Insights 2022

INSIGHTS

Celebrating 65 years of SCF being the region’s first choice in higher education.

Making higher education possible…

Thank you for your support of the State College of Florida Foundation, the College, our students, faculty and staff. “Making higher education possible” starts with your generosity in charitable support for scholarships, academic programs, capital projects and more.

September 17, 2022, marked 65 years of SCF being the region’s first choice in higher education. Manatee and Sarasota counties have rallied around the College from its founding. Some of the businesses and foundations that contributed the first scholarships in the institution’s history are still working with us today.

Our 2021-2022 fundraising year was successful, but the needs of our community remain tremendous. The local workforce increasingly includes a deficit of nurses, teachers, skilled manufacturing employees and other critical roles that a growing region cannot allow to go unfilled. The lingering impacts of the global pandemic and the sudden destruction caused by Hurricane Ian continue to create additional challenges.

My hope is this INSIGHTS publication demonstrates how important the work we’ve accomplished is, but also how much more remains to be done and why you should partner with us.

At SCF, we meet you where you are. We’re everyone’s college.

Sincerely, Executive Director

Thanks to the generosity of Foundation donors and community partners: $3.8 million supported capital improvements, equipment, technology, new degrees, instructional support, and other college enhancements.

Message from the Executive Director

BOARD OF DIRECTORS SCF FOUNDATION STAFF

THE IMPACT OF YOUR SUPPORT

♦ Scholarships

Scholarship funds are a relief for many students for whom financial aid alone doesn’t make higher education possible. For some, a scholarship means much more than financial relief to avoid taking on student loan debt. It can also give students back time they would have needed to dedicate to a full- or part-time job, allowing them to complete a degree faster and improve their job prospects. What may seem like a relatively small scholarship can truly be life-changing for an SCF student.

♦ Hurricane Ian Recovery

Hurricanes are life-changing events, and many of our students, faculty and staff were impacted severely by Ian, especially in the southern and eastern areas of SCF’s service region. In addition to damaged homes, members of our community lost food to power outages, lost access to child care, suffered diminished wages from employers struggling to reopen, and experienced technology gaps that make completion of college coursework untenable. Restoring higher education opportunities to storm victims will be a long, arduous and ongoing process requiring the combined efforts of local, state and federal government resources augmented by our philanthropic efforts.

♦

Sustaining Nursing Excellence

SCF’s history of training highly qualified nurses for local hospitals dates back to the College’s inception 65 years ago. The nursing program has achieved growth through generous community support, including funding to offer nursing instruction in the evening and on weekends. Grants and individual donations allow the SCF Foundation to assist with funding additional faculty positions and training equipment to expand the number of registered nurses and Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) graduates each year and to fill a critical workforce need.

Did you know?

♦ STEM Education at SCF Venice

SCF’s Associate in Science in nursing graduates regularly achieve 96-100%first-attempt passing rates on the registered nurse certification exam, and the College has graduated more than 1,200 BSN nurses since 2011.

A new Science and Technology building at SCF Venice will usher in new opportunities for students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs in Sarasota and Charlotte counties. The State of Florida has recognized the need for more graduates in STEM fields and appropriated substantial funding, but local contributions are still needed to bring the more than $5 million project to fruition. In addition to modern laboratories, science classrooms and collaborative study space, equipment and tools such as Bunsen burners, biosafety storage cabinets, a Sterilmatic® sterilizer, Isotemp™ water bath, and gravity convection incubator are essential to outfitting the new facility.

Debra Riva ‘85 retired after 15 years as a Circuit Court judge and 30 years overall in the legal profession.

D’Moi Hodge ‘20 is playing his final collegiate basketball season at the University of Missouri.

Jordyn Chiodo ‘21 is attending the University of Florida and is the school’s Habitat for Humanity campus event coordinator.

Bashar Roumia ‘ 18 is attending Ross Medical School to become a third-generation doctor.

John LaCivita ‘88 was promoted to president of Willis Smith Construction

Alumni News