June 17, 2008

Thank You's

At a "Thank You Breakfast" this morning for the county officials, police chiefs and sheriff, we formally opened the driving track and classroom facility at Geneva, which will significantly enhance the firing range. We are now open for business!

Thank you, also, to Chick Gregg for providing transportation for Senate President Ken Pruitt and five of the community college presidents, so they could attend the Florida College System Bill Signing at Okaloosa Walton College last Thursday. We had great weather for flying and it was good to be part of this historic event.

Phi Theta Kappa Award

Our PTK chapter has achieved "5 Star" status. This is the highest rating awarded by the International Honor Society. Congratulations to all!

Faculty Achievements

• Dorothy Lange recently completed her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix. Congratulations, Dr. Lange!
• Lucia Dzikowski was interviewed by Channel 6, on May 8, about breast cancer awareness and the importance of mammograms. Lucia is a cancer survivor and was most inspirational.
• Lucy Soto was featured in the Orlando Sentinel regarding her work with Hispanic immigrants in Central Florida. Lucy is a native of Ecuador and an adviser for immigrant students at the Oviedo Campus.

Kudos

This Thursday night, we will be graduating our largest nursing class ever. One hundred and sixty registered nursing students will participate in our 28th Nurses' Pinning Ceremony at 6 p.m. in the gym. In the past five years, we have nearly tripled the size of our Nursing Program, thanks to the support of our hospital partners. This fall, we expect to enroll nearly 400 students. We sure have come a long way!

Our Educator Preparation Institute (EPI) was recently awarded a $20,000 grant from Wachovia to help students pay for tuition and textbooks. An increase over last year's $15,000 grant, these funds help students who already hold a bachelor's degree in another field to earn their K-12 Florida Professional Certification in less than a year at SCC's EPI. Congratulations to Marilyn Hawkins and Dr. Angela Albert!

Board Events Calendar

We've put together a Board Events Calendar for you to aid in your planning. It isn't complete, as new events seem to be developing every day. So, we will be updating the Calendar each month for you.

Did you know?

SCC awarded 1,377 A.A. and A.S. degrees in 2005-06 - an all-time high!