2017-2018 INSPIRE Magazine

INSPIRE

On behalf of the board of directors and staff of the State College of Florida Foundation, we hope you enjoy the Fall 2018 issue of “Inspire” magazine.

State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) is committed to partnering with local businesses to provide a highly qualified workforce. You’ll read about those successful partnerships in this issue. For example, Blake Medical Center named an SCF Nursing Program graduate its New Nurse of the Year, and Roskamp Institute put one of SCF’s biotech graduates to work on research involving the brain.

That commitment continues to drive the Foundation in its mission to connect donors’ passions and regional partners with SCF’s outstanding students, faculty, programs and community.

Thanks to you, our friends, alumni and donors, the results speak for themselves:

Y More than $1.6 million was disbursed to more than 1,100 deserving scholarship recipients.

Y As of August 31, 2018, total giving was nearly $2.4 million toward equipment, faculty, program enhancements and capital campaigns.

Y A ribbon-cutting ceremony for SCF Bradenton’s new Library & Learning Center took place in February 2018, made possible by a combination of state funding and your generous support.

Y Thanks solely to your generosity, we are almost halfway toward our fundraising goal for the new Studio for the Performing Arts, which will feature a dance studio and an intimate recital hall, as well as much needed practice space and classrooms.

This issue is themed for launching success and new projects, highlighting our alumni and how SCF helped prepare them for careers and contributions to the community and world. You’ll read about Gator Engineering at SCF, which successfully completed its inaugural year, and the student who spent the summer getting valuable experience as an intern with DTC Engineering. The second class is even larger and includes the first two young women in the program.

The Foundation board of directors already is busy launching futures as it raises funds for our new State College of Florida Collegiate School opening next fall at SCF Venice. We continue to move forward on building state-of-the art facilities at SCF Bradenton for our music and athletics programs. And you will read about plans for the forthcoming SCF Parrish, continuing the vital partnership between the College and the community.

Thanks to Your efforts, We are SCF!

Gratefully yours, Cassandra Holmes, Executive Director

Board of Directors - Officers

Catherine Kuhlman, President Michael Fuller, Vice President Lisa Bristow, Treasurer Cassandra Holmes, Secretary Directors

Jodi Allen

Dianne Anderson

Dom DiMaio Robert Klingbeil Dorothy Korszen

Lois Lucek

Michael McCoy Jennifer Michell

Barbara Najmy

Dr. Carol Probstfeld Chris Romine Pamela Swain

Join Us

There are many ways to take part in the mission of the SCF Foundation. For more information, visit us at SCF-Foundation.org or call Cassandra Holmes, executive director, at 941-752-5654 in Bradenton or 941-408-1418 in Venice.

State College of Florida Foundation, Inc. P.O. Box 1849, Bradenton, FL 34206 941-752-5390 or 941-408-1418

SCF-Foundation.org

Our Mission

We connect donors’ passions and regional partners with State College of Florida’s outstanding students, faculty, programs and community, and we steward foundation assets consistent with our donors’ intent.

Brian Watterson

William P. Saffron, Jr.

Scholarship

August 6, 2018

Dear William P. Saffron, Jr. Scholarship Selection Committee, I am writing to thank you for your generous William P. Saffron, Jr. Scholarship. I was filled with excitement and was very appreciative to learn that I was selected as the recipient of your scholarship. I am ecstatic for the start of the upcoming Fall 2018 semester. As a single mother striving to finish a degree in early childhood education, this award will propel me toward my goals of graduating and someday opening a child care center where I can help single mothers like myself. I am currently pursuing an Associate in Science degree in early childhood education. I will be graduating in the spring of 2019. After graduation I plan to achieve my goal and begin the process of opening a child care center, and further my education by pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in the field of early childhood education. With great thanks to you, I am one step closer to achieving that goal. By awarding me the William P. Saffron, Jr. Scholarship, you have lightened my financial burden, which allows me to focus on the most important aspect of school—learning. Because of your generosity, I am inspired to help others and give back to the community and other single mothers. One day I hope to be able to help students achieve their goals just as you have helped me.

Sincerely, Rickita

Invention Puts SCF Alumnus in the Spotlight

When someone claiming to be from Google calls, most people go on guard. Google just doesn’t call people. So, it’s no surprise that Ka Shun “Sean” Chan was skeptical, even though he had already gotten a call from James Cameron’s production team (yes, that James Cameron) about his invention.

Chan, who graduated from Manatee Community College, now State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF), in 2009, and has spent the last few years inventing and building a gyro-stabilized electric unicycle dubbed the Uno Bolt, is now rubbing virtual elbows with A-listers and Silicon Valley executives. A prototype of his electric unicycle will be seen on the big screen in December when James Cameron’s futuristic film, “Alita: Battle Angel,” is released. Cameron’s production team bought all the original prototypes, even though Chan warned them they weren’t perfected. But they were perfect for the film, which contains a heavy dose of computer-generated images (CGI).

Chan’s still waiting to hear when the Discovery Channel will feature his invention. Producers visited Venice to film Chan putting the Uno Bolt through its paces and then pushing it to its limits. The testing and filming were designed to see how well it works and whether it can be improved. They learned that the computer chip isn’t as responsive as it could be when pushed to its limits.

Now Google, which is diving deep into competition on the smart technology front, may be interested in collaborating on the latest version. “Everything is happening faster than I expected,” Chan said.

Chan recently completed a smaller, lighter prototype that is perfect for urban life. The Uno Bolt mini, including its battery, weighs less than 30 pounds. It’s designed for boaters to get around when they dock, college kids to use around and across campuses, and for people living in big cities, because they can even carry it on the subway. He already has several potential dealers lined up to sell the Uno Bolt mini, and Google has several of the models.

Chan will be at the Big Boy Toyz Expo in Punta Gorda, Florida, Feb. 24-25, 2019, to demonstrate the mini to boating enthusiasts. He also has plans to bring the Uno Bolt to industry shows for electric vehicles in Las Vegas and New York in 2019.

When Chan started school at SCF, his parents were urging him to become a doctor or a lawyer, he said. Chan wasn’t sure what he wanted to do but was able to explore his options at SCF.

Chan said his time at SCF gave him a solid start to his life’s ambitions. “I definitely loved the experience,” he said. “The smaller classes allowed me to have better communication with the teachers. There was more one-on-one, and I really liked that.”

He said attending classes at SCF also helped him financially, allowing him to live at home while starting college. “It was great that I started there,” he added. “Going straight into a university, I think I would have had a tough time.”

By the time he got his Associate in Arts degree in 2009, Chan had decided he wanted to go into environmental engineering. He transferred to the University of South Florida and ended up in information technology.

“I’m a modern-day hippie,” Chan said. “I love being outdoors, but I do love computers.”

Pairing the two led to his invention, which is based on a vehicle in Dragon Ball anime. It runs on a rechargeable battery, has one fat tire and is gyro-stabilized for easy maneuvering. “It’s eco-friendly in that it leaves a small carbon footprint; it’s revolutionary, and it’s made for the outdoors,” he said.

Chan, who was born in Hong Kong and moved to the United States when he was 3 years old, has a family friend and partner in China where the Uno Bolts are produced using the same type of gyro-stabilizing technology that the Segway uses.

Chan also runs LED Impressions and Computer Solutions, a business he started in Venice, where he works with his father making LED signs. And he’s on to inventing new products. He has a couple of ideas of his own and is collaborating with a partner on another idea.

Last year I asked to learn about some of the accomplishments of SCF alumni, and as usual, I am amazed at what our alumni have achieved in just the past year.

“Inspire” is filled with fascinating alumni, from an inventor who has partnered with Google, to a scientist helping to research Alzheimer’s disease, to a screenwriter who put together the script for one of the hottest movies of the summer. Color me impressed, as well as “Inspired!”

SCF’s reach is profound, both locally and globally. The College has helped launch the area’s best and brightest. Our nursing program always delivers. This year we highlight the winner of Blake Medical Center’s New Nurse of the Year—an SCF graduate, of course.

Our statistics show why this is a continuing trend. Our graduates leave the nursing program prepared. Just take a look at their passing rate on the national licensure exam for nurses— 99 percent for the most recent class! Our other health sciences programs also are exceptional. Graduates from every class collectively earn a 90 percent or higher pass rate on their licensure exams every year. They often achieve 100 percent on their first attempt!

Graduates of our Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program celebrated 19 years of program success with an alumni luncheon for all the classes, a prelude to their 20th anniversary event in the coming year. The PTA students put together the event in partnership with the Foundation, raising money for scholarships and reuniting with former teachers and classmates.

