High School Graduates Make Summer a Learning Experience

For the past six weeks, 100 recent high school graduates took classes at St. Petersburg College’s Clearwater, Seminole, St. Petersburg/Gibbs and Tarpon Springs campuses as part of the annual Summer of Success program. They were all first-generation college students and represented area high schools from Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough Counties.

Students who attended classes at St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus proudly show off their Summer of Success completion certificates.

Their college application fee? Free. Their tuition for the four-credit program? Free. Their textbooks for the classes? Completely free.

Summer of Success is part of the initiative for SPC’s Student Support Services Department, which helps first-generation and limited-income students graduate from college. This year, the featured classes for the program were SPC 1017—Introduction to Speech Communication (3 credits) and CGS 1070—Basic Computer and Information Literacy (1 credit). Career exploration and leadership opportunities, along with weekly career and business tours, rounded out this exciting opportunity for students.

Capping off the students’ educational summer was an awards ceremony held at the Seminole Campus Digitorium. They were recognized for their hard work and awarded completion certificates while their friends and family proudly watched. Ernest Hooper, assistant sports editor for the Tampa Bay Times, was also in attendance as a guest speaker. He gave an inspiring speech to commend the students on their dedication to their education, adding a few sage words of wisdom for them to remember along their academic journey.

Ernest Hooper, assistant sports editor for the Tampa Bay Times, was the guest speaker for the awards ceremony.

“Remember the people who believe in you,” Hooper advised. “Don’t be afraid to get help; don’t be afraid to reach out.”

With the successful completion of the Summer of Success program, students will continue their education at SPC this fall. They have already enrolled in classes and will build upon what they learned and experienced over the summer.

The 2019 Summer of Success program was administered and coordinated at the four participating campuses by Keith Windom, Clearwater Campus; Juan Herrera-Medina, St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus; Benjamin Woods, Seminole Campus; and Jackie Addis, Tarpon Springs Campus.

To learn more about the objectives of Student Support Services and how it helps students succeed at SPC through programs like Summer of Success, please visit stpe.co/studentservices.

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New Performing Arts Scholarship Announced

Longtime St. Petersburg College Humanities Instructor and Academic Chair Nancy Smith passed away on Dec. 29 after a long battle with cancer, but her dedication to students will not end.

The Nancy Feagans Smith CoMotion Dance Scholarship will offer a monetary award each fall to a Performing Arts student at SPC.

Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Smith earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a Master of Science in Health Education. Smith was a co-founder, director and choreographer, along with choreographer and instructor Cynthia Hennessy, of SPC’s Co-Motion Dance Theatre, which is one of Pinellas County’s only modern dance troupes. What started as a club with only five people evolved into a popular community program offering spots to any and all interested in modern dance, regardless of age or experience.

Smith came to work at SPC in 1989 as an instructor in the Humanities Department and ultimately became the Academic Department Chair of Humanities and Fine Arts at the St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus.

Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts Jonathan Steele said Smith always showed true grace – both in dance and in everything else she did. “Nancy was wonderful to work with because of her calm demeanor in resolving conflicts, her patient and caring approach with those most needy, and her ability to see simple solutions to confounding challenges,” Steele said.

Public Policy and Legal Studies Dean Susan Demers remembers Smith as a wonderful and giving colleague and a gifted educator who, on more than one occasion, changed people’s lives by convincing them to try dance. “Arts educators enrich lives every day,” Demers said. “But the truly great ones change their students at the very center of who they are – how they see both inside and outside their bodies and souls and how they relate to the world. Nancy was one of that very rare breed. She will be missed, but she has left such a mark in this world.”

You can donate to the scholarship in Smith’s memory here. Select the Nancy Feagans Smith CoMotion Dance Scholarship from the drop-down menu.

Smith leaves behind her husband of 33 years, Rand Smith, three children and beloved pets.

A celebration of Smith’s life will be held this Saturday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Clearwater Arts Auditorium, and all are invited.

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Grand turnout for opening of Clearwater East Community Library at St. Petersburg College

Hundreds attended the April 21 grand opening of the Clearwater East Community Library at St. Petersburg College.

