PirateQ 
Roxanne Rachel Lavelle, Associate Director of Marketing/Web, is driven by a deep love for co-creating with nature and shapes her life around participating in its natural rhythms. Every hobby she pursues, whether tending her garden, nurturing hives, or shepherding chickens, allows her to celebrate life.
Roxanne maintains a flock of 15 chickens. They all have names and personalities to match—like the sweet curiosity of CoocooChaloo, the sassy strut of Jolene, or the crazy antics of Ducky. “Her girls” feast on organic chicken feed and nature’s gourmet offerings found when free-ranging in her pesticide-free backyard. Because of their super healthy diet, her flock lay the most beautiful and delicious natural Easter eggs with colors ranging from blue, brown, white, and green—no rooster required. Lavelle sells a few eggs but enjoys surprising friends and colleagues with freebies, especially these days with them being so eggspensive!
Lately, Lavelle’s world has been all a-buzz with beekeeping as her newest adventure; with two healthy hives, she is learning quickly. “Watching the colonies’ intricate dance feels like stepping into the hive mind featured in Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game,” said Roxanne. A close second favorite bee-related activity is chasing swarms on rescue missions and relocating them to her apiary. “If luck is on my side, my apiary will thrive in its first year; growing strong enough to extract a little honey, and I’ll be enjoying—and sharing— a sweet reward from my ‘bizzy’ friends by season’s end.”
Dedicated to the cause #SaveTheBees, Lavelle warns readers that it’s swarm season, and people will likely see swarms of bees buzzing in the area. “If you see a swarm, don’t spray poison on it or try to remove it yourself,” she advises. “Contact me, and I will get them safely relocated. We’re seeing a nationwide uptick of colony collapse disorder, so it’s imperative that we do all we can to save our vital pollinators.”
Spring is Roxanne’s favorite time of year, and she can’t help but get her hands into some soil to help things grow. She grows an organic food garden in raised beds using all-natural ingredients and lots of love. From fiery peppers and umami-rich tomatoes to crisp beans, sweet cantaloupe, and sweet potatoes, Roxanne grows just enough to feed herself with an occasional surplus to share. It’s surprising how much food one can grow in just a few square feet,” said Roxanne. “I encourage everyone to try it. There is something truly magical about watching a seed grow into a fruit-bearing plant—all that information in such a tiny blueprint.”
Lavelle also likes to fill her world with beauty. “Roses are my delight, and their smiling faces perfume and cover my world in purples, pinks, reds, yellows, and stunning variegated hues,” she smiled. “I maintain an abundance of other pollinator magnets like Lantana and grow several varieties of milkweed for my special seasonal guests: Monarch butterflies.”
Pensacola State College is another ingredient that brings the associate director happiness. She was “basically raised at the College,” where her now-retired mother worked for 25 years. When it was time to choose a college, Roxanne found Pensacola State to be a natural choice. “As a Visual Arts student, I found my creative spark here, and now, having been an employee for over a decade, this college is part of who I am; it is my home,” affirms Lavelle.
“I’m passionate about championing PSC’s mission of education—a journey I see as synonymous with transformation. It’s not just about mastering skills like reading, writing, or arithmetic; it’s about uncovering who we are and learning to embrace a life filled with purpose and joy.”