I am here to help you put together your event as well. Whether it’s a trip to a ballgame or a class reunion, reach out, and we will make it happen.

I look forward to meeting and learning about even more alumni in the coming year. And it’s not just me; the SCF Foundation wants to be able to share every alumni story. The Foundation welcomes your ideas and advice to help SCF flourish.

Please reach out to me at WuorioE@SCF.edu or 941-752-5391, or stop by the Foundation office at SCF Bradenton.

Erica Wuorio

Sincerely,

Inspired to Give Results

In the 2017-18 SCF Foundation (SCFF) fiscal year, total giving reached more than $2.4 million. Those giving to SCF include:

Y Individuals 42%

Y Foundations 25%

Y

Corporations and Organizations 33%

24-Hour Giving Challenge

This year’s Giving Challenge, presented by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, with giving strengthened by The Patterson Foundation, took place May 1, 2018 and supported more than 638 nonprofits serving Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties. The SCF Foundation raised more than $32,000, with 100% participation from the Foundation’s board of directors.

Avenues to the Future

Avenues to the Future, under the leadership of SCFF Board Director Pam Swain, generated more than $91,000 in 2018.

Evening Under the Stars

SCF’s 30th annual Evening Under the Stars had the “best music ever” according to some guests who enjoyed the “Celebrate Good Times, C’mon” theme. Nearly $78,000 was raised as we showcased our SCF vocalists, Big Band and musicians who played alongside The Venice Symphony, conducted by Dr. Robyn Bell, SCF Director of Instrumental Studies. Co-Chairs of the event were Steven LaFountain, Pointe of Palms Real Estate, and Cathy Kuhlman, SCFF Board of Directors President.

Grants

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc. Anonymous

Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation

Norbert P. Donelly Foundation

Frank E. Duckwall Foundation, Inc.

Arthur T. Esslinger Memorial Fund

Ralph S. French Charitable Foundation

Kiwanis Club of Bradenton Foundation, Inc. Mosaic Company

Plantation Community Foundation

Lawrence E. Ruf Charitable Fund at the Manatee Community Foundation

Swift Family Foundation

Venice Yacht Club

Charitable Foundation

Scholarships

Volunteers read scholarship applications to help the Foundation choose the best student for each scholarship. This year the Foundation had nearly 40 new volunteers with more than 100 volunteers reading applications. If you would like to volunteer, please contact the Foundation at 941-752-5390.

Total Applications Completed and Submitted

Y 2,400 students submitted applications

Y 1,151 students were offered scholarships

Y Awards offered: $1.63 million

Y Average Award: $1,416

In gratitude to the donors, advisors and board members of the following foundations for their continued support of scholarships for deserving students:

Y The William G. and Marie Selby Foundation

Y Community Foundation of Sarasota County

Y Gulf Coast Community Foundation

Y Manatee Community Foundation

New Scholarships

Y Blake Medical Center Excellence in Nursing Scholarship

Y Sharon and Tom Howze Family Scholarship

Y For the Kingdom Scholarship

Y Dr. Herbie Solomon Nursing Memorial Scholarship

Y John and Charlene Moeckel STEM Scholarship

Y Sarasota Memorial Health Care System Excellence in Nursing Scholarship

Y Robert Elderkin Opportunity Scholarship

Y Alice Trice Business Scholarship

Y NOVEL Unit 159 Auxiliary Nursing Scholarship

Y Dustin Lane Memorial Nursing Scholarship

Y Destiny Nicole Nichols Health Science Memorial Scholarship

Y Hannah Elizabeth Nahrwold Memorial Dental Hygiene Scholarship

Y Biotechnology Summer Scholarship

Jennifer Griffon receives the Dustin Lane Memorial Nursing Scholarship.

Making Beautiful Music Together

Our supporters have helped SCF’s music programs thrive through the decades. SCF music alumni teach and entertain throughout the community. You can meet them at local schools where they teach music, or hear them in local theatre and musical groups including the Asolo Repertory Theatre, the Manatee Players, the Sarasota Orchestra and The Venice Symphony. Almost anywhere you go, from California to the Carolinas, you can meet a musician who has spent time in the SCF music program—all thanks to you!

SCF Foundation would like to recognize those who supported the SCF Music Excellence Sponsorship/Scholarship Program this year by funding scholarships and program expenses for the SCF Presidential String Quartet and Jazz Ensemble, which have offered 30 free community performances throughout the region.

Y Tom and Carol Beeler Foundation Fund through the Community Foundation of Sarasota County

Y Edmund and Elizabeth Campbell Foundation

Y Francis E. and Gaile A. McCracken Fund through the Manatee Community Foundation

Y Wes and Annie Scheufler and the Trustees of the Scheidel Foundation

Y Mike and Madelyn Tetmeyer

Y John Weichel, Mike Fuller and Anne Weichel-Fuller

Since 2015, when the Music Excellence Sponsorship/Scholarship Program was created, 29 music students have received full tuition, including books and fees, a music instrument and/or repairs, uniform, music coach, transportation to and from events, and miscellaneous expenses.

Collaboration Matters

Throughout the region, at least a dozen SCF alumni are teaching music to our next generation of composers, performers and music educators. Those working in area schools include:

Y Dan Shafer, orchestra director, Lakewood Ranch High School

Y Fernando Vera, choir director, Martha B. King Middle School

Y Jayne Jurek, choir and orchestra director, Palmetto High School

Y Celia Sperato, orchestra director, Rowlett Academy

Y Ellen Wittmann Saxton, band director, Booker High School

Y Alex Zickafoose, choir director, Booker High School

Y Michael Alegria, elementary music, Atwater Elementary

Y Lauren Nielson, Sarasota Academy of the Arts

Y Julia Dubsky, Alta Vista Elementary

Y Sergei Glushnakov, Southside Elementary

Y Lisa Termine, Sarasota Suncoast Academy

Y Katelyn Priest, Music Compound

This year, more than 100 service clubs, organizations, community foundations, private family foundations, veteran organizations, churches, women’s groups and educational nonprofits partnered with SCF Foundation to help with student scholarships or to fund an SCF project, program, building or equipment. Some of our partners include:

Tulsa Community Foundation

Education College Club of Venice, Florida

Cross College Alliance Education Foundation of Sarasota County, Inc. Manatee Education Foundation

Music & Art Bay Chorale, Inc. Jazz Club of Sarasota

Religious/Churches

Bay Point Church

The Catholic Community Foundation Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh

the Moose #1308

Ponce de Leon Conquistadors Foundation, Inc.

Women’s Organizations

American Association of University Women - Manatee Chapter Business and Professional Women of Englewood and Venice National Council of Jewish Women Sarasota-Manatee

Future SCF Health and Human Performance Center to Memorialize

Brian “Newbs” Newberry

The first honorary gift to SCF’s future Health and Human Performance Center is in loving memory of longtime College employee and alumnus, Brian “Newbs” Newberry. Mrs. Newberry’s $50,000 gift was matched 1:1 by the SCF Foundation’s Director/SCF Trustee capital gifts matching program. Like Brian, the significant $100,000 gift will make a big difference in the lives of SCF’s athletes as well as the community.

Brian, known to many as “Newbs,” passed away in 2014 at the young age of 43.

According to his mother, Carolyn Newberry, sports were all he lived for, and the affinity was born from the love and mentoring he received from former Manatee Community College coach, Harry Kinnan. From the time he set foot on campus as a student, Brian began his lifelong career in sports, and over his 19-year tenure, he served as basketball manager and equipment manager for the College.

His profession was his passion, so it was not work, but fun! He would often take on jobs that did not pay, including traveling to Philadelphia to cover the World Series and to Hoover, Alabama, for a summer with Michael Jordan when he switched to minor league baseball. If you’re a sports fan who often looks for stats and game recaps, his name may sound familiar. Brian was a sports writer for the Bradenton Herald and contributor for the Herald-Tribune.

There’s some irony to the very generous gift in honor of Brian, who Mrs. Newberry says was very conservative, with money having little influence. As a matter-of-fact, he made it a point not to buy name-brand clothing, as he wanted to “fit in” versus “stand out.”

SCF’s new Health and Human Performance Center will stand out! The 37,791-square-foot Center will fully accommodate SCF’s male and female student athletes as well as the College community. It will feature a full-size gym to promote wellness as well as your traditional gymnasium settings, including team rooms (home and away), training facilities, coach offices, classrooms, and concession and vending areas.

Newbs’ legacy will live forever in the memories of those who knew him and now in his name within SCF’s Health and Human Performance Center.

