Derek Olford enrolled in Pensacola State College’s nursing program in 2023 as “something to do” while he recovered from a workplace injury. On Aug. 1, Olford was among the 86 Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Associate in Science in Nursing graduates recognized at the Summer Pinning Ceremony at First Pentecostal Church in Pensacola.
Tin Tran’s “Weave the Clouds, Forge the Waves” was selected Best of Show at the 2024 Juried High School Awards Exhibition ceremony. Hosted and juried by Pensacola State College’s Anna Society members, the exhibition is on display in the Charles W. Lamar Studio until Aug. 2. The awards ceremony held June 25 featured a collection of artworks by Escambia County and Santa Rosa County high school juniors and seniors.
Seven trailblazers ─ Gary and Carissa Bergosh, Richard Fountain, Rep. Michelle Salzman, Michael Kohler, James “Jim” Reeves and Senator Doug Broxson ─ were recently recognized as 2024 Pensacola State College Distinguished Alumni.
Pensacola State College’s Aviation Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics (A&P Mechanics) Program received a big financial boost on July 1. Gov. Ron DeSantis personally announced a $4.41 million Job Growth Grant Fund award to the program at a press conference held in the Bear Jones Moore Reeves Center for Math and Advanced Technology on the College’s Pensacola campus.
Pensacola State student Lakisha Ball won the Watson Family Foundation Juneteenth Scholarship. Ball, a nontraditional student majoring in business management, wrote a 462-word essay on the Rev. H.K. Matthews to win the $1,000 scholarship. A native of Pensacola, Ball said she chose Rev. Matthews because of his legacy in the civil rights movement.
Pensacola State College observed Juneteenth a few days early on June 16. However, the fourth annual event attracted a large crowd to celebrate the holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans. PSC Professor Tonie Anderson-Steele, event organizer and Milton campus counselor, was bittersweet about the celebration.
Charlie and Fran Switzer both served in the U.S. Navy. The couple met in the military and still understand the challenges of service members.For that reason, the Switzers recently donated $12,500 to the Pensacola State College Alumni Association to establish the Veterans Endowed Scholarship. The alumni association matched the Switzers’ donation to establish a $25,000 scholarship.
Pensacola State College announced the donation of a Fairchild Merlin IV aircraft appraised at $900,000. The aircraft will be used in the College’s Aviation Airframe Mechanics and Aviation Power Plant Mechanics (A&P Mechanics) Program. Students enrolled in the program will experience a unique training environment as the aircraft offers a unique opportunity to work on a Metroliner, which is a larger aircraft than programs typically have at their disposal.
Pensacola State College’s Planetarium and Space Theater will show “Apollo and Beyond: Conquering Gravity” on Friday, July 12. The showing is set for 6-7 p.m. in the planetarium located in the Baroco Center for Advanced Technology, Building 21, on the Pensacola campus at 1000 College Blvd.
Hosted and juried by the College’s Anna Society members, the exhibition will feature a collective of student artwork in all media from high school juniors and seniors who live in Escambia County and Santa Rosa County. The Charles W. Lamar Studio is in the Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts, Building 15, on the Pensacola campus at 1000 College Blvd.
Pensacola State College Center for Nonprofit Excellence and Philanthropy will hold a “Nonprofit Resource Development” workshop on Thursday, June 13. Andrea Krieger, the College’s Executive Director of Institutional Development, will facilitate the 8 a.m.-5 p.m. training session in the College’s Pen Air Federal Credit Union Classroom.
Sam Smith, the Pensacola State College assistant director of Workday Solutions, has been named to the Pensacola Women’s Alliance Board of Directors. Made up of professional and business women, the Pensacola Women’s Alliance (PWA) is dedicated to promoting the advancement of local women. Formed in 1982 by Diane Miller and Isabella Grimes, the nonprofit’s mission includes providing scholarships to women at Pensacola State College and the University of West Florida.
Bank of America Charitable Foundation has generously given Pensacola State College students enrolled in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs a financial boost. Through the foundation, the bank awarded the College a $10,000 grant to help CTE students working toward an Associate in Science degree, a vocational certificate, or college credit certificate.
Ralitsa Mihaylova, a Spring 2024 Pensacola State College graduate, won a gold national 2024 American Advertising Federation (ADDY) Award. Mihaylova’s entry, “The Botanist,” won first place in the Still Photography – Color Single category at the AAF Awards Gala and Dinner held May 31 in Salt Lake City.
A few months ago, Kaleb Lymons barely knew how to use a hammer. Fast forward to now, the 19-year-old can operate a power drill, an air gun and even a miter saw. “I had some basic knowledge of construction because I had a couple of friends in the field. I knew what a hammer was, but I had never built a structure,” said Lymons, a recent Escambia County Block-By-Block Program graduate.
Pensacola, Fla. (May 21, 2024) – FloridaWest EDA and Pensacola Escambia Promotion and Development Commission (PEDC) are excited to announce that LIFT, a national advanced materials manufacturing innovation institute, has selected Pensacola to establish its latest technology accelerator and talent development showcase facility.
Pensacola State College Performing Arts Department will present a Mark Landon Smith double feature this week. The department will stage “Plan 9 From Outer Space” and “Night of the Living Dead” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, May 23-25, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 26, in Ashmore Auditorium, Building 8, on the Pensacola campus.
Gina Phillips’s “Hold It Up To The Light” exhibition is on display in Pensacola State College’s Switzer Gallery May 27-Aug. 9. Phillips, a mixed media narrative artist, will present a lecture from 5-6 p.m. Tuesday, May 28, in the Switzer Lecture Hall, Building 15, Room 1590, on the College’s Pensacola campus. A reception will follow from 6-7:30 p.m. Presented by the Anna Society, the lecture and reception are free and open to the public!
Mary Claire Walther, a Dini Spheris consultant, will lead “Strengthening The Ask And Deepening Donor Understanding” virtual workshop on Tuesday, May 28. Hosted by Pensacola State College Foundation Nonprofit Center for Excellence and Philanthropy, the virtual workshop is set for 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Pensacola State College Charter Academy will hold Information Sessions for potential students in May and June. Sessions are set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 28, and Tuesday, June 18, in Building 27, Room 2716, on the Pensacola campus. The campus is located at 1000 College Blvd., Pensacola.
More than 600 Pensacola State College graduates received bachelor’s and associate degrees, applied technology diplomas and workforce certificates during commencement exercises held May 10 at the Pensacola Bay Center. Rick Byars, senior external affairs manager for Florida Power and Light Co., was the keynote speaker. He shared his life story as a message of inspiration to the Class of 2024. As a child who grew up in the Catholic Church foster care system, Byars urged the graduates to never give up on their aspirations and dreams despite life’s challenges.
WSRE PBS will host Pensacola’s second annual Amazing Kids Day for families affected by autism on Saturday, June 1, from 9 a.m.-noon in the Jean and Paul Amos Performance Studio at Pensacola State College. Amazing Kids Day is a free, sensory-friendly event for children with special needs to explore fun, educational activities. At the same time, parents and caregivers can learn about some of the local family resources available to them.
Three Pensacola State College graduates – Elizabeth Guercio, Skylar Smith and Robert Williams – are among the world’s best “virtual” business owners. The Spring 2024 graduates participated in “The Business Strategy Game” and placed first in their class and 13th worldwide for the week of Feb. 26-March 3.
Physical Therapist Assistant Program graduates Ten Pensacola State College Physical Therapist Assistant Program graduates were pinned during a ceremony held May 8 on the Warrington campus. The program graduates ─ Joshua Christiansen, Katrina Espinosa, Lauren Fradejas, Ashlee Heifner, Alyssa Johnson, Anna Mayhair, Jana Motes, Ivy New, Demetrius Smith and Kaylee Volnoff ─ also earned Associate…
Sterling Hill and Grace Rhodes have done almost everything together since they were toddlers. On May 9, the couple joined more than 80 other Pensacola State College Associate in Science in Nursing and Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates at the pinning ceremony at First Pentecostal Church in Pensacola. “It feels great to finally have it all done,” Hill, 23, said. “It was a great experience, especially the clinicals.”
