More than 2,500 graduate from SPC

SPC’s graduates took to the field at the 121^st Commencement Ceremony at Tropicana Field Saturday, May 4.

More than 2,500 students graduated from SPC this term, the college reported. Graduates ranged in age from 17 to 77 and included 128 veterans, President Bill Law told the crowd gathered for the event.

With this graduating class, the college has awarded 134,639 degrees since the college was founded in 1927, Law also said.

Before diplomas were handed out, the college named its Apollo and Alumni Achievement award winners.

Five outstanding SPC students were finalists for the annual Apollo Award, the highest honor a two-year graduate can achieve. Four students also were finalists for the annual Alumni Achievement Award, the highest honor for a four-year SPC graduate.

Seminole Campus student Brandon Lee Fong received the Apollo Award while Tarpon Springs Campus student Elizabeth Van Scoyoc was named the Alumni Achievement Award winner.

Quoting Socrates, Fong in his speech told the audience that one can never have enough knowledge. He congratulated SPC for living up to the title of “community” college through its efforts to help area residents.

Van Scoyoc spoke about her young daughter and how being a mother had prompted her to push forward with her education. SPC employees and groups helped her achieve her goals through their support, she said. Her future plans, she said, include law school.

Also honored at the ceremony were Maria Thurber, the college’s first ever Gates Millennium Scholar, and State Rep. Ed Hooper who was recognized as SPC’s Outstanding Alumnus.

See photos from the graduation on the college’s Facebook page and tweets at #spcgrad. Watch the ceremony on SPC’s YouTube channel.

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Tell us your story: Mother, daughters share SPC graduation news

Have a graduation story to share? Post your pictures and graduation information on St. Petersburg College’s Facebook page or tweet it using #spcgrad. We’ll include your submissions in the college’s coverage of the May 4 spring commencement ceremony. This story and photo is from SPC faculty member Elaine Anthony and her two daughters.

From left: Kjersten Strang, Elaine Anthony and Heidi Anthony

Elaine Anthony – Veterinary Technology Instructor since March 1984:

As a longtime advocate of the college, I am pleased that my daughters chose to be part of SPC, a school that is so valuable to the community. I graduated from SPJC in 1980 and began teaching here in 1984. The SPC faculty and staff have become my family. They watched my two daughters as they grew up and will be there when they cross the stage to graduate.

Heidi Anthony:

This year I will be graduating from St. Pete Collegiate High School with my high school diploma and my Associates of Arts degree from St. Petersburg College. From the time I was in sixth grade, I longed to attend Collegiate. My dream came true. St. Pete Collegiate has done so much for me and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to be part of such an amazing school. My experience at Collegiate and SPC exposed me to intelligent and dedicated professors and has given me a true sense of enthusiasm about higher education. Soon I will be heading up to the University of Florida where I will be majoring in Health Sciences. Down the road, I intend to go to veterinary or medical school. While I’m very excited to begin this new chapter of my life, I will always be grateful for my experience at St. Pete Collegiate, a school that made a true difference in my life.

Kjersten Strang:

This year I will be graduating from St. Pete College with my Bachelors Degree in Biology. The professors at SPC have truly made an impact on me. I was able to work closely with a number of very talented and brilliant professors, which really personalized my experience at SPC. St. Pete College offers small class sizes and individualized attention, which is something I really valued. I look forward to pursuing my Masters Degree to become a nurse practitioner in Women’s Health.

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Students, outstanding alumnus to be honored at SPC’s May 4 graduation

More than 1,200 students are expected to take part in St. Petersburg College’s spring commencement ceremony next month.

The event is set for Saturday, May 4, at 10 a.m. at Tropicana Field. Of those graduating, 397 will receive baccalaureate degrees.

Graduation Day instructions

The Tropicana Field entrance is on 16th Street. Parking is free to faculty and staff who show their college ID to parking attendants.

Volunteers and marshals should arrive at 8 a.m., park in Lot 5 and enter through Lower Gate 6. Graduates should enter the field at Lower Gate 6. Honor graduates should arrive at 9 a.m.  All other graduates must arrive by 9:15 a.m. Only platform guests for the ceremony should use Gate 4. Faculty who plan to march in the processional and sit on the field should enter through Gate 3. All others can enter the stadium through gates 3 and 5.

The ceremony is expected to last two hours.

More information is available on the college’s website.

Award finalists and outstanding alumnus

This year State Rep. Ed Hooper will be recognized as SPC’s Outstanding Alumnus.  In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he attended the college where his studies centered on firefighting and emergency medical services. In 1999, he was named Professional Firefighter of the Year. In 2006, he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives where he continues to serve today. Prior to his election to the Florida House of Representatives, he served as a Clearwater City Commissioner from 1996-2000.

Five outstanding SPC students have been selected as finalists for the annual Apollo Award, the highest honor a two-year graduate can achieve. Also selected are four finalists for the annual Alumni Achievement Award, the highest honor for a four-year SPC graduate. The winner in each category will be named and honored at the ceremony.

Apollo Award finalists are:

Craig A. Corlis – A Seminole Campus student, he is a May 2013 graduate in Computer and Web Programming. He was president of Phi Theta Kappa and an executive board member of Student Government. He created and implemented the Peer Mentoring Program in the Seminole Learning Commons, which offers students help with computer issues and other problems that might be impeding their academic progress. Recently, he was named to the All Florida Academic Team.

Brandon Lee Fong – A Seminole Campus student, he is a May 2013 A.A. degree graduate. He participated in SPC’s Early College program allowing him to earn his college degree concurrently with his high school diploma. He was a member of the SPC Honors College and was published in META, the college’s interdisciplinary journal. He has more than 100 volunteer hours at All Children’s Hospital and additional volunteer hours at his church.

Grace Gryncewicz – A Tarpon Springs Campus student, she is a May 2013 A.A. degree graduate. She participated in SPC’s Early College program allowing her to earn her college degree concurrently with her high school diploma. She helped organize two clubs on the Tarpon Springs Campus: one for Early College students and another for all students needing assistance in finding classes and figuring out computer systems. She volunteers regularly at a therapeutic horseback riding organization.

Maria Ann Kelly – A St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus student, she is a May 2013 A.A. degree graduate. She was a member of Phi Theta Kappa, serving as Vice President of Service. She was named to the All Florida Academic Second Team and won the Steve Meier Award for Honors in Action. She is a writer who has won awards for stories and articles including the Carolyn Parker English Award and PTK’s Best Short Story Award. She is a volunteer tutor in the Writing Lab helping students with their writing assignments.

Maria Daniela Thurber – A St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus student, she is a May 2013 A.A. degree graduate. She was a member of Honors College, Phi Theta Kappa where she served as Vice President of Leadership, Student Government and the Hispanic Leadership Council. She was a member of SPC’s Model United Nations Team and represented the college at a national conference in Washington. She volunteers as a peer tutor in the Learning Support Commons and Writing Studio on her campus.

Alumni Achievement Award finalists are:

Sheryl H. Goff – A Seminole Campus student, she will receive a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy and Administration. She was a member of Phi Theta Kappa and SPC’s Academic and Student Affairs Advisory Committee. She works as a volunteer with Planned Parenthood’s teen outreach programs hoping to instill self-confidence and a desire to get a good education.

Alexandra Param-Hansen – A St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus student, she will receive a B.S. degree in Education. She served as a tutor in the Ready-Set-Read program organized by the College of Education to help underprivileged children improve their reading skills. She volunteers as a mentor to teenage girls through Girls Inc. and is a Girl Scout leader. She also is a volunteer at her church.

Trinh Tuyet Mai Pham – A student at the EpiCenter, she will receive a bachelor’s degree in Business. She is a member of Sima Beta Delta, an honorary fraternity for business majors, and has participated in Women on the Way. She won second place in global competition for a business simulation project. She volunteers as a teacher in a Vietnamese church.

Elizabeth Van Scoyoc – A Tarpon Springs Campus student, she will receive a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy and Administration. She was a member of Phi Theta Kappa, Student Government, Honors College and the Golden Key Honor Society. She is a volunteer tutor at Tarpon Springs Elementary and the Citizens Alliance for Progress Center.

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Hope, inspiration themes at SPC graduation

SPC Fall 2012 graduation ceremonies

The student speakers at SPC’s 120th Commencement ceremonies spoke about dreams, aspirations and hope. Their words earned cheers and, in one case, a standing ovation.

About 600 students walked out of the First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks with diplomas on Saturday, Dec. 15.

