Win a Free Course During SPC’s Get It Done Virtual Event July 13-16

St Petersburg College will offer the chance to win a free three-credit course by attending the Get It Done virtual event with six sessions offered July 13 – 16 at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. During these interactive sessions, participants can complete their college application, get help with the financial aid process, and learn how to find and register for the Fall 2020 term, which starts Aug. 17.

Participants will also have the opportunity to learn how to submit documents, navigate the college’s online student platform called MySPC, and even chat live with our admission, financial aid, or advising teams. The Get It Done virtual schedule will include:

• How to Become a Titan at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on July 13
• Registration at 10 a.m. on July 14
• Financial Assistance Services at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on July 15
• Quick Advising and Open Q&A at 10 a.m. on July 16

SPC’s online career and academic advisors, financial aid counselors and student services staff will provide insight on how to successfully navigate the academic journey from application to graduation. Speakers will include:

• Eva Christensen, SPC Director of Admission and Records
• Christy Costello, SPC Director of Online Student Services
• Sue Kubler, SPC Career and Academic Advisor
• Reggie Reed, SPC Director of Recruitment Services
• Gigi Reiter, SPC Student Support Manager
• Berta Royer, SPC Sr. Student Support Coordinator
• Todd Smith, SPC Executive Director of Financial Assistance Services

By attending any of these virtual event sessions, participants could win a free three-credit course. Following each day of sessions, one scholarship for a free three-credit-hour course will be given away. A person must enroll in an SPC course as a result of attending the webinar to be eligible for the giveaway. Recipients will be randomly selected.

To secure a spot for this virtual event, visit spc.edu/done.

 

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SPC Student Leaders Recognized

SGA leaders at Florida College System conference in February.

The past few months have been a real challenge for St. Petersburg College students, with more than 1800 classes moving online mid-semester. We would like to honor students who went above and beyond their studies to serve as members of the college’s Student Government Association. Despite being quarantined for COVID- 19, these SGA leaders persevered in their duties. We thank them for their time, service, and dedication to their fellow students and to the entire college.

We would also like to recognize our 2019-2020 Academic Year student award recipients. The academic performance and dedication to self-improvement demonstrated by these students is exemplary, and they stand as true examples of what it means to be a St. Petersburg College Titan. We congratulate them on their achievements this year and look forward to their continued success.

2019-20 Student Government Leaders

Allstate Center

• Shi’Niqua Vaught, President

Caruth Health Education Center

• Brandi Jordan, President
• Sarah Choi, Secretary
• Jonah Hoppe, Treasurer
• Sherie Evans, Parliamentarian
• Cynthia Faulkner, Sergeant of Arms
• Harvey Toro, Historian
• Andy Conway, PTA SGA Representative
• Chris Kolaxis, PTA SGA Representative
• Sharon Wattam-Nelson, Radiography SGA Representative
• Rebecca Byrd, Nursing SGA Representative
• Whitney Skerritt, Dental Hygiene SGA Representative
• Katsiaryna Durant, Dental Hygiene SGA Representative

Clearwater Campus

• Maria Stourgioti, President
• Nate Dean, Vice President
• Rajiv Rambaran, Secretary
• Tera Frazier, Historian

Downtown Center

• Brittaney Hall, President
• Saeem Fakir, Vice President
• Raheim Davis, Secretary
• Jorge Malacara, Treasurer

Midtown Center

• Jeff Thomas, President
• Maria Scruggs, Vice President
• Rose Adamson, Legislative Liaison/Secretary

Seminole Campus

• Noora Khaleel, President
• Grace Galuski, Vice President
• Kwanjittra Kaeo-Unruean, Secretary/Treasurer
• Tomás Ortega, Legislative Liaison
• Jessica Brooks, Historian
• Jack Brown, Historian
• Andrew Davis, Parliamentarian
• Bradley Wojtiuk, Sergeant of Arms

St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus

• Tiffany Albritton, President
• Christy-Lynne Lapine, Vice President
• Megan Greene, Secretary
• Daniel Small, Public Relations Representative

Tarpon Springs Campus

• Jair Marrero, President
• Maxime Thiaulier, Vice President
• Nick Bull, Treasurer
• Isabel Ribas, Legislative/Jurisprudence
• Paul Chaves, Event Liason

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Visa Offers Scholarships to SPC Business Students

St. Petersburg College students interested in a career in Business may be able to earn a certification that will make them job-eligible in only two weeks. The college has partnered with Visa to offer 10 scholarships to SPC students for training for its inaugural Visa Dispute Resolution Certification program.

In the payments industry, dispute resolution professionals manage payment card disputes and generally work for financial institutions, such as a bank that issues credit cards, or payment processors. This new certification will help elevate the role within the industry, provide professional credibility for those who earn the credential and help people expand their career prospects.

Visa selected the greater Tampa-St. Petersburg area for its inaugural Dispute Resolution Certification classes due to a high consolidation of financial institutions in the community and is partnering with St. Petersburg College to assure a highly personalized experience and local control over scholarship awards.

College of Business Dean Marta Przyborowski said the scholarship, which will cover the cost of the certification classes, materials, and the accompanying certification exams, offers students a myriad of benefits.

“This certification will allow students to establish professional credibility, attain new skills, and become an important contributor to an organization’s overall success,” she said.

Scholarship candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Current SPC students pursuing a degree in business
• Pinellas County residents (preference will be given to city of St. Petersburg residents)
• Demonstrated financial need
• 2.5 or higher GPA

Learn More

The certification classes are slated to start August 3 and will be delivered via online instruction over a two-week period. To be considered for the opportunity, interested students are urged to complete the Visa Dispute Resolution Scholarship Application by Friday, July 17.

Interested students can learn more here, or contact the College of Business at COB@spcollege.edu with any questions.

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Grow Smarter Offers Opportunity

St. Petersburg College’s Foundation, in collaboration with Grow Smarter, will provide residents of St. Petersburg whose jobs have been impacted or lost in the service, retail and hospitality areas due to COVID-19 an opportunity to receive a scholarship for full tuition, books and materials.

Grow Smarter began in 2014 as a partnership between the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of St. Petersburg to enhance the city’s ability to support diverse economic growth. The Grow Smarter Strategy identified five target industry sectors primed for growth and development in St. Petersburg:

• Marine & Life Science
• Data Analytics
• Specialized Manufacturing
• Creative Arts & Design
• Financial Services

To be eligible, an applicant must be a St. Petersburg resident who has been impacted by job loss in the service, retail or hospitality areas due to COVID-19. To apply, they must complete an online application, share how the Grow Smarter scholarship will assist with their career goals, and provide proof of residency. The application can be completed remotely.

Participation is limited, and not all qualified applicants will receive a scholarship. The deadline to apply is Friday, July 24, and the application can be completed here.

SPC’s Downtown/Midtown Campus Provost Tashika Griffith said this organic partnership provides much-needed assistance to individuals impacted by COVID-19.

“Our collaborative effort is a point of pride, knowing its impact on the community we serve,” she said.

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SPC Collaborates with LEAP Tampa Bay to Help Local Adults Finish Education and Training

St. Petersburg College is a proud partner of LEAP Tampa Bay College Access Network (LEAP Tampa Bay), a network of more than 50 community partners committed to changing lives by connecting residents to education and training beyond high school. The network recently announced a new partnership with Complete Florida to re-engage local working-age adults in education and training. Called Complete Tampa Bay, this initiative will directly assist those with prior college or technical training experience by providing free, personalized coaching and support to help them complete their college degree and/or credentialing programs.

“This hands-on approach to college and training enrollment will help streamline the often confusing and overwhelming process experienced by returning adult learners,” said Chuck Tiernan, director of LEAP Tampa Bay. “We’re thrilled to embark on this new partnership with Complete Florida that will, for the first time, allow our program to use a completion coach model to help this population not only re-enroll, but successfully move through the process to credential completion.”

Primarily funded by a grant from Lumina Foundation, Complete Tampa Bay’s personalized coaching model will help returning adult learners understand how to find available education and training options, what financial support may be available, access tutoring, and connect them to local education partners that can support the completion of their education and training goals. Complete Tampa Bay’s local education partners include: University of South Florida, University of South Florida St. Petersburg, Hillsborough Community College, St. Petersburg College, Hillsborough Technical Colleges, and Pinellas Technical College.

An estimated 330,000 adults living in Tampa Bay have earned some credits but never completed their college degrees and/or credentialing programs, according to a 2017 American Community Survey. The Complete Tampa Bay initiative aligns with the state of Florida’s “Sail to 60” goal and the national “GOAL 2025” movement, all of which seek to have 60 percent of working-age adults hold (acquire) such credentials and degrees.

In addition to supporting the re-enrollment of adults who already have credits, this initiative will strive to create new opportunities and remove barriers for the region’s African American, Hispanic, and low-income populations, which have historically experienced gaps in educational success.

“Complete Florida is thrilled to partner with LEAP Tampa Bay,” said Dr. Michelle Horton, director of Complete Florida. “LEAP Tampa Bay’s proven record of helping returning adult students finish a post-secondary certificate or degree enhances the quality of life for those living in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. That work is in perfect alignment with Complete Florida’s goal to increase degree attainment rates and keep the workforce and the economy of our state thriving.”

To contact a completion coach or learn more about the Complete Tampa Bay initiative, visit www.completetb.org.

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St. Petersburg College Releases Preliminary “Comeback Plan” and Guidelines for the Fall 2020 Term

Starting August 17, SPC will hold a portion of classes on campus, including labs, healthcare, public safety, and other programs that require hands-on learning, as well as some general education courses where research shows students are more likely to succeed in a face-to-face environment. The rest of SPC’s classes will be offered fully online or LIVE Online, which provides a virtual classroom experience where students can interact with faculty and peers in real time through video conferencing.

The college will ask those coming to campuses to practice personal safety precautions such as wearing face coverings – which will be provided – when social distancing cannot be maintained. Other precautions include:

• Adjusted seating patterns to ensure social distancing in classrooms and labs
• Increased sanitization, including electrostatic disinfecting of surfaces
• Availability of hand soap, disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizing stations
• Wayfinding signs and floor markers to encourage one-way traffic flow and discourage overcrowding
• Faculty, staff, students and visitors will also be asked to complete a symptom checker self-assessment before coming to campus

“We realize that returning to campuses involves a bit of trepidation, but we’re taking every precaution we can to provide a safe and productive learning environment for all students, faculty and staff,” said Dr. Tonjua Williams, St. Petersburg College President. “With a full course schedule spread across three different learning modalities, we know we can offer students the classes they need to create a full schedule and stay on track toward degree completion.”

SPC’s Comeback Plan followed three principles: providing a safe and secure environment, addressing financial impacts, and advancing SPC’s mission of student success. It offers a phased approach to returning to campus, starting with facilities preparation and continued sanitation, followed by a slow return of employee functions to be ready in time for the August start date.  It was created based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other local, state and federal guidelines.

“We want to remain flexible and responsive to the ever-changing situation,” adds Dr. Williams. “We will adjust as necessary should the pandemic escalate or improve over the next couple of months as we prepare to return.”

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Living Shoreline Project Gets Assist from Grant

St. Petersburg College (SPC) was recently awarded a grant from the Tampa Bay Environmental Restoration Fund (TBERF) to support the Living Shoreline Project at SPC’s STEM Center campus in St. Petersburg.

SPC’s grant award from TBERF for $173,224 will support the continued restoration of the property to a functional living shoreline. The project will include the removal of invasive plant species and marine debris, the installation of oysters and native plants, and the installation of a boardwalk/dock system that will help preserve the habitat.

Adjacent to the Intracoastal Waterway, the STEM Center is a hands-on science learning complex. Opened in 2017, the facility provides classes and research opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The building and campus includes the submerged land in the adjacent lagoon known as Hurricane Hole. The Center and surrounding property serve as a nearly 50-acre preserve in the middle of a highly urban area. As part of SPC’s ongoing efforts to establish the property as an accessible conservation area and model for best practices, the STEM Center initiated its Living Shoreline project to promote native habitation and biodiversity in Hurricane Hole.

STEM Center Director Erica Moulton said participating students and community members will be able to learn as well as to give back.

“This grant will provide students and community members the opportunity to not only participate in hands-on restoration work, but also to learn the role of living shorelines in our local ecosystem,” Moulton said.

Managed jointly by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE), TBERF is a competitive grants program to address the protection and restoration goals identified in Charting the Course, a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) for Tampa Bay.

SPC was one of seven proposals awarded funding in this year’s grant cycle, including several prominently located living shorelines and large-scale hydrologic restorations that are expected to bring construction jobs and needed water quality improvements to the Tampa Bay region.

Moulton said the grant will allow SPC to continue the work it has been doing alongside other agencies.

“We are so pleased to be able to up our participation with our partner, Keep Pinellas Beautiful, as we enhance this shoreline,” Moulton said.

 

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Displaced Workers Can Get Fast Training at SPC

When COVID-19 forced the closure of shops, restaurants, hotels, bars, and entertainment venues, many people found themselves without jobs. Though job loss is regrettable, St. Petersburg College’s Dean of Workforce Development Michael Ramsey says the down time is a great time to earn some new credentials.

“Now is a great time for unemployed workers to earn new credentials,” Ramsey said. “We definitely want to do our part to help the community as they look to rebound.”

In response, the college has launched a new tool for people who are looking to earn credentials that will land them a job in a short amount of time – as little as 16 weeks, in some cases. The Get Job Ready at SPC webpage offers plenty of helpful information that will get people on the path to a new career.

The webpage offers a list of in-demand occupations and training programs, some of which can be completed online. All of the programs will prepare students for work in fields such as technology, health and business, including the following:

• Supply Chain Management
• Accounting Technology Operations
• Computer Aided Design and Drafting
• Medical Coding
• Computer Programming Specialist
• Public Safety Telecommunication
• Digital Media/Multimedia
• Cybersecurity

Visitors to the Get Job Ready at SPC page can also find information about SPC, tuition and term dates. Using current labor market data, the page offers a list of job titles, employment and salary information, along with the necessary short-term training and certificates needed to land those jobs. They can even apply and register for classes directly from the site.

Ramsey also notes that there are many financial aid opportunities right now, both through the college or the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. But the first stop is the Job Ready page.

“There is a ton of information, resources and skill development opportunities for anyone looking to upskill or reskill,” Ramsey said.

For more information, visit now.spc.edu/jobready.

 

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EMS and Nursing Students Will Receive Scholarships From Suncoast Credit Union

Suncoast Credit Union is helping honor nurses and emergency medical services professionals on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic by supporting students in St. Petersburg College’s nursing and EMS programs. The credit union has pledged to match all gifts up to $20,000 that support scholarships for students working hard in these programs.

Suncoast Credit Union also has donated $5,000 to SPC’s Student Emergency Fund that supports students who are experiencing financial hardships and need help with basic needs, such as food and living expenses.

“We are elated and humbled to have such a wonderful partnership with Suncoast Credit Union who sees the value of our essential workers and supporting these health care students financially in such a time as this,” said SPC Dean of Nursing Dr. Louisana Louis.

Approximately, 20 students will receive a $1,000 scholarship during SPC’s upcoming fall and spring semesters due to the generosity of Suncoast Credit Union and countless donors.

“While we are focused on supporting our members financially, we feel a moral obligation to support other basic needs during this very challenging time. We admire and are inspired by other charitable organizations who are providing relief through private donations like ours,” said Suncoast Credit Union President & CEO Kevin Johnson. “People are struggling through no fault of their own and because of the support of our Board of Directors, Suncoast is committed to doing what we can to address these serious needs.”

This commitment is a part of Suncoast Credit Union’s $1 million donation initiative to provide economic relief in the areas of health care, hunger and education.

To support students in SPC’s nursing and EMS programs, make a gift at stpe.co/suncoastmatch.

 

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SPC PITCH Program Graduates on the COVID Front Lines in Pinellas County

Bill Baptiste, an SPC 2018 PITCH Clinical Medical Assistant student, is working on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19.

The Baptiste brothers knew a cubicle job wasn’t for them. They had ambitions to work in a job where they could serve their community while gaining exposure to the medical field. Through the Providing Instruction for Tomorrow’s Collegians and Hires (PITCH) program, a partnership between St. Petersburg College and the City of St. Petersburg’s Cohort of Champions program, Bill and Timothy Baptiste earned their Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) Certificates from SPC in 2018 and immediately gained full-time employment at a local community health center in South St. Pete.

Having served over 129 youth since 2017, PITCH continues to give back to the Pinellas County community, one graduate at a time. For students like Bill and Timothy Baptiste who want to lend and develop their skills in the medical field, more opportunities in CMA training are coming. SPC recently received a $199,739 Florida Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant to establish a Clinical Medical Assistant (CMA) Pre-apprenticeship Program that will support the growing workforce need for medical assistants. The program will also be a gateway for those interested in further pursuing a career in the medical field, such as in nursing or radiology.

The Baptistes are now fulfilling their ambitions, as they work on the front lines of a no-cost COVID-19 testing site in Pinellas County. The brothers can be seen supporting data entry, administrative needs, and pre-screening those walking into the community center. Bill, 21, credits the PITCH program with preparing him to handle everyday matters in the real world by teaching him to stay calm.

“I think this is especially applicable to now, working at a COVID-19 testing site,” Bill said.

Timothy, 19, agreed.

“We {staff} are just as stressed out as those coming to be tested,” Timothy said. “All of the processes we have to go through to get people tested efficiently, accurately and quickly require a lot of man power in the tents.”

The brothers are currently enrolled at SPC in the Health Sciences associate degree program and plan to apply for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program. They also are interested in exploring other opportunities, such as FAMU, Florida’s public Historically Black College/University.

The City of St. Petersburg’s Cohort of Champions funds entrepreneurial and educational training opportunities for African American male youth at SPC. The program also provides participants with opportunities for skill building, leadership-focused workshops and events, mentoring, tutoring, academic advising, and wraparound services. Participants must be male, 18-24 years old, African American and City of St. Petersburg residents.

For more information on eligibility and enrollment, email Ernest Gant, Acting Pitch Coordinator, at gant.ernest@spcollege.edu.

More information on the city initiative can be found here: www.stpete.org/MBSK. Details about PITCH are available on the college’s website at spcollege.edu/pitch.

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