“It behooves us to do our best to see that the standard of the average citizen is kept high; and the average cannot be kept high unless the standard of the leaders is very much higher,” Retired U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Donald Quinn told Pensacola State College’s Charter Academy 2024 graduates.
When Betty Freeney, Martha Weyels and Linda Winesett began their careers at Pensacola Junior College, word processors and Xerox copies were among the most innovative office equipment. Many people don’t remember the archaic equipment today, but these employees do! The three have over 120 years of combined experience at the College and were among the 210 PSC administrators, faculty and staffers recognized at the 2024 Employee Service Awards. The ceremony, held April 23 in the Jean and Paul Amos Performance Studio, honored employees with at least five years of continuous service.
Rick Byars, senior external affairs manager at Florida Power and Light Company, will be the keynote speaker at Pensacola State College’s spring graduation set for 5 p.m. Friday, May 10, in the Pensacola Bay Center. Byars’ career in the energy industry began at Entergy, where he worked for over 18 years. He joined the Southern Company’s Gulf Power in April 2007, where he held several posts ranging from Community and Economic Development General Manager to Regional Manager, Corporate External Affairs. In January 2022, Florida Power and Light merged with Gulf Power.
Pensacola State College announced proposed lab fee changes for courses for students enrolled in the Visual Arts, Math and Computer Science programs. The College’s District Board of Trustees will vote on the fee changes at the Tuesday, June 18, meeting set for 5:30 p.m. on the Pensacola campus. If approved by the Board of Trustees, the new fees will take effect for the Fall 2024 Semester.
Pensacola State College announced proposed lab fee changes for courses for students enrolled in the Nursing and Allied Health programs. The College’s District Board of Trustees will vote on the fee changes at the Tuesday, June 18, meeting set for 5:30 p.m. on the Pensacola campus. If approved by the Board of Trustees, the new fees will take effect for the Fall 2024 Semester.
Participants included Pensacola State College (PSC), Gulf Coast State College (GCSC), Tallahassee Community College (TCC), Chipola College and Florida State University (FSU). This ceremony served as the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the colleges, signifying their commitment to collaborate on additive and advanced manufacturing, aerospace research, and healthcare across Northwest Florida.
The transition from high school to college can be difficult for some students. However, Pensacola State College’s Robinson Honor Program scholars devised a plan to make it easier. On April 12 and 26, the Robinson Honors Program held The SGA Leadership Conference in the Delaino Student Center on the Pensacola campus.
Pensacola State’s best and brightest art students were recognized at the 2024 Annual Student Art Awards Exhibition on April 9 in the Anna Lamar Switzer for Visual Arts. Sydni Hutchens’s “Melting Solitude” received the President’s Choice Award, and her “The Cat and the Fish” won the Honorable Mention. Benjamin Calloway’s “Catch of the Day” also garnered an Honorable Mention.
Pensacola State College’s Charter Academy Class of 2024 recently presented its Senior Symposium projects on April 25. The standing-room-only event featured research and a presentation on career options from the 44 seniors who will graduate on May 13. Parents, mentors, Charter Academy administrators, PSC President Ed Meadows, PSC Board of Trustees chair Dr. Troy Tippett and Board Member “Flash” Gordon Sprague questioned the seniors about the projects and plans after graduation.
Ralitsa Mihaylova, a Pensacola State College Visual Arts student, will compete for a national 2024 American Advertising Federation (ADDY) award. Mihaylova’s entry, “The Botanist,” won gold at gold in the Still Photography – Color Single category at the District 4 AAF Annual Conference held April 19-21 in Orlando. The entry also won gold at the 2024 American Advertising Federation Pensacola American Advertising Awards Gala in February in the “Elements of Advertising” category.
Twenty-four Pensacola State College student-athletes – and the first Women’s Soccer player – are moving on to Division I, Division II and NAIA colleges and universities. The signees were recognized at a signing ceremony on April 29 in Hartsell Arena on the Pensacola campus.
Pensacola State College announced proposed lab fee changes for courses for students enrolled in the Allied Health programs. The College’s District Board of Trustees will vote on the fee changes at the Tuesday, June 18, meeting set for 5:30 p.m. on the Pensacola campus. If approved by the Board of Trustees, the new fees will take effect for the Fall 2024 Semester.
Pensacola State College announces a proposed Full Cost of Instruction Fee cost update for students. PSC administrators recommend a $280 Full Cost of Instruction Fee for both Bachelor and Credit programs. This fee is what is charged to students on their 3rd or more attempt on the same course. The proposed Full Cost of Instruction Fee…
Pensacola State College announced proposed lab fee changes for several courses for students enrolled in the programs. The College’s District Board of Trustees will vote on the fee changes at the Tuesday, June 18, meeting set for 5:30 p.m. on the Pensacola campus. If approved by the Board of Trustees, the new fees will take…
Nine local leaders will share their expertise on how to empower excellence in nonprofit management on Friday. The Pensacola State College Center for Nonprofit Excellence and Philanthropy will kick off the summit with Robert “Bob” Stanton, an international leadership savant and former global leader for Bayer, Ascend Performance Materials, and Envu. Stanton’s keynote will set the tone for the day, focused on the seven key pillars of nonprofit management that lead to success.
Longtime Pensacola State College supporter and donor Jim Reeves was recently recognized for PRIDE Enterprises. Reeves is the board chairman of PRIDE – an acronym for Prison Rehabilitative Industries and Diversified Enterprises. The 501c not-for-profit corporation was created by the Florida Legislature in 1981.
The 2024 Leadership Pensacola class recently received a crash course on education – from preschool to postsecondary. Hosted by Pensacola State College and the University of West Florida, the 50 representatives of Northwest Florida businesses spent Education Day 2024 (March 7) learning about early learning, workforce education and higher education.
Pensacola State College has been named a 2024-2025 Gold Military Friendly® School by Viqtory Media. This is the 15th year the College has received the Military Friendly® School title and the third consecutive year earning the gold designation in the “Large Public” school category.
Friendly, compassionate, courageous are only a few of the characteristics that friends use to described Nan Greenhut James. A retired Pensacola State College employee, James passed away on March 29 following a lengthy illness. She was a senior executive assistant at the College from October 1993 to August 2015, and worked in the Vice President of Academic Affairs office and at WSRE-TV station. “Nan had many friends, and I am fortunate to have been one of them. She was a classy lady who deeply loved her family and her church,” said Pat Crews, senior executive administrative assistant to PSC President Ed Meadows.
A former Pensacola State College student is one of the best makeup artists in the world. Jessica Smothers, known professionally as “Jess Lee Smo,” won first place in the Avant Garde Makeup Artist of the Year category at The Skin Games held March 14-18 in Atlanta. The Skin Games is one of the largest international skincare and makeup competition and award shows. Competitors include novice makeup artists, mom-and-pop shop entrepreneurs and professionals.
Pensacola State faculty members ─ Dr. Caren Garrity, Jimmy Rhea and Michael Cole – were recently inducted into the College’s Academy of Teaching Excellence. The trio and Dr. Lillian Harding, the 2024 Outstanding New Faculty Member, were honored at a dinner on April 4 in the Molly McGuire Culinary Dining Room. Garrity is an assistant Natural Sciences professor, Rhea is an assistant Visual Arts professor, and Cole is an Adjunct Faculty in the English and Communications Department.
Congratulations to all PSC photography students who participated in Jaco’s Bayfront Bar & Grille’s annual sunset photography contest. Andrew Johnson won first place, and Ben Word won second place. Johnson’s solo exhibition will be displayed at Jaco’s in April.
Tyrone McMillan went over 900 miles away from Pensacola to college. About a year later, he returned home and found what he needed at Pensacola State College. “Enrolling at PSC has turned out to be the best decision I have ever made,” said McMillan, a Robinson Honors Program officer and International Honor Society scholar.
Former Pensacola State College women’s basketball coach Chanda Rigby and former player and assistant coach, the late Carla Williams, have been inducted into the Florida College System Activities Association Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2024. Rigby, Williams and Miami-Dale College’s Ramona Edwards are being formally recognized at the FCSAA Division I Basketball Championship scheduled through Sunday (March 16) at Northwest Florida State College.