Years in the making, the joint-use facility at the SPC Clearwater Campus marks the college’s third such partnership with municipalities. Other library partners include the cities of St. Petersburg and Seminole.

“This is a facility where we convene the dialogues and strengthen the bonds that make this a world-class community and SPC an outstanding institution of higher education,” said SPC Clearwater Provost Stan Vittetoe.

“This is a monumental day for all of us,” said Clearwater Library Director Jennifer Obermaier. “Today we celebrate our partnership with St. Petersburg College. Through this facility, we can change lives: of children, families and students young and old. Today we celebrate knowledge, information, learning and imagination.”

The $15 million project was cooperatively funded by St. Petersburg College and the City of Clearwater.

SPC Board of Trustees Vice Chair Katherine Cole noted how the new library epitomizes the vision of the college and SPC President Tonjua Williams to create a “Community of Care.”

Other speakers included City Manager Bill Horne and SPC Senior Vice President for Instructional and Academic Programs Anne Cooper.

In his remarks, Clearwater Mayor George N. Cretekos noted that students of all ages will experience a college environment when they attend the library and reminded attendees to “read a book tonight.”

See more photos on the college’s Facebook page.

New library details

The 40,000-square-foot library includes 10,000-square-feet of dedicated public space, 15,000-square-feet of dedicated college space and 15,000-square-feet of shared space.

The library is located on the SPC’s Clearwater Campus at 2465 Drew St. in Clearwater. Canerdy, Belfsky + Arroyo Architects of St. Petersburg designed the building and Creative Contractors of Clearwater coordinated construction.

Highlights of the new building include:

• more than 90,000 electronic and print books and audio-visual materials covering a variety of disciplines and subjects
• more than 100 print journals and magazines of general and academic interest
• streaming videos, audiobooks, images, citation tools and music
• thousands of online research databases; group and individual meeting areas
• computers, scanners, printers, photocopiers and wifi
• a dedicated program room and a children’s section
• a drive-through for item return and pickup

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Join SPC’s Titan Trot 5K on April 14; help fund student scholarships

Enjoy the Titan Trot 5K at St. Petersburg College and help support student scholarships at the college.

The Titan Trot 5K is scheduled for Saturday, April 14, and starts at the SPC Clearwater Campus.  The race begins at 8 a.m. on the campus quad and continues down a trail to Cliff Stephens Park. It’s is open to the community as well as SPC students and employees. Please register online.

All levels are welcome. Run or walk. Can’t make it to race day? Sign up as a “virtual” runner and record your race time for yourself another time. Separate scholarship donations also will be accepted.

Prices for participants are:

• $10 for current SPC students
• $20 for SPC employees
• $30 for the public

All proceeds will fund SPC student scholarships.

SPC’s Faculty Governance Organization (FGO) is hosting the event and would like to thank the businesses and individuals who are sponsoring the 5K including:

• Green Bench Brewing Co.
• Orangetheory Fitness
• Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
• Publix
• PureMolecular, LLC
• St. Pete Running Company
• USA Ultra Triathlon
• Sears Cleaning Services and Sears Garage Doors
• SPC Natural Sciences Department
• Dr. Eric Carver
• Dr. Katherine Woods
• Dr. Tonjua Williams

Check out our hashtags on social media to keep up with the action leading up to the race: #SPC5K and #TitanTrot2018. Or check out our Facebook event page for updates.

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St. Petersburg College hosts College Visit Day for high school seniors on Oct. 11

Eligible Pinellas County seniors are invited to St. Petersburg College’s “College Visit Day” from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 11, for open house events. These open house events count as an official college visit day. While events will vary slightly from campus to campus, students can:

• Explore different majors – and the careers they lead to
• Tour campuses
• Learn how to pay for college
• Attend College 101 Seminars
• Learn how to apply to SPC

Students should ask for an official college visit letter to take back to their school as proof they attended the event. Campuses hosting College Visit Days are:

• Allstate Campus – East Lobby, 3200 34th St. S, St. Petersburg
• Clearwater Campus – ES-104, 2465 Drew St.
• Downtown Center – First Floor Lobby, 244 2^nd Ave. N, St. Petersburg
• Health Education Center – Lobby, 7200 66^th St. N, Pinellas Park
• Midtown Center – Lobby, 1300 22^nd St. S, St. Petersburg
• Seminole Campus – UPC Lobby, 9200 114^th St. N
• St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus – Music Center, 6605 5^th Ave. N
• Tarpon Springs Campus – Career and Advising Center Lobby, 600 Klosterman Rd

For more information, call 727-341-3400 or visit stpe.co/collegevisitdayfall17.

