March President's Perspective

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE MA R C H 2 0 2 2

NEW YEAR, NEW OPPORTUNITIES The start of a new year opens doors for new opportunities to advance our College and community. The year 2022 has been no exception. Last month, the College was pleased to announce that it received over $2 million in grants from the Florida Department of Education to fund workforce and education opportunities that will lead our students towards reliable and rewarding careers.

These grants will be used to expand the Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College by providing an additional degree track and expanding to include a 9th grade. Additionally, the College will be establishing two new apprenticeship programs for Computer Support and Computer Networking, allowing young adults to gain valuable hands-on experience in the information technology industry while earning money and a free education.

We are proud to be working in partnership with Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Education, and Superintendent Marcus Chambers and the Okaloosa County School District, as we ensure that students complete with the skills, competencies, and industry credentials necessary to be successful in today’s workforce.

Additionally, the College is grateful to have received a scholarship endowment in honor of the late Dee Mueller. The endowment was created by her daughter Sherry Harlow to honor Dee’s determination to making a difference in the lives of others and will be used to provide scholarship support for students enrolled in Northwest Florida State College’s top-rated nursing program.

VO LUME 6, NO. 01 Endowments and grants like these are instrumental in fueling our work to make a difference in Northwest Florida. We will continue to use these resources to support our students and create opportunities that lead them toward bright futures.

This month’s issue of President’s Perspective features a great example of the high-quality academic programs we offer. I am sure you have heard about the excellent Welding Program at NWFSC and its continued success. The program has caught the attention of many agencies in the industry, including the publication, Welding Journal. Our program has been featured in this publication the past two months and will be featured again this month. I encourage you to visit the Welding Journal website (https://www.aws.org/ publications/weldingjournal) to read more about our exemplary program and how it is opening doors for our students.

This issue also highlights some of our efforts on campus and in the community throughout the past few months, including Raider Life’s Welcome Back Bash and the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance partnership with volunteers to kick off the construction phase of the long-planned-for Liza Jackson Park Living Shoreline. We are proud to be a part of this vital community project that will increase marine habitat and improve water quality while strengthening resilience to storms and erosion.

Also, our community’s support plays a vital role in the success of the arts programs at NWFSC. I invite you to join us for some of the upcoming events at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center. The solo exhibition of drawings by Joshua D. Wilichowski at the MKAC Galleries will be showcased until March 19, 2022. The levity, skill, time, and thoughtfulness of Wilichowski’s art practice reflect his thinking about the role functional objects play in life and how they become placeholders for moments in existence. I also encourage you to join us for the NFSO Classic Finale on March 18, 2022, and our upcoming President’s Speaker Series on April 8, 2022, as we hear from financial journalist and the host of Fox’s Making Money show, Charles Payne.

I want to thank our donors, community partners, and Raider family for your continued support and for helping us provide our students with high-quality education and endless opportunities as we continue to fulfill our mission of improving the lives in Northwest Florida.

Dr. Devin Stephenson #TheBestIsOurStandard

IN THE SPOTLIGHT NWFSC PRESIDENT TO RECEIVE THE SHIRLEY B. GORDON AWARD OF DISTINCTION Northwest Florida State College President Dr. Devin Stephenson will be among the few college presidents to be honored with the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction during Phi Theta Kappa's 2022 PTK Catalyst convention, April 7-9, 2022, in Denver, Colorado.

The Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction is PTK's most prestigious award for community college presidents. The award is given to individuals who have shown strong support of student success on their campus by recognizing academic achievement, leadership, and service among high-achieving students at their colleges. Recipients are nominated by students on their campus and are only eligible to receive the award once over the course of their careers.

"It is a great honor to be recognized by the Phi Theta Kappa chapter at Northwest Florida State College and to be nominated for the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction," said Dr. Stephenson. "I am incredibly proud of our students for their perseverance during these past two years. Our PTK students have continued to strive to improve themselves inside and outside of the classroom and have worked hard to make an impact in our community, despite all of the challenges they have faced. This award is a great achievement not only for myself, but also for our Board of Trustees, faculty, and staff who help ensure that our students have all of the opportunities and resources they need to succeed."

NWFSC AWARDED TWO GRANTS FUNDING WORKFORCE AND EDUCATION Northwest Florida State College was awarded two new grants to support students in their pursuit of innovative workforce and career education opportunities that lead to employment in high-demand industries.

The Florida Department of Education awarded the College $116,954 through the Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant to support apprenticeships in Computer Support and Computer Networking. With this grant, NWFSC will work with employers and CareerSource OkaloosaWalton to make apprenticeship opportunities available to public and external organizations through outreach efforts, job fairs, collaborative partnerships, and web-based activities.

The Florida Department of Education also granted $2 million through the Early College Career and Technical Education grant to expand the dual enrollment program at NWFSC’s Collegiate High School. This grant will extend the High School’s services to 9th-grade students and expand its degree tracks to include an Associate in Science (A.S.) in Computer Information Technology and an Associate in Science (A.S.) in Engineering Technology. These degree tracks will give students the opportunity to earn industry certifications to include CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+, Solidworks, National Coalition of Certifications Centers NC3, and Manufacturing Skills Standard’s Council’s CPT. Students will also be able to participate in work-learning experiences to include internships within the local industries.

