When Every Breath Counts, Count on Gulf Coast’s Respiratory Care Program | p4
Student Highlight
An ESOL Success Story p7
Program Highlight
Big Bend Technical College to Provide Transitioning Soldiers and others Opportunities in Advanced Manufacturing p9
Program Highlight
Lake School District Hosts Inaugural College and Career Expo. p11
WELCOME MESSAGE
Greetings,
I often quip, “I wouldn’t be me without CTE.” It’s a catchy line, but it really doesn’t capture the depth of my experience. CTE and CTE teachers were instrumental in shaping the direction of my life and career. From my days as a CTE student to my work as a high school agriculture teacher, FFA Advisor and professor of teacher education, my passion for people and workforce education has continued to grow.
Now, as the Associate Vice Chancellor for CTE, I’m privileged to connect my passions and help fellow Floridians carve out meaningful careers for themselves and their families. It feels like coming full circle, and I’m thrilled to be working with you to ensure Florida’s students have access to the absolute best CTE programs and resources available.
ASHLEY YOPP, PH.D.
Associate Vice Chancellor for Career and Technical Education
Florida Department of Education
When Every Breath Counts, Count on Gulf Coast’s Respiratory Care Program
Submitted by Gulf Coast State College
Breathing. It’s the rhythm of life, something we often take for granted until it becomes a struggle.
Since 1978, Gulf Coast State College has been training the next generation of these healthcare professionals. With each passing year, we’ve seen our graduates enter the workforce, prepared with the knowledge and skills to make a difference in the lives of others.
In 2021, we took our program to new
heights. We upgraded our training labs with state-of-the-art equipment to enhance our training approach and student experience. We’re proud to say that our program is now the only one along the Emerald Coast offering this level of training excellence that includes high-fidelity simulation equipment, intubation equipment, PFT machines and mechanical ventilators.
Just ask Mya Redmon, one of our recent graduates and daughter of a 2014 respiratory care program graduate. She
credits our program’s hands-on approach and supportive instructors for preparing her to tackle the challenges of the real world with confidence.
But Mya’s success is just one of many. With over 450 Gulf Coast graduates finding
rewarding careers after completing their studies, our program’s impact shines throughout our community and beyond.
Our partnerships with local healthcare providers guarantee that our graduates have opportunities to put their skills to use, with many choosing to stay and serve in our area.
Our program’s performance speaks for itself: a 100 percent pass rate on the National Board of Respiratory Care Clinical Simulation Exam (CSE) and 100 percent of our graduates securing a job in their field is a testament to the quality instruction our students receive.
At Gulf Coast State College, we’re not just training respiratory therapists; we’re influencing the future of healthcare, one breath at a time.
ADULT EDUCATION HIGHLIGHT
Her inspiration for getting her GED? Her mother went back to class and got hers.
Submitted by Northeast Literacy Alliance
In this, and every graduation season, there are thousands of success stories all across our area.
Some involve valedictorians with GPAs higher than even seems possible, an absurdly long list of extracurricular activities and a future at some prestigious college. Those certainly are admirable. But for this graduation season, I have a different kind of story.
It’s the story of a mother and daughter who didn’t graduate. Not at first anyway. And that’s part of what makes their story admirable.
First, at age 40, Quartx Barney got her GED. By doing so, she motivated her daughter, Quatiyana, to also go to the Brentwood Community Center, take classes offered by the Literacy Alliance of Northeast Florida and get her GED.
Read Quatiyana’s full story.
STUDENT HIGHLIGHT
An ESOL Success Story
Submitted by Ana De La Garza of Palm Beach County Adult Education
My name is Ana De La Garza. I am originally from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, where I was a doctor specializing in gynecology. The reason I immigrated to the USA was that I met a wonderful man and decided to give up everything I had done in my country, thinking that it would be easy and quick to transfer my licenses to a new country and learn the language. But to my surprise, I found myself in a new country not speaking the language.
