Park, Hope Haven, Sebring Historical Society, Ridge Area ARC, St. Catherine Catholic School, Sun ‘n Lake Elementary School, and Walker Memorial School.
The Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts is located on the Highlands Campus of SFSC at 600 West College Drive in Avon Park. Since 1984, the 1,460-seat theater has hosted international tours, Broadway tours, Grammy award winners, music concerts, and free performances. Funding is provided in part by the Florida Department of State, Division of Arts & Culture.
Tickets can be purchased online at sfscARTS.org, by phone at 863-784-7178, or by visiting the SFSC Box Office, Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Upcoming shows include: country/rock with Exile on Nov. 10; “A Christmas Carol” on Nov. 28; “Daybreak – The music of Barry Manilow” on Jan. 9; New Orleans Nighthawks on Jan. 14; Thompson Square on Jan. 20; “Croce Plays Croce” on Jan. 27. To view videos and see the complete schedule, visit sfscARTS.org.
Dr. Charles McLochlin
Avon Park, Fla. – Oct. 6, 2023 – The Dr. Charles McLochlin Memorial Fund was recently established through the estate of Dr. McLochlin as a donation to the SFSC Foundation. Those funds will be unrestricted and used to support the College and its students.
According to Dr. McLochlin’s niece, Pamela Karlson, he was a lifelong learner. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Engineering from Purdue University and a doctoral degree from the University of Florida in 1989. He later received recognition from the faculty of Johns Hopkins University for continuing his education in Engineering. He worked most of his adult life for the National Security Agency. Dr. McLochlin was interested in the mechanics of flight and built and flew many experimental aircraft, such as ultralights. Until a month before his passing in July 2023, he was enrolled in classes at Broward College to become an aircraft mechanic so he could work on and certify his own aircraft engines.
“He placed a great deal of importance on education in his life and wanted others to do the same,” Karlson said. “So why leave his estate to SFSC? It all comes down to relationships. When going through his papers, he had countless letters and invitations from Don Applequist, the former executive director of the SFSC Foundation; Jamie Bateman, SFSC vice president for institutional advancement and external affairs; and SFSC President Emeritus Dr. Thomas Leitzel to attend functions and be a part of the SFSC culture. I believe it was this constant contact, communication, and genuine caring that ultimately caused my uncle to choose SFSC as the predominant beneficiary of his estate.”
“Dr. McLochlin has been a long-standing donor to the SFSC Foundation,” Bateman said. “To be named in his estate as the beneficiary and carry on his legacy, is an honor and privilege. We are thankful to him and his family for their continued support and are currently working on honoring his name and contribution in a way that will fulfill his legacy.”
To leave a legacy such as Dr. McLochlin’s, consider speaking with your attorney to draft a will or trust naming the SFSC Foundation as a beneficiary. For more information, call the SFSC Foundation at 863-453-3133 or email foundation@southflorida.edu.
Cisco Hernandez (left), Duke Energy journeyman with transmissions, presents a scholarship check in the amount of $5,600 to SFSC Electrical Lineworker student, Alejandro Hernandez, on behalf of the Duke Energy Foundation.
AVON PARK, Fla. – Oct. 5, 2023 – South Florida State College (SFSC) student, Alejandro S. Hernandez, has been awarded a $5,600 scholarship from the Duke Energy Foundation in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month. The scholarship will cover Hernandez’s tuition, books, and supplies while he attends classes toward his Electrical Lineworker Career Certificate through SFSC.
SFSC and Duke Energy leadership surprised Alejandro at the Hardee Campus to present and announce the scholarship on Monday, Oct. 2.
“For the scholarship, we chose a Hispanic student who was paying for classes out of pocket and was deserving,” said Chris Yeomans, SFSC electrical distribution professor. “We chose Alejandro because he showed up to class every day and is a particularly good student.”
The scholarship is part of a recent initiative by Duke Energy and its Foundation to provide more than $250,000 in support for organizations and programs committed to uplifting Hispanic students, businesses, and events in Florida.
Nancy Dodd, Duke Energy government and community relations manager, said, “At Duke Energy, it’s important for us to invest in organizations and institutions that are dedicated to providing high-quality learning and employment opportunities to students of all backgrounds. We are grateful to the College for its collaboration and shared commitment to helping develop a diverse workforce that will strengthen our Central Florida communities and economy. Alejandro is well deserving, and we are proud to support efforts to elevate his career and ensure he is prepared for a rewarding career.”
Duke Energy scholar
SFSC is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) with an approximately 40% Hispanic student population. The College offers a variety of pathway options that provide students the education and training they need for high-paying positions within the region. SFSC’s Electrical Lineworker Program is one of those options. The program prepares students to work as electric line technicians in the construction, maintenance, and repair of electric utility overhaul and underground systems.
Through 1,500 contact hours (approximately 18 months) of training at the College’s Hardee Campus, Electrical Lineworker students gain an understanding of electrical systems, operations, and safety while mastering competencies in electrical distribution, basic electrical theory, and underground electrical construction operations. They learn how to maintain electric power systems and use electrical distribution equipment. The program provides practice in climbing, framing, building single and three-phase overhead lines, pole top and bucket rescue techniques, operating bucket trucks, and maintaining and repairing underground systems. Students who successfully complete the program earn a Career Certificate.
For more information about SFSC’s Electrical Lineworker Program, contact Yeomans by emailing yeomansC@southflorida.edu or calling 863-784-7045.