Brian is remembered by the College community as a kind, loving man who dedicated his life to the College and championing its athletic programs.

“Tags” Audiences in New Movie

SCF alumnus Rob McKittrick is bringing people into movie theaters across the country. His latest screenplay, “Tag,” which follows a group of guys who have been playing the same game of tag for decades, was one of the top three moneymakers the weekend it was released.

McKittrick, who lives in Los Angeles, got his filmmaking credentials under the tutelage of Del Jacobs, the multimedia/film program manager at SCF. McKittrick attended the college in the 1990s when it was known as Manatee Community College (MCC). He spent four years on the Bradenton campus and developed a strong relationship with Jacobs, who he credits with setting him on the path to filmmaking and writing.

Jacobs remembers McKittrick in class as always being funny and with a quick comic retort. Comedy writing was a great fit for his former student. “Tag” is based on a real-life group of friends who were profiled in The Wall Street Journal, and McKittrick was hired to write a screenplay based on the group. He loved their story of a friendship that lasted decades, and he added a big dose of humor.

Some of the humor is R-rated and a little over the top, but the story is a charming tale of lasting friendships. McKittrick said it made him think of his own friendships as a student at Bayshore High School and at MCC. He liked that this group found a way to stay in each other’s lives. “That’s what drew me to the project,” he said.

McKittrick got to share his work with SCF film students in September 2018 after Jacobs screened the movie for his class. He connected with them on Skype to discuss the script writing and production, and answered the students’ questions. The students were able to relate to him given his connection to the College and his desire and struggles to break into the industry.

McKittrick reminded the students that he and his good friend Mike Le both grew up in Bradenton and went to MCC before breaking into Hollywood. Neither went on to a university, McKittrick said, because they were able to get the resources and training they needed in Jacobs’ film classes, by writing for the student paper and by reading.

“I and Mike Le are proof that it is attainable,” McKittrick said. “The opportunity is there if you have the passion and desire.”

As a student at MCC, McKittrick said he wrote a humor column for “The Lance,” the student newspaper. His writing won him a Humorist of the Year award for college students in the state of Florida.

“That made me believe I had the skills to write comedy,” he said.

While in college, McKittrick waited tables, and after he graduated, he moved to Orlando where he continued working as a server and used that experience to write his first screenplay, “Waiting.” He sent his first draft of the script to Jacobs for feedback. “He gave me some great notes,” McKittrick said.

McKittrick, who calls comedy his comfort zone, is often called in to write or rewrite scripts. But when he first started in Hollywood, it was a struggle. He moved to Los Angeles after his script for “Waiting” was optioned. Once he got to Hollywood, he had a huge learning curve ahead. He had to learn to pitch his ideas and to impress producers and other decision-makers. He admits his first year was a trial by fire. While rewriting his “Waiting” script, he thought he might have to go back to work waiting tables.

But he kept going to meetings and pitching ideas. Eventually he got to start filming “Waiting” and was the director on the project. The film, which starred Ryan Reynolds and Anna Faris before their careers took off, had a $3 million budget. The 94-minute film made more than $6 million on its opening weekend in 2005.

By contrast, “Tag” made $15 million on its opening weekend, the same weekend “Incredibles 2” was released. By mid-August the film grossed more than $76.3 million worldwide.

After a dozen years in Hollywood, cameos as an actor and with directing credentials, McKittrick is more comfortable in his role, even though he admits he still struggles every time he starts a script, calling the writing process “an endless stress test.” And even though he has sleepless nights, he has learned the craft of screenwriting, hooking in the audience quickly and then letting the story unfold.

Library & Learning Center Becomes Campus Hub

With an eye to the future and the goal to become the region’s technology hub, the new Library & Learning Center at SCF Bradenton opened in late January 2018. Dozens of donors, dignitaries, students, faculty and staff joined SCF President Dr. Carol F. Probstfeld and members of the District Board of Trustees in officially recognizing the new campus hot spot at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in February.

Since its opening, the library has seen incredible traffic from students. During spring and fall terms, librarians counted an average of about 150 students per hour using the library for research, group projects and study. But it’s not just students. The Library & Learning Center has also been home to alumni and community events.

The Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation reserved space in the new building to host its small business roundtable meeting focusing on technology. Participants were able to tour the library and see the technology it offers, including a film studio and editing booths, 3-D printers, smart boards, conference areas with projectors and screens, and a Visualization Theatre classroom.

The theatre, which can seat 40 students or visitors at a time and is designed to provide users with a contemporary digital learning environment, was a must-see for the group. It offers 270-degree immersive projection on three walls for 80-linear feet of display surface, zoned audio systems, cameras for real-time video capture and collaboration spaces. Users can project images on all screens simultaneously or on separate screens for small groups or individual projects. The technology allows for high impact presentations and immersive interactive learning.

Other civic and community members, such as the Junior Leadership Manatee Program, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Members Council on Library Services and the Feeding Tampa Bay Transition Meeting, have also reserved space. In April 2019, the library will be host to the Association of Florida Colleges (AFC) Region IV Annual Conference.

The Foundation raised more than $1 million for the Library & Learning Center’s technology and equipment. The support from community and private foundations as well as individual donors has resulted in a technology-rich learning environment that will benefit students and the community for years to come.

Mission Complete

$1 Million Raised for Library & Learning Center Technology:

Anonymous

Beverly Beall and R. Kemp Riechmann Foundation, Inc.

Frank E. Duckwall Foundation

Ralph S. French Charitable Foundation Trust

Huisking Foundation

Kiwanis Club of Bradenton Foundation, Inc. Tana Sandefur

William G. and Marie Selby Foundation

Together Manatee

Helen R. Troxler

Marie Vail

Thank you to the following SCF employees that have donated to SCFF’s Capital Campaign:

Maria Barakovskykh

Kirsten Beauchamp

Anastasia Bojanowski

Judith Born

David Breakfield

Alan Burr

Mary DiTaranto

Tracy Elliot

Matt Ennis

Margaret (Meg) Hawkins

Cassandra Holmes

Julie Jakway

Carl Johnson

Stephanie Katz

Charles Kauderer

Angel Kelly

Ilena LaPlant

Alicia Long

Mark Marino

Jim Meisenheimer

Susan Marrocco

June Phillips

Dr. Carol Probstfeld

Kristey Richardson

Barbara Seward

Tracey-Ann Smith

Theresa Smith-Ennis

Mary Jane Tenny

Carolyn Zaput

EDUCATE INSPIRE GIVE

Studio for the Performing Arts to Offer Students and Community

Greater Access to Intimate Performances and Acoustic Perfection

SCF’s Studio for the Performing Arts is designed to be an inviting space for students and the community. The nearly 5,000-square-foot recital hall will include a grand piano, performance lighting, a cutting-edge projector and sound system with recording capability. It will seat 150 visitors for concerts and shows. The room will be used as the primary rehearsal space for music, theatre, choral and vocal classes. It also will be ideal for SCF’s master classes, featuring visiting artists, and recitals.

A dance studio will offer opportunities for students to study movement and staging. The nearly 1,100-square-foot-studio includes barres, mirrored walls with retractable curtains, moveable seating and a floor designed specifically for dance. The facility will include space to store costumes and sets vital to programs and performances at SCF, 1,620-square-feet of practice studios and a 540-square-foot music library for the College’s instrumental studies program. An instrument storage room will allow SCF to provide professional instruments to students who might not otherwise be able to afford them, offering SCF’s music program a recruiting advantage and students an opportunity to perform at their next level.

Acoustically correct practice studios, which will allow for oneon-one tutoring as well as individual practice time, are essential for students to meet their coursework requirements. Plans include a total of 10 practice studios.

The building where music students currently practice is more than 50 years old. The older facility was originally designed for classrooms only, offers minimal functionality and has poor acoustics. In 2010 the Department of Education performed a facilities study, and based on the results, determined it was not

suitable for college music program needs. The College received state approval for replacement, but without funding.

SCF’s music program historically has strong ties to the community, and this studio will continue to build on that relationship. Music students venture out into the community where they perform for civic groups, nonprofits and professional organizations. SCF’s Bradenton Symphony Orchestra, for example, includes locally renowned musicians, who offer their experience to students while sharing their talents with the community.

“ ”

The Studio for the Performing Arts is being developed to support the growth of music, art and theatrical programs, and to provide an outreach to populations with limited access to such amenities.

The SCF Foundation has raised nearly half the funding to build this premier community resource, and you can still be a part of this venture. Contributions of all amounts are welcome and appreciated, and everyone has a place they can participate. Gifts of $10,000+ will be matched 1:1 up to $560,000 by SCFF Directors and SCF Trustees. For more information, visit SCF-Foundation.org. To discuss naming rights or ways to become a benefactor, contact Barbara Bourgoin at BourgoB@SCF.edu or 941-752-5398.

Design Work Begins on

Future Home of SCF Parrish

In alignment with its first strategic priority, SCF has purchased 74 acres in Parrish to build a new campus. Aimed at increasing the College’s physical presence in the rapid growth area east of I-75 and north of the Manatee River, SCF Parrish is located at 11680 Erie Road, Parrish, FL 34219. The first design concepts for the campus highlight the bucolic setting, while offering amenities to future students and room for growth.

The addition of SCF Parrish has been the vision of SCF President Dr. Carol F. Probstfeld since her inauguration in November 2013. This vision foresees SCF being at the center of the economic, educational and cultural life of the community.

“SCF plans to offer general education courses leading to an A.A. degree as well as workforce degrees and certificates that are relevant and will benefit students and employers in the region,”Probstfeld said.

The local population is more than 40,000 and continually increasing, according to county data. The Manatee County School Board purchased 98 acres directly across the street from the SCF property and is building a new 334,000-square-foot high school to

open in 2019. The new high school will have capacity for 2,000 students and has adopted a Bull as its mascot, but had not finalized a name by publication deadline. SCF Parrish will be easily accessible to its students and will dovetail nicely with the mission of the new high school, which will include programs in health occupations, robotics, engineering, agriculture and automotive. It also will provide accessibility and expanded opportunities for dual enrollment students.

SCF Parrish will be built over three phases to include classroom buildings, a student union, a library and possibly a collegiate school. The campus will be surrounded by water features and green space.

“SCF will collaborate with the community to make sure SCF Parrish meets the needs of the surrounding area and our greater Manatee and Sarasota communities,” added Probstfeld.

Dr. Todd Fritch, SCF’s Executive Vice President and Provost, who serves as the chief academic officer and chief operating officer of the College, will work with Probstfeld to further develop the plans and the timeline for construction of the new campus. He plans to be a visible presence in the community, meeting regularly with business and civic leaders to ensure SCF continues to be responsive to the need for innovative, quality education, workforce training and community partnership.

For more information about SCF Parrish, contact Brian Thomas at ThomasB1@SCF.edu or 941-752-5392.

The new Parrish campus will provide those living north of the Manatee River an open access institution for enhancing their skills and furthering their education.”

StrategicPriority 1

Ensure that SCF programs are available to students in all geographic locations of our service region.

Gator Engineering at SCF Launch Proves Successful

Nick and Tricia Pepper can’t stop talking about Gator Engineering at SCF and all the support their son, Benjamin Pepper, has gotten through the program. At the end of his freshman year, he has already completed an engineering internship and is now working part-time during his second year in the program for DTC, a Sarasota-based engineering firm.

The Peppers are able to save a significant amount of money by having their son start at SCF. Savings include the cost of tuition and room and board, since he can live at home while starting his engineering studies. Benjamin is also grateful for all the support he receives in the program and for the facilities at SCF Venice, where he studies and works on projects between classes.

But it’s not just the students and their parents who are enthusiastic about the program; it’s also the engineering community in Manatee and Sarasota counties. Shay Atluru, CEO/President at DTC, said he didn’t know what to expect at the start of the program, but working with Benjamin Pepper has proved the program is delivering what it promised.

“I saw an opportunity to get young, smart minds in engineering,” said Atluru, who donated to Gator Engineering at SCF scholarships. “Engineers are in short supply throughout the world. I could have 10 more Ben’s here working in paid internships. He’s not getting coffee or making copies; he’s doing highly technical things, including drafting and design work.”

Atluru sent Pepper to his offices in Connecticut, where he worked with some of the top engineers designing projects. Pepper said the internship was “a whole other world.”

“It helped me figure out what I really want to do, which is to become a computer engineer,” he said.

As some of the inaugural-year students head off early to Gainesville, others offered their support to the incoming freshmen. During orientation in August, Pepper joined two other classmates to answer questions, offer advice and encourage the incoming class of 15 students, including the first two young women in the program at SCF.

Savannah Lyle, who was accepted into Gator Engineering at SCF this year, got an early start at SCF after completing a year of dual enrollment. She’s not worried about the usual first day of college jitters, but she is a little nervous about the subject matter this year—differential equations, in particular. She loves science, especially physics, and is looking forward to the laboratory work at SCF.

Lyle’s interest in physics and how the universe works led her to explore a website for NASA, which led to her desire to go into aerospace engineering. She saw that she could combine her interest in space and the planets with her ability to build things. She spent part of last year building a robot.

The engineering students who have already finished their first year and are sticking around for at least one more term reminded the students to work hard from the beginning and not to get behind.

“There is a lot of rigor in this program,” student Shane Toepfer said. “It’s double and triple what you did in high school, so you have to put that much more effort into it.”

Pepper advised his fellow students to get organized early. And he reminded the students of all the resources they have in their teachers, in the program manager and in the first-year students who will continue to be around and studying in the Gator Den.

“Having communication and a network here is wonderful,” Tricia Pepper told the students. “It’s going to be a great experience.”

I loved it. I was getting a head start on my future, and I was constantly learning new things.”

Economic Impact Report Shows SCF Contributes $432 Million to Area

An economic analysis by EMSI* of SCF’s impact on its service area shows that the College has a total annual impact of $432.4 million, representing 1.5 percent of the total regional economy. The numbers show SCF plays a significant role in the local economy and creates value in many ways.

The College generates more in tax revenues than it takes. SCF is key in helping students increase their employability. It serves a range of industries, supports local businesses and is an important employer in the region. Students benefit from increased earnings, taxpayers benefit from a larger economy and lower social costs, and the community benefits from increased job and investment opportunities, higher business revenues and an eased tax burden.

The study analyzed operations, student spending and the effects of alumni to calculate an economic impact. The College spends about $51.6 million on operations in the community, helping to create 1,310 jobs. SCF also pays for goods and services in the region, spending $34.3 million for facilities, professional services and supplies in 2015-16.

In 2015-16 the College employed 993 full-time, part-time and student employees, and 88 percent of those workers lived in the SCF service region. SCF’s payroll was $35.1 million, and much of that was spent on living expenses in the two-county area.

About 6 percent of students attending SCF came from outside the region in 2015-16. Some of those students would not have come to the region if the College did not exist. Additionally, a large number of in-region students would have left the area for other educational opportunities if not for SCF. While attending SCF, these students spent $55.5 million for living expenses, generating about $24.5 million in added income in the regional economy, the equivalent of supporting 614 jobs.

2015-16 $356.3 million

Added to the local economy 6,342

jobs =

The accumulated education and training SCF has provided residents in the region creates the greatest impact. Thousands of SCF alumni are employed in the SCF service region.

SCF’s total economic impact is equal to about 1.5 percent of the Gross Regional Product of SCF’s service area. By comparison, that is slightly larger than the region’s entire transportation and warehousing industry.

The results of this study demonstrate SCF creates value from multiple perspectives. The College benefits local businesses by increasing consumer spending in the region and supplying a steady flow of qualified, trained workers. It enriches the lives of students by raising their lifetime earnings and helping them achieve their potential, and SCF benefits state and local taxpayers through increased tax receipts and reduced demand for government-supported social services.

*EMSI, a leading provider of economic impact studies and labor market data to educational institutions, workforce planners and regional developers, developed this report for SCF. Data and assumptions are based on several sources, including the Fiscal Year 2015-16 academic and financial reports from the college, industry and employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau.

SCF Launching

Baseball’s 60th Anniversary Season

SCF’s baseball team closed on a successful 60th season, following a winning tradition since Coach Bob Wynn founded the baseball program at SCF in 1958 and helped to form the Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA) to promote sports and other activities in the junior colleges. “Baseball was his expertise, and he established a program of excellence from the beginning,” said coach Tim Hill II, SCF’s third baseball coach since the program began. Hill coached under his dad, Tim Hill Sr., before taking over the program. “We recruit based on that tradition. We don’t have to tell players, ‘you’re going to turn the program around.”

Part of the team’s tradition of success, Hill said, is that every baseball coach has cared about the players personally and how they are doing academically. So it’s no surprise the team ended the season as the Suncoast Conference champions and with a Team Academic Excellence Award.

SCF baseball’s reputation isn’t limited to the region or to the conference; it’s national.

“Sometimes I think our reputation is stronger outside of our community than within it,” Hill said. “I get calls from coaches, players and the media from across the country wanting to talk about the program and what we have planned.”