In 2017, we moved to Boynton Beach, and I started looking for a school near my house and found Delray Full Service School. I remember that it was the month of May when I came to the school to ask for information, and when I arrived at the place, I did not find any door open. I thought it was closed, but I saw that they had a doorbell with an intercom on one of the doors. However, I was not able to push the buzzer because of the fear I felt of not being able to understand the person who would answer me and so I turned around and returned to my house. I remember my husband asking me how I was doing and I told him that the school was closed. It took me two more months to gain enough courage and return, thank God this time the door was open and I entered and a
person with a huge smile welcomed me and directed me towards the registration area. I filled out my documents, I took my exams to see what level I was and when they told me I was at level six, all I could think of was: How am I at level six if I don’t understand or speak the language at all? Anyway, I took my level six class with a wonderful teacher and I signed up for an additional English conversation class with another teacher who encouraged the class to speak a lot even though we had no idea how to use English grammar. I went to level seven and during this course, I also took the preparation course for American citizenship which I obtained without problems thanks to the course.
When I finished my level 7 course, which was the last one I had to complete, my citizenship course teacher approached me and asked me what plans I had now that I had finished my English program and that I was an American citizen. I clearly remember telling her that I would look for a job. She told me that we should go see the school administrator who, at the time, was Mr. Brian Killeen and see if he had a position for me in the school. So we went, and I was very nervous and honestly waited for him to say that there were no
opportunities, but it wasn’t like that at all. Mr. Killeen immediately said Yes! They needed someone in the office to help them take care of the students and upon discovering that I was also a doctor, he told me that there was a program they were about to promote to begin Home Health Aide (HHA) classes and that he believed I could teach it. That’s how I started in Delray.
After a few weeks, the medical academy project plans were becoming more and more concrete, and Mr. Killeen formally proposed that I be the instructor of the first HHA program in Delray. I remember that I was terrified and told him that I was not going to be able to do it because my English was very rustic, but he never stopped encouraging me and believing in me. Finally, the first course began, in August 2018, and with the help of Mrs. Brenda Boston, we began this adventure. She has been one of my pillars to continue on this project. She spent a full year mentoring me, correcting me and strengthening my English and teaching practices. She and I have created a great team trying to give the best tools to our students so that they have better job opportunities and encourage them to move forward in their studies and goals.
In December 2018, I received the Award for Excellence as a Former Student Accomplishment Story of the Year. It was a very emotional ceremony, and at that moment I could not believe what I had
achieved for myself.
After that first year working together with Ms. Boston, the decision was made that we would separate and she would be in charge of the HHA program and I would start a new project, a Phlebotomy course. After that, other teaching projects have come up, such as Medical Laboratory Assistance, and the most recent Medical Assistance program.
I am now celebrating close to six years at the Delray Full Service Adult Education Center, surrounded by a great team that never stops supporting me, preparing and encouraging people to move forward, telling them my story so they can see that everything is possible. I encourage everyone that in addition to preparing you must have faith in yourself.
My path has not been easy, as it has involved many hours of work inside and outside of school to be able to offer the best to my students. I want them to have the same opportunities that I have had, and for that, you have to work hard and always be prepared for when those opportunities manifest. You have to be ready to take them without thinking about it even if you are dying of fear and don’t believe in yourself, because you never know if they will come back, and if they will be accompanied by noble and encouraging people who believe in you and support you like Delray Full Service did for me.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT
Big Bend Technical College to Provide Transitioning Soldiers and others Opportunities in Advanced Manufacturing
Submitted by Big Bend Technical College
LIFT, the Detroit-based, Department of Defense national manufacturing innovation institute, and Big Bend Technical College (BBTC) have announced a partnership to provide free training to transitioning service members, National Guard, Army Reserves and their families, along with veterans and other civilians for careers in advanced manufacturing through LIFT’s Operation Next initiative.
Operation Next provides an acceleratedhybrid program that combines online education with hands-on training to earn credentials for in-demand careers in advanced manufacturing. BBTC’s rolling start program will train students in Computer Numeric Control (CNC) and Welding. Each year 200,000 service members transition out of the military across the nation, and it is estimated that nearly 2 million advanced manufacturing
workers will be needed to fill vacant positions in the U.S. by 2028.