Twenty-one Pensacola State College students were honored at the annual 100 for 100 Campaign scholarship awards ceremony held March 8 in the Jean and Paul Amos Performance Studio at WSRE-TV. African American Memorial Endowed Scholarships (AAMES) were awarded to Latarash Clark, Lakynda Curtis, Ziah Eubanks, Ashleigh Faucett, Radarian Robinson, Michelle Broadnax-Sullivan and Shunteia Turner.
The Pensacola State College Wind and Jazz Ensembles, under the direction of Doug Holsworth, will present their annual Spring Concert this month. The free event is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 14, in the Ashmore Fine Arts Auditorium, Building 8, on the Pensacola campus at 1000 College Blvd.
Pensacola State College Head Volleyball Coach Pati Gandolfo, from left, setter Kiara Vega and forward Paige Phillips along with Head Soccer Coach Mark Yepishin were honored at the 2024 Pensacola Sports Annual Award Banquet held Feb. 27 at the Brownsville Community Center. PSC Softball Player Georgia Hood, not pictured, also was awarded the 2023 Amateur Sports Award.
“Resistance, resilience and survival” was the message Dr. Kern Jackson left with attendees of Pensacola State College’s “A Black History Celebration of the African Diaspora” held Tuesday on the Pensacola campus.
Pensacola State College was one of eight Bellwether Legacy Award Finalists to compete for the 2024 Legacy Award, which honors an innovative community college program demonstrating five or more years of student success.
Pensacola State College students won two Judges Awards along with 57 gold and silver ADDYs at the recent American Advertising Federation Pensacola 2024 American Advertising Awards Gala.
Pensacola State College selected a new Homecoming King and Queen during festivities held the week of Feb. 12. Chase Dixon and Anna Leigh Spence were crowned the College’s 2024 Homecoming King and Queen on Feb. 14 in Hartsell Arena. Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Jon Stephenson crowned the royals during the intermission of the women’s and men’s basketball games between Northwest Florida State College.
Tori Wallace never imagined she would enjoy spending a Saturday digging up and examining a pig carcass. “The smell didn’t bother me, but it was a great assignment for students in the program because of the hands-on experience,” said Wallace, one of several Pensacola State Crime Scene Technician Certificate Program students to participate in the 2024 Pig Dig held Feb. 1 on the Milton campus.
The inaugural certification class was introduced to a group of donors and community leaders on Jan. 11. Twenty-two Northwest Florida nonprofits make up the class, which was recognized at the announcement and orientation session held in the College’s Bear Jones Moore Reeves Center for Math and Advanced Technology. The nonprofits ranged from relatively new organizations to long-established entities.
Three Pensacola State College employees – Valeria Martinez, Caesarea McCord and Kierra Potts ─ were selected InWeekly’s 2024 Rising Stars.
Pensacola State College is celebrating National Career and Technical Education Month with various campus events. Career and Technical Education (CTE) students work toward an Associate of Science degree, a vocational certificate, or a college credit certificate. This spring, more than 4,750 Pensacola State students are enrolled in CTE Programs. CTE Month celebrates and highlights the value, achievements and accomplishments of CTE programs across Florida and nationwide.
Pensacola State College’s online RN to BSN (Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing) Program continues to be ranked among the best by U.S. News and World Report. In the publication’s “Best Online Bachelor’s Programs 2024 Edition,” the program was ranked second among the 28 Florida College System institutions and sixth among all public and private Florida colleges and universities.
Longtime Pensacola State College music professor Joe Stallings has been inducted into the Florida College System Activities Association Hall of Fame (FCSAA) for the 2023-2024 academic year. A guitar lover, Stallings established the classical guitar program at Pensacola State in 1982 and is currently the director of the College’s Guitar Program. He is also the founder and faculty adviser for the PSC Guitar Association and founder and director of the Pensacola Finger Style Acoustic Guitar Competition.
Lovro Peretić, the 2022 Guitar Foundation of America’s International Concert Artist Competition Rose Augustine Grand Prize winner, will perform at Pensacola State College next month. Presented by the College’s Guitar Association, Peretić’s performance is set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, in Ashmore Fine Arts Auditorium, Building 8, on the Pensacola campus.
The nomination period for the 2024 Pensacola State College Homecoming Court is now open. PSC students can self-nominate through Wednesday, Jan. 31, by clicking on the QR code below. Voting will take place Feb. 1-11. Voters can cast only 1 ballot. The Top 5 candidates will be members of the Homecoming Court.
Pensacola State College registered nursing, paramedic and welding program students are guaranteed jobs within six months of graduating, or they get their money back. The College is offering graduates a tuition refund as a stipulation of Florida’s 2021 Reimagining Education and Career Help Act, known as the REACH Act. The “Money-Back Guarantee Program” established the tuition refund for students who do not find jobs after completing select programs designed to prepare them for in-demand occupations.
Get free, expert help applying, registering and paying for college at Pensacola State College’s Financial Aid Day set for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, in Building 1 on the Pensacola campus at 1000 College Blvd. Ask questions, use the computer lab for online forms, and receive one-on-one assistance. Academic and Financial Aid counselors will be available to help new and returning students and their parents through the admissions and registration steps.
Grants from the Florida Blue Foundation will help Pensacola State College improve services to students on the Warrington campus and provide scholarships. Last fall, the College was awarded $300,000 from the Florida Blue Foundation to be used over four years to offer students mental health and case management services and mental health training to community members and caregivers.
Pensacola State College’s online Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN) program has been ranked among the most affordable by Intelligent.com. In its 2024 “Most Affordable Online RN to BSN Programs” rankings, Pensacola State was listed as No. 12 out of 45 national university and college programs by Intelligent.com, which provides informational resources and support to help students and parents make informed decisions about higher education.
Pensacola State College has been selected as one of eight Bellwether Legacy Award Finalists to compete for the 2024 Legacy Award. The winner will be announced at the 30th Annual Community College Futures Assembly (CCFA), set for Feb. 25-27 in San Antonio.
The National Security Agency and U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently designated Pensacola State College as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) through 2028. The CAE-CD designation is awarded to regionally accredited academic institutions offering cybersecurity degrees and/or certificates at the associate, baccalaureate and graduate levels.
Two new exhibitions featuring the works of three renowned artists will open in Pensacola State College’s Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts in January.
With over three thousand nonprofits in our community, the Pensacola State College Nonprofit Center for Excellence is doing its part to ensure that organizations big and small receive the affordable professional development they need to succeed.
Pensacola State College Athletics just added another championship to its 2023 resume. Three members of the College’s eSports team won the NJCAAE Call of Duty: Warzone Premiere Series Fall 2023 Championship. Jackson Clyde, Cheyenne “Brandon” Putt and JR Welch defeated the Mineral Area College team from Park Hills, Missouri.
The Pensacola State College Center for Nonprofit Excellence and Philanthropy certification program ensures that applicants meet federal, state and local regulations while adhering to the highest nonprofit management standards. The program is led by PSC faculty, nonprofit experts and community partners. Nonprofit professionals will be trained and evaluated on best practices in essential areas, including board governance, strategic planning, fundraising, risk management, human resources and financial management.
The opening reception of the Chaos Acceptance & Design, the 2023 Graphic Design Student Exhibition, was held Nov. 28 in the Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts. The exhibition showcases a collective of six student portfolios.
Pensacola State College Professor Dr. Brian R. Rucker was a featured author on the WSRE-TV “Connecting the Community” segment, “The Write Stuff,” this fall. A renowned author, Rucker discussed “Worlds Within the World: The Story of the Walt Disney Resort Hotels,” “Floridale: The Rise and Fall of a Florida Boom Community,” and “Mine Eyes Have Seen: Firsthand Reminiscences of the Civil War in West Florida.”
Pensacola State College President Ed Meadows, PSC Board of Trustees Chairman Dr. Troy Tippett, and members of the Council of Presidents and Trustees from across the state met with state legislators Nov. 15 and 16 in Tallahassee to advocate for the Florida College System budget.
Doug Bates, a Pensacola attorney and Pensacola State College alumnus, will be the keynote speaker at Pensacola State College’s fall graduation set for 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17, in the Pensacola Bay Center.
“Caregiving is where my heart is. I’m an only child and now take care of my 75-year-old mother (Caroline Curtis) since I lost my father last year,” said Curtis, who worked as a medical assistant for the Escambia County School District for 18 years. “As a nurse, I can help others when they need it the most – I’m looking forward to my new career.”
Pensacola State College hosted the inaugural Annual Florida College System Cybersecurity Competition on Nov. 4 in the Donald McMahon III Center for Cybersecurity on the Pensacola campus. Fourteen FCS institutions from across the state participated in the competition sponsored by Cyber Florida.
When Austin Pugh started courses at Pensacola State, he never imagined his name would one day grace the wall of a College classroom. However, Pugh knows you should “never say never!”
The 34th Annual Lumberjack Festival and Northwest Florida Forestry Conclave was held Oct. 21 on Pensacola State College’s Milton campus. The Lumberjack Festival featured dozens of competitors in events ranging from Axe Throw and Bow Sawing to Pole Toss and Compass and Pacing.
Pensacola State College professor Donna Winterberry has been chosen to receive the Special Olympics Florida Nancy Sawyer Health Access Award. The Nancy Sawyer Health Access Award recognizes an individual, agency, health organization, program, partner, or local Special Olympics program as a health hero who has carried the torch, greatly impacted and sustained equal access to health, fitness, or wellness for our athletes and people with intellectual disabilities for four or more years.
Xavier Andrews always loved the world of sports fitness and wanted to use his knowledge and skills to help others heal from injuries. A $1,000 National Association Veterans Upward Bound (NAVUB) Scholarship is helping the U.S. Navy veteran reach that goal. “I earned my Pre-Physical Therapist Assistant (associate in arts) degree this past summer, and I’m just waiting to get into Pensacola State’s (associate of science degree) program,” said the 29-year-old Andrews, who served four years in the Navy as an aviation electronics technician.
It was a day of celebration as the ceremonial ribbon was cut Oct. 30 on Pensacola State College’s new Bear Jones Moore Reeves Center for Math and Advanced Technology. “This is a great day for Pensacola State College, our students, our supporters, and Escambia and Santa Rosa counties,” said PSC President Ed Meadows. “The Bear Jones Moore Reeves Center for Math and Advanced Technology will provide state-of-the-art instructional space for our math department and enable us to expand our advanced technology and cybersecurity programs. Our cybersecurity programs are among our most rapidly growing degree programs.”
The Blackwater Pyrates recognized two Pensacola State College Pirates at a dinner on evening of October 18th. PSC students and scholarship recipients, Alicia Hartwig-Schmitz and Layton Davis, were honored at the event with scholarship support for the Fall 2023 term.
For the past 23 years, the Rotary Club of Pensacola has supported Pensacola State College students with an endowed scholarship at the PSC Foundation. Since 2000, PSC Pirates have benefited from more than $112,522 in scholarships from this generous Club.
Pensacola State College celebrated its 75th anniversary on Sept. 13 with a full day of events. The College opened on Sept. 13, 1948, with 136 students in Akins Boarding House in downtown Pensacola. PSC has grown to seven campuses and centers – Pensacola, Milton, Warrington, Downtown, Century, South Santa Rosa, and a Truck Driving Training Facility in the Santa Rosa Industrial Park East.
Pensacola State recently honored patrons who donated art to the College’s Flash Forward Permanent Collection in the Charles W. Lamar Studio. The honorees ─ Susan Voss, who gifted the College four Robert Mapplethorpe photogravures, and Gordon “Flash” and Elizabeth Sprague – were recognized at the “Flash Forward: In-Kind Donor Event” on Sept. 26 in the Lamar Lecture Hall of the Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts.
The landscape photography of four artists ─ Todd Bertolaet, Don Clark, Mark Alan Francis and Roland Miller ─ connect in the “Inspired by Place: Contemporary Landscapes” exhibit at Pensacola State College. A Gallery Talk is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14, in Lamar Lecture Hall (Room 1513) at the Charles W. Lamar Studio in the Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts. A reception will follow at 7 p.m. “Inspired by Place” is on display in the Lamar Studio until Dec. 15.