There are a few programs that rival SCF each year, and sometimes over several seasons, but none that have been able to sustain their reputation for six decades.

“This program has stayed on top for a long time,” Hill said.

Phi Beta Lambda

SCF business students, competing against more than 1,250 students from colleges and universities across the country, took top awards at the Future Business Leaders of AmericaPhi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL) National Leadership Conference held in Baltimore, Maryland, in June 2018.

SCF students, Anne Miller, Jennifer Dolan, Mirco Susan, Ann Wright and Richard Wright, had the opportunity to participate in the Institute for Leaders (IFL) workshops, seminars and conferences after SCF’s team won more than a dozen awards at the FBLA-PBL State Leadership Conference. The four who competed at the national conference took first or second place at the state competition.

SCF students took home the following national honors: Y Anne Miller: first place advertising; second place marketing concepts and eighth place management concepts.

Y Jennifer Dolan: first place health care administration.

Y Christopher Davis: ninth place project management.

SCF had a team of coaches, including Louis O. Okonkwo, who has served as the PBL advisor at SCF Venice and recently retired; Judy Hangartner, Amy Santos and Marina Cosgrove, the new PBL advisor for the SCF Venice chapter.

Success

Model UN Team

Representing the Netherlands this year, SCF’s Model UN Team added to its award-winning record at the 2018 Southern Regional Model United Nations (SRMUN) conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. Model UN teams role-play ambassadors and debate a wide range of topics during a simulated session of the United Nations.

SCF won two team-wide awards and one individual award. The team received a Best Position Paper award, its 11th consecutive in the category since 2013. SCF also received an Honorable Delegation award for its performance at the conference, a particularly noteworthy achievement as six of the seven students were participating in Model UN for the first time.

Jose Alarcon, head delegate, and Dean Elnaas, delegate, also won Outstanding Delegation individual awards for their work on the United Nations Development Programme.

“I’m very proud of our Model UN delegation and their hard work and dedication to representing both the Netherlands and SCF at SRMUN,” said Daniel Fuerstman, associate professor and Model UN advisor.

State College of Florida Collegiate School (SCFCS)

SCFCS is an innovative model designed to nurture motivation, independence and ensure student success while guiding students toward higher education. Innovative teaching and creative leadership combine to accomplish this mission. Each student is encouraged to learn to work independently, with other students, and with instructors to meet his or her goals.

The school was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2016 for being an exemplary, high-performing school. It also has received the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) Commissioner of Education’s designation of a high-achieving charter school and has been named a School of Excellence, a 3-year designation. In awarding the school the School of Excellence designation, the FLDOE recognized that SCFCS has received an A grade every year since it opened and scored above 90 percent in the state’s final percentile ranks since 2015.

Welcome Basketball Coach Tom Parks to the SCF Family

Tom Parks, SCF’s new basketball coach, hopes to fill the stands during basketball season this year with an exciting new style of play on the court. The Manatees are going to be fast, but it won’t just be the players’ tempo and performance on the court that will bring the crowds in. He’s also planning on sending out a few invitations to celebrate 60 years of basketball at SCF.

Parks will host an alumni night during the team’s Jan. 19, 2019, game against Impact Academy. He plans to invite basketball players from past years in for a shootaround and then a pregame meal with the current players. During the game, he plans to have a ceremony to honor the basketball alumni followed by a social afterward.

Filling SCF’s gym shouldn’t be too hard, given its size. Parks said he likes the gym; “it has character.” Filling it with cheering Manatee fans will certainly intimidate their opponents just based on how loud it could get. There are 18 Manatees on the team this year, including three chosen during a summer tryout and several local players.

Parks also plans to get young players excited about SCF basketball. He hosted a free basketball clinic for kids in September 2018 and has invited the young players to come back and watch the games throughout the season. During the clinic, the younger kids were able to interact with the college players, learning drills and some techniques from the Manatees.

SCF’s first Haunted House of Hoops took place at the end of October, and included a costume contest, free candy and lots of fun. He also will host a military appreciation night in November. For Parks, the events are about promoting the program while showing the players that they have a community supporting them.

“

Quite a few former players have stayed in the area. I want them to know they are valued for their history and experience, whether as a Lancer or a Manatee. They are a huge reason these kids are here today.”

For Parks, basketball is a family affair. He met his wife Lyndie on the basketball court. Both were playing basketball at the same junior college in Sheridan, Wyoming, when they met. For the record, he says he’s a better shooter and she’s a much better passer. They stayed in touch even after graduating from junior college. Lyndie is also part of the Manatees. She likes being a “big sister” to the players, Parks said.

“Many people help us get there through our lives,” Parks said. “Sometimes it’s easy to forget the people who help the kids get through school; there are so many, whether it’s the alumni who paved the way or the cafeteria worker who gives the 6-foot-9inch basketball player an extra scoop of mashed potatoes to help get him through the day.”

The family atmosphere is part of Parks coaching style. He is developing a competitive team who he plans to bring to the state tournament in February. By then, he said, the Manatees will be playing their best basketball. He is also developing students. He wants to make sure all his players graduate from SCF and move on to a university where he can help them find a great fit for what they want to do.

Visit SCFManatees.com to stay on top of what’s happening with the basketball program, including game schedules and information about upcoming events.

SCF Baseball Program

Developing Players, Celebrating Alumni and Raising Funds for New Batting Cages

SCF Baseball Coach Tim Hill II believes being a coach is about teaching his players about life—setting goals, working hard, the life skills that will eventually make his players good husbands and fathers. And a big part of life comes down to winning.

“We’re all about winning. The games should be fun, but it’s about winning in life,” he said. “If a doctor’s not a good doctor, he won’t be a doctor for long.”

This year, like every other year, Hill’s goal for the team is to win a National Championship in baseball. His personal goal is to help his players get to where they want to go next, whether that’s Major League Baseball or to transfer to a university.

“I love winning, but at the end of the day, the players want to know you care,” Hill said. “When you show that, everything else falls into place.”

Hill is proud that his players take their class work as seriously as they do their work on the field. During the last season, the baseball team was named a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Honorable Mention Academic Team of the Year. The baseball team had a cumulative 3.18 GPA.

“The faculty tell me they love having baseball players in their classes,” Hill said. “I tell players if you don’t care about classes or learning, this isn’t the place for you.”

Alumni weekend is always the weekend before baseball season starts. It is special, because it allows alumni to see their former teammates and to meet their families. It’s good for the current players too.

“They see the guys come back with their wives and three or four kids running on the fields,” Hill said. “It’s neat to see the former players on the field playing catch with their kids.”

Hill said so many players return to SCF for alumni weekends because they remember they had a good experience at the College. Hill loves the reunions too, because it gives him an opportunity to see players his dad, SCF’s baseball coach for 31 seasons, had an impact on, and the ones he helped as well.

“My dad taught me that my job is to have an impact,” Hill said. “Sometimes you don’t realize that you did until years later.”

Alumnus Rich Hudson, who played for Manatee Junior College from 1970-72, has started to organize a 50-year reunion for the 1971-72 seasons. The players from 1999 also are planning for a 20-year reunion.

Hill said quite a few alumni have contributed to much-needed new batting cages for the team.

“It’s an expensive project, and we have a long way to go,” Hill said. “We’ve been working on it for a few years. Any place where the alumni have a good experience, they want to give back and we have seen that. Any gifts, from the smallest to the largest, are appreciated.”

Hill has been working to get new batting cages, because the Manatees are the only team in the conference without covered cages, meaning when it’s raining, the team is limited in its practices. And that, he said, makes it harder to compete with schools like Chipola College.

“The new cages will help us keep pace with the other programs,” Hill said. “When kids are looking for a college and want to play baseball, they are looking for scholarships and at facilities. For us it’s a priority.”

I love winning, but at the end of the day, the players want to know you care.”

Alumna Hopes New Amenities at SCF Help Attract Top Athletes

Meredith Headings has only missed one SCF alumni weekend in the past 14 years. She loves visiting old friends, former teammates, and the softball players she coached at the College. But when it comes to visiting the old facilities, it’s not only a wonderful walk down memory lane, it’s also like walking into a time capsule. She said it really hit her one alumni weekend when she was walking behind some baseball players from the 1960s and 70s, and as they walked into the gym, they were reminiscing and commenting on how “nothing had changed.” “While it was a little charming, at the same time it was embarrassing,” said Headings.

It’s also unequal. The original gymnasium, built in 1959, was designed to accommodate men. There were no facilities for female athletes when it was built. Title IX wasn’t even adopted until 1972.

