Through Self-Determination, SFSC Alumnus Edward Lohrer Realized His Dream of Becoming an Attorney

AVON PARK, Fla. – July 22, 2021 – When South Florida State College (SFSC) alumnus Edward Lohrer graduated from high school, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life. He had grown up in Lake Placid, Fla., and all he knew was that he wanted to see what life held for him beyond the borders of Highlands County. Although he didn’t have a life plan in those early years, he discovered that through self-determination, he could create the life he wanted. He is now an attorney and shareholder with the law firm Becker & Poliakoff in its Fort Lauderdale, Fla. office.

At age 17, Lohrer met and spoke with an Army recruiter stationed at a table in front of Publix Supermarket. The recruiter followed up, coming to the Lohrers’ home, where he introduced himself to Lohrer’s parents. Lohrer’s parents thought the Army would be a good experience for him, so they signed a waiver allowing him to join the Army.

“They were offering money for college at the time,” Lohrer said. “It was $30,000. My parents didn’t have a lot of money, but I knew I wanted to eventually go to college.”

However, Lohrer needed to complete his senior year at Lake Placid High School. The Army recruiter told him about SFSC’s Adult High School program held at its Lake Placid Center. “I received an SFCC high school diploma through the program,” