Gulf Coast State College, Dr. Cheryl Flax-Hyman

Dr. Cheryl Flax-Hyman Interim President, GULF COAST STATE COLLEGE

The holiday season brings a time of reflection for the year that is quickly coming to an end – a time of reflection, reminiscing, and forward-thinking. This year has been notable for Gulf Coast State College. We celebrated the largest donation in our history, demolished a portion of our science labs to make room for the building of a new STEM Center, and celebrated the College’s 65th Anniversary in September.

While the College has grown and transformed itself tremendously over the last 65 years, its core commitment to providing lifechanging learning opportunities for the citizens of Bay, Gulf, and Franklin counties is unchanged. Gulf Coast State College’s history is a rich one, and we are extremely proud to be a part of this community and to have touched so many lives. With this, we held a wonderful community celebration on our anniversary, where we were able to showcase our programs and divisions, as well as have a day of connection and fun with the greater community. Thank you to everyone who joined for the momentous occasion!

In May, the College and the Foundation received the largest gift in its history. The generous donation of $2.5 million was received from Ms. Julie Hilton, the daughter of the late Charles Hilton, Sr. Of this donation, $2 million is allocated for our Hospitality and Tourism Management program, a program housed in the newly-renamed Charles Hilton Center for Advanced Technology and Hospitality Management. The additional $500 thousand is supporting the Gulf Coast Guarantee, our scholarship program for high school graduates from Bay, Gulf, and Franklin counties. The Hilton family firmly supports educational opportunities for our students and the development of a strong hospitality and tourism workforce, and we are grateful for the investment that has been made at GCSC in these areas on behalf of the Hilton family!

This year also marked a major milestone for the College as we launched the 2022-2027 Strategic Plan – the blueprint that will guide our path for the next five years. It represents the College’s assessment of how to best attract and graduate students with the skills that our community’s workforce will need. The 2022-2027 plan identifies and focuses on five major areas: (1) Learning First, (2) Student Success, (3) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, (4) Community Connections, and (5) Organizational Culture. We determined these are critical to providing knowledgeable and well-prepared graduates ready to integrate into and contribute to the community we serve. The 2022-2027 Strategic Plan, titled “Reset, Refresh, Renew,” will not only continue to embody the College’s mission, goals, and vision but, to an even greater degree, exemplify our spirit of resilience and strength as an educational institution.