Headings is hoping to see the female athletes put on equal footing as the State College of Florida Foundation raises money for new batting cages, followed by a Health and Human Performance Center.

The batting cages are designed to protect players from the rain and Florida’s blazing sun, allowing them to practice in any weather. Raising money for batting cages for softball would follow. “The softball team deserves it,” Headings said.

“It’s time for practice areas to be brought up to the standards of the fields,” she added. “Hitting is a skill you have to work on every day, and with the amount of heat and rain we have in Florida, having a covered area is important. The new cages will provide overdue, safer facilities.”

She knows what she’s talking about. Headings, an on-air personality with 107.9 WSRZ, was inducted into the SCF Athletics Hall of Fame for her accomplishments as a studentathlete. She is credited with hitting the first home run in 2000 at what was then the new Manatees softball field and holds both the single season (13) and career (23) home run records for the program. She was the second fast-pitch softball player inducted into the Hall of Fame.

She later led the Manatees softball program as its coach for seven seasons, earning three Suncoast Conference championships, qualifying for the Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA)/National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region VIII tournament seven times, and clinching the program's second NJCAA Region championship in 2012. Headings was a three-time Suncoast Conference Coach of the Year with an overall record of 243-139.

Under her leadership, the SCF Manatees were named the 2013 FCSAA Female Academic Team of the Year with a team gradepoint average of 3.39. The team also was recognized as an NJCAA All-Academic team for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

The 40,348-square-foot Health and Human Performance Center will replace the current, outdated gymnasium, accommodating athletes of both genders and housing training facilities, offices, classrooms and concession/vending areas.

“I think the student body is going to love it. It will keep students on campus, and engaged students are more successful. From the faculty to the athletes, it will help everybody and enrich the campus.”

Headings said the improvements will mean “more and more championships to come.”

“ Years of blood, sweat and tears have gone into this program too. They need equal facilities to those of their opponents and to the other sports on campus.”

Physical Therapist Assistant Graduates from SCFGather to Celebrate Success

This past summer, four alumni from the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program class of 2018— Derrick Hawkins, Jose Sanchez, Victoria Kolbach and Joanna Hennessey—decided to put together an alumni reunion as their community service project. They organized a luncheon and laid the groundwork for a PTA scholarship.

More than 70 alumni from the program gathered in the Together Manatee Community Room at SCF Bradenton’s Library & Learning Center. The 19th anniversary event included lunch catered by Sonny’s BBQ. Del Carr, a PTA professor, and Matt Connell, PTA program director, welcomed the group and awarded prizes during the afternoon.

The alumni were able to raise $730 for educational opportunities in the PTA program and would like to host educational events for students and the community on how to optimize wellness and physical function throughout life, said Carr, who oversaw the student project.

The gathering was a precursor to the 20th Anniversary reunion the alumni are planning for the coming summer. They hope to gather most of the 300 graduates to renew relationships forged during hours of studying and relying on one another for support through the rigorous program. Faculty from the program’s two decades are also invited to join the anniversary celebration. Carr said he is looking forward to the 20th year reunion of the program and hopes that in addition to students, alumni and faculty, clinic and hospital partners, who have offered clinical rotations to students and have supported the program through the decades, will join SCF in the celebration.

The 20th anniversary reunion offers an opportunity for alumni to network, catch-up on their classmates’ families and careers and to support the PTA program. And some food and fun are sure to be thrown in.

By putting together this alumni event, the students discovered the immense value in maintaining connections. One of the students in the class of 2019, who volunteered at the event, was so inspired she wants to develop a scholarship for PTA students.”

SCF Biotech Graduate Lands Dream Job with Roskamp Institute

SCF alumnus Kyle Coppola credits the biotechnology classes he took at SCF for helping him land his dream job. After graduating from SCF and completing an internship at Enzymedica, Coppola was offered a job as a molecular biology research assistant at the Roskamp Institute. The nonprofit, biomedical research company specializes in neurological research and potential therapies for diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative conditions, including traumatic brain injury.

Coppola, who graduated from Riverview High School in Sarasota, took molecular biology, bioethics, and plant and animal cell culture and biotech methods courses concerning DNA, proteins and RNA while at SCF. “Those classes landed me the job,” Coppola said. “I am doing research and using skills I learned in class.”

The biotechnology program at SCF is designed to promote workforce skills and prepare students to immediately go into careers. Students finish their Associate in Science degrees having performed research and cataloging their findings in laboratory notes. They also go on to work as interns in laboratories around the region.

As part of his role, through cellular models and animal models of neurodegenerative disorders, Coppola must detect and quantify key proteins of these disorders by separating proteins from samples and binding them with antibodies. These antibodies can contain chemical “tags” that react to various kinds of light or may be detected using other chemical interactions.

“SCF prepared me for this job,” Coppola said. “Having run these experiments in the lab has proved to me the classes at SCF are really, really valuable. Most degrees are book knowledge, but what landed me the job was being able to do experiments. I could walk into any of the labs here and run the experiments. I could even design experiments.”

Coppola said SCF was the perfect environment, because he wasn’t exactly sure what he wanted to do after graduating high school. He knew he loved science and wanted to pursue that. He spent one semester at Florida State University, but said he wasn’t sure what path he wanted to take and was anxious about spending a lot of money on college without knowing where he was headed. He saw that tuition at SCF was far less, found the biotech program and “saw a good opportunity for a career.”

“I felt like SCF was more interested in engaging with students and helping them get ready for a career,” he said.

The College partners with Enzymedica on an internship program. “The internship was an important experience; it showed me what biotech looks like in a professional setting and allowed me to confirm my interest in research and development.”

Coppola was interested in the Roskamp Institute from the beginning. “I was more interested in research and looking for cures,” he said. “Roskamp seemed exciting; there were more unknowns and chances for discovery.”

The position also offers him more opportunities in education. Once Coppola completes his bachelor’s degree in biological science and has spent a year working at Roskamp, the Institute offers a doctoral program in neuroscience through a partnership with a university in the United Kingdom.

Launching Discoveries and Developing Scientists in SCF’s Biotech Labs

SCF Natural Science Professors Dr. Eric Warrick and Dr. Matthew Thomas collaborated with their students in the labs to research soils in search of microbes that could be developed into the next generation of antibiotics. While leading students in research, the team also is encouraging them, with great success, to go into careers that will help solve such global problems.

“We are providing the students with opportunities to see science in the labs and to get real-life exposure to concerns in the medical community,” Warrick said. He is confident biotechnology students can work in a variety of settings, from hospital labs and research facilities to breweries, when they graduate.

Thomas, biotechnology program manager, is key to developing relationships with the program’s corporate partners. Every year, the Biotechnology Program has 10 to 15 corporate partners who serve on an advisory board to help ensure the curriculum stays up to date and to keep them informed about what local employers are looking for.

“Things change; the pace is incredibly fast in biotech,” Thomas said. “We have to stay on top of those changes and needs.”

Companies from around the area will bring the biotech students projects that they can work on and offer them an opportunity to find solutions to problems in their industry. The Biotechnology Program also has joined global initiatives designed to give students exposure to vital health research.

The program is part of the Tiny Earth Initiative with hundreds of other universities and colleges in the search for the next generation of antibiotics. It is also a partner with Tufts University on its project assessing the Prevalence of Antibiotic-Resistance in the Environment (PARE). Solving the problem of antibiotic resistance and finding the next generation of medicines are pressing issues that are vital to human health.

SCF and State College of Florida Collegiate School (SCFCS) students have been researching soil around the Tampa Bay and Manatee-Sarasota region to determine whether there is antibiotic resistance in area soil. Their findings over the past three years have been included on a map of the United States available through the Tufts site on the PARE project.

The discovery of the antibiotic resistant materials may help identify through further research why soils in this area have developed antibiotic resistance and whether humans can modify certain behaviors to avoid further development.

The experiments drive the students, Warrick said. When the students make new discoveries, they get excited about what they are doing. “It’s positive to see students excited and engaged,” he said. “That translates to them doing well in classes.” Those experiments develop the skills businesses need.

“These classes train you to do something,” Thomas said. “They give the students the confidence of being able to do a technique independent of an instructor or a supervisor. It gives them a set of skills that allows them to engage in more advanced pursuits.”

Businesses have noticed that SCF biotechnology graduates save them time and money on training. They are generally ready to go to work, they quickly start producing revenue for the companies, and they make fewer errors in their work.

“We make sure they are well-prepared for the workforce,” Warrick said. “Their hands are far better because we have the projects for them to work on. Their exposure in the labs is giving them the techniques they need. Our corporate partners know SCF students can do the math and have the hands to do the science.”

Through their work with SCFCS, Thomas and Warrick are also preparing the next generation of students for careers in medicine, research or other Science, Technology, Math and Engineering (STEM) careers. Working with the students early helps them see that they have abilities in science and math.

SCF to Offer Collegiate School in Venice

Starting next fall, about 100 high school juniors will get the first opportunity to enroll at SCF’s newest Collegiate School. The Sarasota County School Board unanimously approved the application for the State College of Florida Collegiate School (SCFCS) at SCF Venice to open to 11th graders in 2019. In its second year, the school will boast both juniors and seniors. By 2022, SCFCS Venice will be host to about 400 high school students.

SCFCS Bradenton, located in Manatee County, is a National Blue Ribbon School and is recognized as one of the best schools in the state. The charter school offers students 60 tuition-free college credits and guides them through college at SCF, providing a map to help them as they transfer to a university setting. A partnership that offers SCFCS Bradenton graduates an opportunity to attend Florida Gulf Coast University or University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee tuition-free also is expected to apply to Venice graduates.

Sarasota County School Board members were aware of the school’s reputation and its academic rigor when approving the application. They were impressed that students from the Collegiate School graduate with Associate in Arts degrees the same day they receive their high school diplomas.

Jane Goodwin, the school board member whose district includes Venice, said during the meeting that students who have graduated from SCFCS Bradenton have done well academically and saved money on their college costs. “We can use this in South County,” she said.

“Our students have the opportunity to excel academically, experience life on campus and are provided the guidance to succeed. We look forward to offering this experience to students in Sarasota County,” said Kelly Monod, SCFCS Bradenton head of school.

SCFCS can fast track the time it takes to earn a degree, but it also helps high school students develop time management skills, improve their writing skills and advance their critical thinking. The students will have the opportunity to participate in college

clubs and organizations at SCF Venice, including Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Phi Beta Lambda, Model UN, Food Forest Club, Arts Club, and History and Political Science Club.

SCFCS Venice will work to attract a student body that mirrors the community. Applicants must meet legislative dual enrollment criteria, including a 3.0 unweighted GPA, and meet PERT/ACT/SAT score requirements. Depending on the number of eligible applicants, the Collegiate School will hold a random drawing for fall enrollment for the 11th grade before the College opens the fall semester for admissions. Intent to enroll forms will be available in late January.

Beginning in 9th grade in 2021, students at SCFCS Venice will be offered highly rigorous coursework in their first two high school years that is developed by teachers, with collaboration from College professors. The partnership builds courses that will bridge high school curriculum to prepare students for College courses. Students will be assigned academic coaches as mentors. The academic coach introduces different lessons regarding time management, social skills, independent learning, accountability, and devotes individual time with each student in goal-setting sessions.

Students will be fully dual enrolled in SCF their junior year. They will follow a College academic plan that will offer an opportunity to earn their Associate in Arts degree upon graduation.

The partnership between the charter, Manatee County and the College has created an opportunity for students that is unmatched.”

“

For sponsorship information

Contact Barbara Bourgoin, 941-752-5398 or BourgoB@SCF.edu.

New Program Offers a Direct Path to Bachelor of Science in Nursing

To meet the growing demand for nurses now and in the future, SCF is offering students an opportunity to obtain a Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) degree in four years while also receiving an Associate in Science in nursing (ASN) and RN licensure while they are completing the program.

The “BSNin4” is a unique program offered to first-time-incollege students and comes with stringent requirements. The program is already highly competitive. More than 80 students applied for acceptance into the program this fall, and about 30 of those met all the qualifications, including foreign language requirements and advanced math. SCF accepted the top 25 percent.

Program leaders hope to double the number of students accepted into the program next year and ensure that the first group of students are on a path to success in the rigorous, year-round program. During the first two semesters, students must take all nine of the pre-nursing courses. Over the summer, they take one more required course, along with two electives.

Incoming freshmen join a peer-support group with other “BSNin4” students when they are admitted. SCF tracks the group’s progress through the program and provides the appro-

priate services as needed. SCF is committed to student success, working with students to help them obtain grants, loans, scholarships and part-time employment. As part of this groundbreaking program, SCF will offer loan forgiveness to students who borrow the funds to complete their Summer 2 term and continue the four-year program and graduate on time.

Students who graduate from the ASN program in the spring of their third year may sit for the certification exam to obtain their RN so they can begin their nursing careers, something traditional BSN programs don’t allow. During the fall of their fourth year, students begin the BSN program full time. While there are 12 consecutive semesters in the program with no summers off, the BSN courses are available online allowing RNs to work as they complete the BSN portion of their degree.

Helping nurses earn BSN and higher degrees is vital as a growing number of baby boomers retire and there are fewer qualified nurses to take their place. The additional education better prepares registered nurses for the increasing complexity of medical technologies and treatments. It also gives them the confidence and leadership to assess and improve care.

The “BSNin4” program offers a “Freshman Guarantee,” promising students who earn a 3.5 GPA or higher in the first year of the program guaranteed acceptance. No other institution in the region offers such a guarantee, providing peace of mind to students that their pathway to a BSN is achievable.

SCF Nursing Graduate Named Blake Medical Center’s New Nurse of the Year

Nathan Hansen didn’t plan on becoming a nurse when he started college. His plan was to become a dentist, but after finishing his bachelor’s degree in biomedical science, he didn’t get into dental school right away, so he took a job working in an operating room (OR) at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. While working in the operating room, he fell in love with nursing.

“I didn’t know what nurses did until I was working at the hospital,” Hansen said. “I knew I had a passion for it. I paid attention to what the nurses did in the OR and asked questions when possible.”

His passion led him to nursing school at SCF, and his time at the College led him to being named Blake Medical Center’s New Nurse of the Year for 2017. Before enrolling at SCF, Hansen got a job in the OR at Blake Medical Center where the staff there helped him get into nursing school in 2013. He had already been out of college for seven years, so going back to school wasn’t easy.

“The people there are awesome; they encouraged me to come back to school, and they offered me advice,” he said. “My social life took a hit. All I did was study and work.” And even though he acknowledges that it was a tough program, he calls going back to school “a good experience.”

“The instructors were great,” he added. “But it’s a tough experience. You can’t fall behind. I had a good background and knew what to expect.”

He said the program helped him build a solid foundation, helped him see the whole picture—beyond the OR —at the hospital, and helped him with managing priorities, something he has to do every day at Blake Medical Center. It also got him interested in bone marrow donation and eventually helping to save a teenager’s life.

A Nurse Who Cares…

As a student at SCF, Hansen watched YouTube videos to help him study for his courses. That’s when he saw a video of a guy who had donated bone marrow. Hansen had been a blood donor for more than 10 years, so he decided to sign up for the bone marrow registry. He said he didn’t really think about it after he sent in his kit with his DNA, but last year was notified that he was a potential match for someone.

After more testing, including three rounds of labs and a physical, he found out he would be donating bone marrow to a teenage boy with leukemia. The program flew him to Washington, D.C., in June 2017, where he checked into the hospital and went through more consultations before being taken into a procedure room where he donated 1.5 liters of bone marrow the next day.

He woke up in a recovery room and stayed at the hospital for a 24-hour observation period. He said the procedure wasn’t “too painful” and that he was mostly sore and tired from the anesthesia. He never met the teenager and wouldn’t be able to unless both parties agree. There’s a minimum one-year wait.

Hansen was named Blake Medical Center’s New Nurse of the Year over the summer, just three years out of the nursing program at SCF. He doesn’t know who nominated him for the award, and he didn’t expect to win, because six others also were nominated. He said he was glad he could help the teenager and loves what he does, so the award was an acknowledgment that he made the right choice in going into nursing.

For more information about SCF’s nursing program, visit SCF.edu/Nursing.

SCF Graduate Not Waiting in the Wings for Career

Jade Turner, a former music and theatre student at SCF, had no plans to go to a small college to start her education. Her plan was to immediately go to a private university or a performing arts school. But her budget put her on the path to SCF.

“It was the best thing that could have happened to me,” Turner said from her dressing room at the Asolo Repertory Theatre where she was recently performing in “Ragtime.” She also performed as Roxy in the production of “Roe” in March and April at the Asolo.

Turner is living in New York, where she has an agent, and is auditioning for Broadway shows full time. She loves working at the Asolo and hopes to perform in other shows there as well. She’s well on her way to getting her union card, a rare accomplishment for someone straight out of college.

“If you would have told me I would graduate and have booked two shows at one of the best regional repertory theatres in the country, I would have laughed at you,” Turner said.

But she said her time at SCF gave her the confidence to perform and audition. An active student in the music program, she starred as Anita in SCF’s production of “West Side Story.” SCF also taught her that faculty were not just approachable,

they want you to succeed. She said her vocal professor, Melodie Dickerson, is like a second mom to her. Dickerson stayed in her corner even after she graduated from SCF and transferred to the University of Tampa. And Dickerson is still in her corner today.

“They were building my self-esteem, and I didn’t realize it at the time,” Turner said.

Dickerson said Turner was an active student in the program and built a strong foundation at SCF. “Jade was a very valuable member of our Music Program,” Dickerson said. “She starred as Anita in West Side Story and was terrific.”

Turner’s experience at SCF taught her to build relationships with her professors at the University of Tampa as well. She asked questions, took direction and tried new things. When she was assigned to audition for shows during her senior year, Turner had the confidence to sign up and complete her assignment. She was surprised when she got parts in two shows, a play and a musical. By the time she found out, she had already rented an apartment in New York.

“I was lucky to have an agent who really liked me and who lived in New York,” she said.

If I went anywhere else, I wouldn’t have gotten the individual attention, which is why I am so successful.”

Volunteer Appreciation

In addition to our dedicated SCF Foundation board of directors and employees, we have many giving individuals serving as Sundays at Neel ushers, supporting events and reading scholarship applications.

Our deepest gratitude to the following volunteers, who are working behind the scenes doing good deeds for State College of Florida Foundation and our students.

Gerald Adams

Kara Altice-Montes

Phil Baker

Janice Banks

Beverly Bartner

Janet Bell

Pam Blalock

Jim Bourgoin

Suzan Boyd

Stephanie Boyd Mitchell

Brenda Boynton

Bradenton Kiwanis Club

Linda Bradway

Jennifer Brandon

Joseph Brandon

Jim Burnette

Denise Campbell

Elizabeth Cassell

Debi Cohoon

Jeremiah Coker

Myra Cooley

The College Club of Venice

Joanne Creel

Nolan Cruz

Kathleen Cucci

Christopher Davis

Karen de Borja

Edi Deane-Watson

Jennifer Dolan

Doris Dutton

Leslie Edwards

Matthew Englander

John Fain

Margarita Fateyev

Mark Fairchild

Beverly Fernandez

Donna Flanagan

Debbie Fosbenner

Laura Fox Maria Gaffar

Sophia Gatsiadis

Faith Goldman

Karen Goldstein

Audrianna Goss

Jade Goss

John Goss

Beth Green

Sondra Guffey

Didi Hager

Curtis Hamlin

Nick Hammer

Michelle Harllee

Billie Sue Hartman

Penny Hill

Kory Hostetler

Sharon Howze

Tom Howze

Emily Hutching

Gary Hutton

Susan Hutton

Kyle Jacobs

Minoslara Janotka

Jackie Johnson

Patricia Johnson

Jim Keim

Donna Kirby Reynolds

Nancy Klingbeil

Perry Korszen

Dee Kropf

Steve LaFountain

Sandi La Mania

Janine Larose

David Lucero

Mitzy Lucero

Betsy Lydecker

Lorraine Manas

Kobee Masiello

Angela Massaro-Fain

Jenna McCoy

Bernadette Mickle

Anne Miller

Liza Minteer

Barbara Mitchell

Hector Morales

Michelle Morgan Alix Morin

Olivia Motagreenwood

Tony Mowry

Bill Murphy

Christina Najmy

Patrick Neal

Palm-Aire Women’s Club

Deb Pate

Mark Payne

Tammy Payne

Brenda Peake

Pelican Cove Condo Association

Paula and Ray Pilkulski

Julie Planck

Silvia Presto

David Pritchard

Susan Rachles

Courtney Rapp Karla Rapp

Hailey Rapp

Robin Rogers

Rotary Club of Bradenton

Oay and Les Salomon

Jan Schaberg

Terrie Santa Maria

Sertoma Club of Bradenton Charity Shahan

Christina Shaw

Elizabeth Slawinski-Oakey Cassidy Smith

Courtney Smith

Elizabeth Smith

Judy Smith Katie Smith

Woody Smith Deb Sneddon

Robert Stannell Shannon Staub David Stein

Varsha Stein

Ann Thompson

Joanna Todd Zack Tutterow

Guillermina Vega Bill Watrous

Angie Wellman

Nancy White

Kay Wight Ann Wright Richard Wright Bea Zipper

#SCFProud

# SCFProud

Our #SCFProud campaign features alumni and students who are delighted to share their stories of attending the College while choosing a path for the future. Our proud alumni have served in the military, invented the latest electric vehicle, researched the brain and taken to the stage.

Want to join our #SCFProud campaign? Let us know how SCF helped change your life and what you are doing today. Contact Jamie Smith, director of communications and marketing, at 941-752-5320, SmithJ4@SCF.edu.

Nathan Hansen

Brendon Little

Tessa Suplee

Sean Chan

Kyle Coppola

Desiree Chubb

Luca Stine

Jade Turner

Rob McKittrick

Jazz Trumpeter Found the Place to Polish His Talents

Luca Stine wanted to learn in a place where being a musician is cool. After his sophomore year in high school, Stine decided to leave his private high school and audition for the Jazz Band at SCF. Since joining the band, he’s already seeing a world of opportunity.

Stine, who has been playing different instruments since he was in the third grade, said he wanted to go to a school that valued music and musicians. He did his research and then found Dr. Pete Carney, director of jazz studies, and the SCF Jazz Program. It fit perfectly with what he wanted to do. And he said he fit in perfectly at SCF.

“Coming here has been exciting, because there are a lot of people with similar interests,” he said. In his old high school, students were focused almost exclusively on athletics or academics. At home he was able to talk about music with his parents, who both graduated from the Manhattan School of Music and played professionally in New York City for a time. His mom plays clarinet, and his dad also is a trumpet player.

After a year of studying with Carney, Stine spent the summer in New York City on a scholarship to participate in the Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Summer Jazz Academy and then in Rhode Island at Berklee’s Global Jazz Institute Workshop at the Newport Jazz Festival, where he won another scholarship.

“The connections you get from these things are a very big deal,” Stine said, adding that students work with professors at the music schools they’d like to get into. Stine, who is a dual enrolled senior at SCF, hopes to get into a top music school and then eventually move to New York to perform full time on the jazz circuit there.

Marcus Printup, a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, worked with Stine, giving him private lessons and mentoring him. He also learned from great musicians such as Emilio Castillo, Aaron Diehl, Ted Nash and Vincent Gardner.

At the Berklee music camp he studied under Tia Fuller, a leading jazz saxophone player who works to help promote women in jazz. Stine described her as “incredible, enthusiastic and encouraging.” All of the people teaching in the Berklee and Lincoln Center programs were “passing on a legacy through their teaching,” he said. “Seeing those people inspired me.”

He has been following their advice religiously. His days are now scheduled in 30-minute increments. Even his practice time is scheduled out so that he will switch out what he is practicing every 30 minutes to an hour. He might start with scales on the trumpet and then move to sound articulation and then go to fundamentals, and then he will pick up the violin and practice, before eventually moving on to the piano. He has classes scheduled so that he can practice as much as possible. One day early in the fall term, he spent more than 10 hours just practicing what he learned over the summer.

He will also spend the Fall 2018 term putting together audition tapes for undergraduate programs and plans to send them to schools with some of the best music programs, including Julliard, but largely to places he believes will offer him scholarships. The schools who are impressed with his pre-screening tapes will invite him in for in-person auditions. His goal is to earn a free or very inexpensive education, preferably in New York.

At SCF Stine found a place where music studies are respected, and learning is also fun. He has taken English and history classes and said the classes have helped prepare him for a university. This fall, he is enrolled in math, science and history in addition to his music classes. He enjoys his professors, who are passionate about their subjects but also available to the students. He said he learned more about world history in one class than he had ever learned.

“The teachers here…they’re not just professors—they’re exciting professors,” Stine said. “They’re not just experts in their subjects; they know how to teach.”

And it’s not just in his traditional classes, Stine said. “The Jazz Program here has excelled incredibly over the last few years,” Stine said. “My improvisation has grown a lot since coming here.”

Non-profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Manasota, FL Permit No. 84

What do

want to be when

Invest in our community’s professionals one graduate at a time... Investments can be made in the form of recurring or one-time donations, equipment, supplies, and/or scholarships to help students reach their graduation milestone. No gift is too small.

Contact Barbara Bourgoin, 941-752-5398 or BourgoB@SCF.edu