Big Bend Technical College (BBTC) will be offering an Aluminum Welding and Fabrication program. “Our motto is to ‘Educate, Empower, and Employ’ students in our local community, and we are thrilled to be partnering with LIFT to bring such a successful national program like Operation Next to our region to do just that,” said Jodi Tillman, BBTC Director
“Being a 35-year local aluminum manufacturing company as well as being a long-term partner of BBTC, the news of this new program is beyond exciting. CNC operations, aluminum welding and fabrication are skills that we use each day to build top quality, safe products. This training will help to secure the future of our company as well as others
locally and across the state. American Aluminum’s motto is “Protecting those who Protect Us” which is driven from the aluminum products we provide to the law enforcement community across the nation. This new program will help us tremendously by providing ready to work team members” said Jennifer Arnold, President of American Aluminum.
“Advanced manufacturing is critical to the economy of the region and the economy of our great state, and we need to ensure the products we need are made here in the United States,” said State Sen. Corey Simon. “Through Operation Next, providing more people with the opportunity to begin
working in advanced manufacturing, we can bolster our state and national economies, as well as our national defense.”
“Partnerships like these are critical for Operation Next to have the impact it is designed to have and provide opportunities for our service members and their families,” said Robert Shaner, Vice-President, Talent, LIFT. “We greatly welcome the opportunity to work with Big Bend Technical College to help these servicemembers and others in the region begin their advanced manufacturing careers.”
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT
Lake School District Hosts Inaugural College and Career Expo
Submitted by Lake County Public Schools
In an inspiring collaboration between Lake County Schools, local businesses and community organizations, April marked the unveiling of Lake County School’s College and Career Expo. Geared toward high school juniors and seniors, this initiative aimed to illuminate the array of postgraduation pathways available within Lake County.
The vision behind the Expo was clear: to equip Lake County’s budding adults with the knowledge and resources needed to explore and pursue careers close to home, thereby bolstering the local economy and cultivating a vibrant workforce within our community.
This ambitious endeavor was made possible through partnerships with key stakeholders, including Lake County Government, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Lake Economic Area Development Council, CareerSource Central Florida, as well as municipal entities such as the
City of Leesburg, Leesburg Chamber of Commerce and City of Clermont as well as Kroger.
The Expo welcomed all students, regardless of their post-high school plans, whether they were aspiring for higher education or aiming to enter the workforce directly. Throughout the event, attendees engaged with local hiring companies, colleges, community services and military branches, gaining insights into current and future job opportunities. Remarkably, some students even departed the Expo with tangible job offers in hand.
Beyond immediate employment prospects, the Expo facilitated meaningful connections between education and industry, laying the groundwork for students to cultivate a robust professional network that could serve them well into the future. For Lake County’s youth, the Expo represented a pivotal moment for envisioning and planning their futures.
Moreover, the Expo was a boon for local businesses, affording them increased brand visibility and the opportunity to engage with promising young talent. In essence, it was a win-win scenario, with businesses gaining access to a pool of motivated candidates while students discovered myriad avenues to success right here in Lake County.
As we reflect on the success of the College and Career Expo, we celebrate not only the partnerships that made it possible but also the bright futures it has inspired for Lake County’s next generation. Together, we are laying the groundwork for a prosperous and interconnected community, where every young person has the opportunity to thrive.
florida ranked #1 in education for second year in a row
Tallahassee, Fla., May 7, 2024 – Today, U.S. News & World Report announced that Florida is again ranked #1 in the nation for education. The publication’s Best State ranking is based on a combination of strong performances in higher education and K-12 metrics. Read more >>
FLORIDACOMMERCE, ATTORNEY GENERAL MOODY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ISSUE A JOINT COMMENT REJECTING DISCRIMINATORY U.S DEPARTMENT OF LABOR PROPOSED RULE
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Attorney General Ashley Moody, FloridaCommerce and the Florida Department of Education issued a joint comment to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to abandon its misguided, ill-advised and completely unnecessary revisions to regulations governing registered apprenticeship programs as proposed in ETA–2023–0004/RIN 1205–AC13. Read more >>