 

 

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SPC’s 2017 Presidential Scholars honored

This year, 37 of the best and the brightest students from across Pinellas County were selected as the St. Petersburg College 2017 Presidential Scholars. They will receive a total of more than $248,000 in tuition scholarship awards.

The event was held July 18 at the Clearwater Campus Auditorium.

Presidential Scholars were congratulated by:

• SPC President Tonjua Williams
• Senior VP of Instruction and Academic Programs Anne Cooper
• VP of Institutional Advancement and Foundation Executive Director Frances Neu
• Clearwater Campus Provost Stan Vittetoe
• St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus Provost Jamelle Conner
• Honors Program Director Earl Fratus
• SPC alumna Alexis Deveaux
• Pinellas County Schools Deputy Superintendent Dr. William Corbett

The Scholars and their family members were also treated to a speech from Deveaux, who graduated in May from SPC summa cum laude with a dual bachelor’s degree in Paralegal Studies and Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing Technology.

Alexis said, “The mission of St. Petersburg College to ‘promote student success and enrich our communities through education, career development, and self-discovery’ has become a moniker and guiding principle in my life.”

This year’s Scholars had an average weighted GPA of 4.38, an average SAT score for Reading and Math of 1235 and an average ACT score of 26.

Moments from last night's Presidential Scholarship Award Ceremony on #spcollege Clearwater Campus. pic.twitter.com/yZOgqlo2po

— StPetersburgCollege (@spcnews) July 19, 2017

SPC’s prestigious Presidential Scholarship recognizes outstanding achievement among Pinellas County high school students. Graduating seniors from public, private, parochial, and home school environments, who have a minimum weighted GPA of 3.5 are eligible to apply.

The scholarship provides full tuition for 60 credit hours of study at SPC. As Presidential Scholars, these students are automatically accepted into the SPC Honors Program, which is committed to ensuring the optimal educational experience for dedicated and talented students.

Presidential Scholarship recipients are selected annually based on merit and test scores.

See more photos from the event on the college’s Facebook page.

 

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Summer Kickoff Promotes Women2STEM

The St. Petersburg College Clearwater Campus hosted its second annual Women2STEM Summer Kickoff to a full house on Monday, July 10. The event encouraged women to work toward careers in science, technology, engineering, and math with a series of Saturday workshops. Workshops begin on Saturday, July 15, and conclude on Saturday, August 5.

Inspiring Women to Excel

The kickoff event was a phenomenal opportunity for guests to network with industry experts and educators. Women already established in successful STEM careers met with prospective students. Coming from employers like Morphogenesis, Tech Data, Florida Wildlife, and MedXChange, they worked alongside guests in a team-building exercise.

The goal of the exercise was to build the tallest tower out of sticks and marshmallows in the shortest amount of time. The challenge highlighted the importance of creativity, problem-solving skills, and collaboration. The Saturday workshops will feature creative exercises like a biology murder mystery.

After the exercise, a panel discussion provided information on getting started in STEM. The panel was moderated by Student Success Manager Kay Morgan and Dr. Natavia Middleton, Dean of Natural Science and Engineering. Panelists talked about the importance of people skills, mentors, and what they like about working in the field. 

STEM at St. Petersburg College

The free summer workshops at Women2STEM will prepare prospective students to engage in a successful return to school.

From the new Biotechnology Engineering program to computer programming, these skills are in demand. Keep up with the latest on the Women2STEM workshops and other upcoming Women2STEM events on Facebook.

Interested in STEM? Learn more about St. Petersburg College’s Science and Mathematics, Technology, and Engineering, Manufacturing, and Building Arts programs on the college website.

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