Melissa Dohme

Among them was Melissa Dohme, the survivor of a brutal domestic violence attack earlier this year. Dohme earned an associate degree and graduated with high honors. She didn’t talk in detail about what had happened to her. Instead she focused on her recovery, being named Clearwater campus’ student of year and the future.

Dohme told the audience that she went from learning how to walk again to being able to walk across the stage at the ceremony. She did it in high heels and without a cane. The crowd responded by getting to their feet and applauding.

It is these moments that define who we are and what we can become, Sam Frontera told his fellow graduates during the 9:30 a.m. ceremony. He received a bachelor’s degree in Technology Management. During the afternoon ceremony, Health Services Administration graduate Patricia Colin and Ryan DeJesus, who earned an associate degree, addressed the crowd. “It is never too late to reinvent yourself,” Colin said. “Aspire to leave your own legacy. Don’t strive to be the next Steve Jobs. Be the next you,” DeJesus said.

SPC President Bill Law congratulated the graduates and their families during the commencement ceremonies. But, before the diplomas were handed out, he talked about the shooting at an elementary school in Newton, Conn. Twenty-six people were killed including 20 children.

“These are all of our children,” Law said. “We should all hug each other a little tighter today.”

Area news agencies were at the morning commencement ceremony and reported on Dohme’s graduation including Bay News 9, the Tampa Bay Times, ABC Action News and 10 News – WTSP.com.

Watch the morning and afternoon graduation ceremonies on the college’s YouTube channel or see photos on SPC’s Facebook page.

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SPC graduation to feature student who survived brutal attack

When Melissa Dohme stands before her fellow St. Petersburg College graduates on Dec. 15 and talks about perseverance and determination, she won’t just be uttering the usual ceremonial ideals.

She will stand as a living example.

Dohme , 21, suffered 18 deep stab wounds to her head, neck and face in January. Her ex-boyfriend has been charged with the attack. Within days of her release from the hospital in February, she was back in class, determined not to let the attack keep her from her goals.

“My therapist told me to be prepared not to make the grades that I was making,” Dohme said. “I was determined more than ever to prove my therapist wrong and to not let him (her attacker) win.”

She will graduate in the morning ceremony with high honors, including A’s in the two courses she took during her initial recovery, and will earn an Associate in Arts degree.

She met with her instructors three days after her release from Bayfront Medical Center. They advised her to drop two of her four classes and concentrate on catching up in her Sociology and Humanities courses.

Her drive earned the respect of those on the Clearwater Campus, who voted her the Dr. Theodore Mazzu Student of the Year in May. Dohme plans to become a nurse practitioner and will begin classes at St. Petersburg College in the fall in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree. She is delaying her enrollment until August because the trial of her ex-boyfriend is scheduled for March.

“I feel that I’m a year behind where I wanted to be academically and that bothered me for a while,” she said, “but I have let that go and am now just thankful for where I am.”

Graduation details

Ceremonies are Dec. 15 at the First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks, 12685 Ulmerton Road, Largo. The first begins at 9:30 a.m. (when Melissa will speak), the second at 1 p.m.

If you are attending the upcoming SPC graduation ceremonies, tweet your pictures and comments to #spcgrad.

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Graduation set for Dec. 15 at Indian Rocks church

More than 600 graduates are expected to participate in the college’s 120th commencement exercises Dec. 15 at the First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks.

The morning ceremonies begin at 9:30 and the afternoon session starts at 1. The church is located at 12685 Ulmerton Road, Largo.

Melissa Dohme will be the morning speaker for the associate degree programs and Sam Frontera will be the baccalaureate representative.

In the afternoon, Ryan DeJesus will be the associate degree speaker and Patricia Colin will represent the baccalaureate programs.

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First SPC Public Policy and Administration students graduate

From left: President Bill Law, Public Policy and Administration graduates Amy Griffith and Trinity Anzur, and Jeffrey Kronschnabl, Instructor in Charge, Public Policy and Administration Baccalaureate Program.

Trinity Anzur and Amy Griffith made college history on July 21 when they became the  first Public Policy and Administration graduates.

The Public Policy and Administration program launched in fall 2010. The four-year degree program, which began with 10 students and now has about 75, offers an opportunity to gain knowledge and understanding of policy development and implementation through direct government action. The primarily face-to-face courses are offered at the Seminole and Clearwater campuses but some blended courses and limited online courses also are available.