NWFSC WELDING PROGRAM RECOGNIZED IN WELDING JOURNAL The College’s Welding Technology program’s continued success has gained attention from various agencies in the industry, including the magazine the Welding Journal.

NWFSC’s program was featured in the publication in January and February and will be featured again in this month’s issue.

Some of the topics covered include our students touring the Baptist Health Care construction site and the expansion of our welding facility on the Niceville campus.

Since becoming an American Welding Society (AWS) Accredited Test Facility (ATF) in June 2019, NWFSC has administered more than 400 tests to welding students from Florida Panhandle and lower Alabama schools. The College has also served the general public, particularly defense contractors, which have increasing needs for certified welders to fulfill mission-essential projects in support of military operations.

To read more about our welding program in the Welding Journal, visit https://www.aws.org/publications/weldingjournal.

NWFSC’S RAIDER LIFE WELCOME BACK BASH Raider Life hosted its annual Welcome Back Bash at the end of January, welcoming the College’s new and returning students.

The organization provided our Raiders with academic resources to help prepare them for the Spring semester. Participating clubs and organizations had the opportunity to interact with students and their families, providing valuable information regarding campus programs and ways to engage with the surrounding community.

CBA AND PARTNERS KICK OFF LIZA JACKSON LIVING SHORELINE PROJECT The Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance (CBA) and local conservation partners hosted a volunteer training day to kick off the construction phase of the long-planned-for Liza Jackson Park Living Shoreline. The living shoreline will increase marine habitat and improve water quality, while strengthening resilience to storms and erosion. CBA will offer volunteer days with both inwater and dry land work. If you are interested in helping, email CBA@nwfsc. edu to reserve your spot.

Partners in this community-based conservation project include Islanders Coastal Outfitter, the City of Fort Walton Beach, Impact 100 of Northwest Florida, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC), University of Florida Nature Coast Biological Research Station (UF), and the Northwest Florida Water Management District.

NWF

MATTIE KELLY

PRESIDENT’S

SPEAKER SERIES

Northwest Florida State College

NFSO Classic Finale March 18, 2022

Menopause The Musical March 19, 2022

The Price is Right Live April 1, 2022 Charles Payne April 8, 2022 FREE ADMISSION

MATTIE KELLY

2021-Northwest 2022Florida Season State College

An Officer and a Gentleman April 10, 2022

Waitress April 30, 2022

scan here for information

2021-2022

Symphony Season

Go to MattieKellyArtsCenter.org or call 850.729.6000 for tickets.

NWF STATE COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Lori Kelley, Chair Shane Abbott, Vice Chair Charlotte Flynt Graham Fountain

Reynolds Henderson Don Litke Thomas “Rudy” Wright Dr. Devin Stephenson, President

100 College Boulevard, East Niceville, FL 32578

FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Ken Wampler, Chair Bo Arnold, Vice Chair

Alan Wood, Treasurer J.D. Peacock, Past Chair

Chris Stowers, Secretary Don Litke, Trustee Liason Dr. Devin Stephenson, President

FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS Christie Austin James Bagby Marek Bakun Destin Cobb Cindy Frakes Michelle McGee Freeman Todd Grisoff Tyler Jarvis Dave Jefferson

Bernard Johnson Heather Kilbey Gordon King Kim Kirby Vincent Mayfield Jonathan Ochs Brian Pennington Steve Rhodes Ashley Rogers

Hu Ross Rhonda Skipper Cecil Williams Steve Wolfrom

FOUNDATION DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

DEE MUELLER NURSING SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT With a gift of $25,000, Sherry Harlow has created the Dee Mueller Nursing Scholarship Endowment in memory of her mother, honoring her grit, passion, and determination to make a difference in the lives of those she came into contact with.

Dee was born in Metzger, Oregon. Her mother was an RN, and her father was a Danish Lumberjack. Dee was only 6 when her parents died, and her aunt adopted her. She was raised in Amarillo, Texas, during the great depression years and graduated from high school at the early age of 16. While she had little, her passions were art, horseback riding, and making her clothes. During WWII, the Navy needed nurses and paid for Dee to attend the Harris School of Nursing in Texas to become an RN. Dee graduated second in her class. Following the war, she worked at Fort Worth’s hospital, where she met her Air Force pilot husband and became the top surgical nurse. After leaving the service, they moved to Boulder, Colorado, where she worked as a nurse, six days a week, twelve hours a day, while her husband attended engineering school.

Dee and her husband were called back into service during the Korean War. As a military wife and mother moving around the country, Dee would volunteer with county health departments, serve as a Girl Scouts Leader, and was very involved in community goodwill efforts.

The Dee Mueller Nursing Scholarship Endowment will provide scholarship support for students enrolled in the nursing program at Northwest Florida State College.

The Northwest Florida State College Foundation is seeking nominations for its 2022 Alumni Awards and needs your participation! This is a wonderful opportunity to honor deserving alumni of Northwest Florida State College.

Alumni Award recipients will be recognized at the Foundation’s Annual Scholars and Donors Luncheon in the Fall of 2022. The deadline for 2022 award nominations is March 27, 2022. For more information, call the Foundation office at (850) 729-5357 or email alumni@nwfsc.edu. For complete descriptions of eligibility requirements and nomination information, visit www.nwfsc.com/alumni.