Michaela Rosales has a clear plan for her life. The Pensacola State College graduate earned an associate degree in August and re-enrolled in the College’s Electrocardiograph Technician Program this fall. The Sansing Scholars Endowed Scholarship helped make it possible.
The Pensacola State College Team won first place in the 27th YMCA Corporate Cup Challenge (Large Company Division) held on Oct. 7. Held on the College’s walking track, the YMCA Corporate Cup Challenge helps to increase employee health and fitness, develop community spirit, and boost company morale, all while raising scholarship funds for the Y’s All Scholarship Fund. Companies are divided into two divisions based on employees and team members compete in 20 events.
Pensacola State College will host a presentation by Scott Andresen, this year’s Pensacola Foo Foo Festival “Rhythm & Canvas – A Celebration of the Arts!” artist, on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Andresen’s Artist Lecture on his exhibit, “I Carry My Landscape with Me,” will be at 5 p.m. in the Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts, Building 15, Lamar Lecture Hall (Room 1513). A reception will follow at 6 p.m. and the exhibit is on display through Dec. 15 in the Switzer Gallery.
The 34th annual Northwest Florida Forestry Conclave Lumberjack Festival is set for 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, near the track on Pensacola State College’s Milton campus. The campus is at 5988 Highway 90, Milton. The Lumberjack Festival features competitive events for adults 16 and up in categories such as Axe Throw, Bow Sawing, Grand Caber Toss, Pole Toss, Standing Chop, Knife Throw and more.
When the Pensacola State College men’s and women’s basketball teams play at home next month, it will be on a renovated court with a brand new name. The (Joe) Ambersley and (Pete) Peña Court was unveiled during a Thursday, Oct. 12 ceremony in Hartsell Arena. The court was named in honor of Peña, the College’s basketball coach for the past 15 years, and his longtime friend and PSC Athletics supporter, Joe Ambersley. Ambersley and Peña’s actual signatures are inscribed on the court, emblazoned with the PSC Pirate logo.
Pensacola State College’s Theatre Department will present the charming 2017 jukebox musical, “Escape to Margaritaville,” on Oct. 20-22 and 27-29. Based on the music of the late Jimmy Buffett, the production will be staged in Ashmore Auditorium, Building 8, on the Pensacola campus at 1000 College Blvd. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. “Escape to Margaritaville” revolves around a part-time bartender and singer who falls for a career-minded tourist. The show also features the original song, “Three Chords.”
Pensacola State College’s Athletics Program received a historic boost with a $250,000 donation from Pensacola Sports Association. The donation – announced at the College’s Pirate Experience held Sept. 27 on the Pensacola campus – is the lead gift in the PSC Athletics Program “Game Plan” capital campaign. “This donation, the largest ever in our athletics program history, will go a long way toward helping us reach our goals for the athletic capital campaign,” said PSC President Ed Meadows.
Volunteer and Intern Management will be the topic of Pensacola State College’s Nonprofit Center for Excellence workshop on Thursday, Sept. 7. Kendrick Doidge, vice president of business and public relations at HCA Florida West Hospital; Josh Newby, president and CEO of the Council on Aging of West Florida; and Paula Shell, president and CEO of Big Brothers and Big Sisters, will be the trainers for the workshop set for 8 a.m.-noon in the Florida Power and Light Company Nonprofit Center Annex on the College’s Pensacola campus.
Pensacola State College student Yana Ramos was selected as a 2023 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholar. Ramos, a 28-year-old Bulgaria native, is one of 213 Phi Theta Kappa members selected for the award. She will receive a $1,000 scholarship. Ramos is a general studies major with a 4.0 grade point average and is on track to graduate in May 2024.
Former mayor, commissioner is associate vice president of government and community relations Longtime Pensacola State advocate Grover Robinson IV has joined the College as the associate vice president of government and community relations. Robinson, former Pensacola mayor and Escambia County District 4 commissioner, replaces Sandy Cesaretti Ray, who retired in 2022. In the position, Robinson will serve as the College’s governmental affairs lobbyist and liaison to members of the Florida State Legislature.
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