“The success of the program has been extraordinary,” said Jeffrey Kronschnabl, Instructor in Charge for Public Policy and Administration at the Seminole Campus. “We’ve had students interning all over the county — in the Clearwater Chamber of Commerce, the Town of Belleair — and they have been doing extremely well.”

Kronschnabl worked extensively with Anzur and Griffith in several classes.

“These two ladies worked very hard and have shown a strong commitment to their education,” he said. “They took an overload of classes. They were successful in every endeavor.”

Meet the graduates

Trinity Anzur

Trinity Anzur

As a single mother, Trinity Anzur recognized the importance of an education. It would help make a better life for her and her 6-year-old son, Cooper.

After moving to St. Pete Beach around 2000, the northwestern Indiana native began taking classes for an associate’s degree the following year.

“I was trying to look for something that I could do that is close to home, and something that would be good for me and my son,” said Anzur, 36.

Although she then moved away for about seven years for employment opportunities, she returned to pick up where she left off with her degree.

While visiting with an academic advisor in 2010, the new Public Policy and Administration baccalaureate degree came up.

“They told me about the program and I thought it sounded interesting,” she said. “I think having a bachelor’s degree is a big benefit. Especially in the job economy today, it’s just an advantage.”

With the program being so new, the classes were smaller, helping Anzur and her fellow students form study groups and develop relationships that will last beyond the July 21 graduation day.

“It really made things more comfortable when there were speeches that had to be done and stuff like that,” she said. “Knowing everybody made it a little easier.

“I had a friend that graduated from USF and she didn’t have the group connection that I have here with my classmates,” Anzur said. “With my classmates, we still talk on the phone and text. We’re even going to lunch in the next couple days.”

She hopes the example she has created of getting a bachelor’s degree will leave a good impression on her son.

“I think it will have a positive effect on him,” she said. “He didn’t like that I was gone at school all the time, but he understands that I was doing it to benefit our family.”

Anzur  is interested in pursuing a law degree with a focus on family law.

“It’s something I’ve thought about but I’m a little burned out on school right now and I might take a semester or two off,” she said. “But it’s still something in the back of my mind.”

Amy Griffith

Amy Griffith

After taking classes at institutions such as Temple University, La Salle and even Penn State University, Amy Griffith’s academic path took a turn when her Coast Guard engineer husband, Steve, received relocation orders to St. Petersburg three years ago.

When the Philadelphia native began looking into the programs at St. Petersburg College, she was impressed.

“Even from just calling SPC and actually talking to a real person,” said Griffith, 29. “It beat the other schools hands-down.”

She enrolled at SPC and began working toward an associate’s degree in nursing when an advisor told her about the new Public Policy and Administration bachelor’s degree program.

“I thought that would be perfect because I wanted to work in hospital administration and not really patient care,” Griffith said. “So the Public Policy and Administration really looked good for me.”

Only needing a few more classes to get a general Associate in Arts degree, she changed her major to liberal arts and graduated with her associate’s degree. She then enrolled in the bachelor’s degree program.

“The program itself is great. The classes build upon each other, and the way they have them scheduled is perfect,” she said.

“I loved it here,” she said. “I’ve been through bigger universities in Philadelphia, and this program, and the college, was the best experience out of all of them.”

She already has received two job offers from the state of Florida and from a hospital. She next wants to pursue a master’s degree in health administration from Penn State or St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.

“All of the counselors I’ve talked to for master’s degree programs said the public policy and administration degree looks really good for doing any kind of health administration.”

 

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Area woman pushes forward toward graduation at SPC after son’s death

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune published an article July 21 about SPC graduate Natasha Clemons, the mother of a Bradenton man who died in an officer-involved shooting on June 11 in Sarasota County. Clemons’ classmates and professor, Dr. Sandra Campbell, helped her afterward. They pulled together to purchase her a new lab coat for work that lists her as having received her bachelor’s degree in nursing.

In the article, Clemons said when she walked down the aisle at SPC’s graduation ceremony she planned to carry a photo of her son. Clemons, 40, is the second in her immediate family to receive a college diploma. Her late son graduated from Eastern New Mexico University in December.

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SPC summer 2012 grads head toward their future

SPC graduates walk past applauding faculty at the end of Saturday’s graduation ceremony, the college’s 119th Commencement Exercises.

Surrounded by families, friends and flashing phones and cameras, St. Petersburg College’s summer 2012 graduates filed out of the First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks Saturday.

Approximately 300 SPC graduates participated in the college’s 119^th Commencement Exercises. The college had more than 1,200 graduates this semester, according to SPC graduation organizers. Many received associate of arts degrees while others earned bachelor’s degrees in areas ranging from international business to nursing. About 2,000 people – among them proud parents, friends, siblings and children – attended the event along with SPC faculty and staff.

SPC President Bill Law congratulated the students and their families on their achievements both during the ceremony and in a letter printed in the graduation program. “You’ve invested much in your education; now, take pride in the contributions you will make to your professions, families and communities,” Law said in the letter.

Commencement speakers Deniann Grant and Juan Otazu

Graduates heard words of advice and encouragement from two commencement speakers. Deniann Grant, who will be transferring to the University of Florida, served as the former president of the St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus’s Student Government Association in 2011-12 and the Chief Executive Officer for the transitional team of MYRA (Make Your Radio Active) Radio Network. Juan Otazu, a retired master sergeant who served in the U.S Air Force for 24 years, graduated this semester from SPC with a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

“Here at SPC there’s a place for everyone,” Grant told the crowd, explaining how the college offers an affordable education for thousands of students from a variety of backgrounds. Attending SPC, she said, allowed her to grow as a person and a leader.

“It’s passion not a pedigree that will win in the end,” Otazu said in his speech. Speaking about his own experiences to earn his degree, he had the audience laughing and clapping as he told them not to be afraid to start from the bottom and to persevere as they moved forward in life.

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Commencement speaker makes the most of her parents’ sacrifice

The college’s 119th Commencement Exercises take place Saturday, July 21, at 10 a.m. at the First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks, 12685 Ulmerton Road, Largo.

Deniann Grant

Deniann Grant has pushed herself to achieve as a way to honor the sacrifice her parents made for her education.

When she was 11, her parents moved from Antigua and Barbuda so that Grant and her three siblings would have the opportunity to go to college.

“One of my big motivators is definitely remembering the sacrifices that my parents made to move us to America,” said Grant, 18, who concentrated on English courses at the St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus. “You think about the things your parents give up—even their retirement funds—to move to a completely different country to start over so that their children can have the opportunities that I’ve had here at SPC. I want to honor that.”

Grant, who receives her Associate in Arts degree, has been chosen as the lower division student speaker for commencement Saturday.

At 16, she graduated from the Criminal Justice Academy at Pinellas Park High School and began taking classes at SPC as a full-time student in fall 2010. Selected as a Johnnie Ruth Clarke scholar, she has been to attend the college tuition-free and has maintained a 3.9 GPA.

In her two years here, Grant served as president of the St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus’s Student Government Association in 2011-12 and Chief Executive Officer for the transitional team of MYRA (Make Your Radio Active) Radio Network, the project of the college’s new internet Radio Production Club. As SGA president, she oversaw the funding of the club’s equipment.

“She is the CEO of the club, which we’ve structured like a business,” said Mark Matthews, Lead Instructor of the Music Industry/Recording Arts program who serves as club advisor. When Grant stepped down from her role as SGA president, he recruited her to lead the student radio station because of how well she understood the process of running a club and how it should be organized.

“She’s been incredible,” Matthews said. “She’s responsible for doing the club bylaws and constitutions; she’s been interfacing with the SPC legal department. We have weekly meetings with all the staff of the radio station, and she’s been very efficient and organized.”

“Deniann Grant has helped to define the way faculty, students and staff view student leaders, not only here at St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus but collegewide,” said Tyrone Clinton, Associate Provost at the St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus. “As president of the Student Government Association, she set high standards for those who will follow in her footsteps. She also has shown her classmates that with dedication and hard work your goals are attainable.”

Grant will transfer to the University of Florida in the fall to pursue a bachelor’s degree in English. After graduation, she plans to attend law school and to later return to SPC to serve as a mentor to students.

“I want to continue in my education to not only give back to my family by setting a good example for my younger brothers and cousins, but also to give back to the community as well,” Grant said. “It’s about spreading knowledge and letting everyone know that it’s possible to do the same things that I’ve done at 16 or 18, that anything you want, you can get as long as you are willing to work for it.”

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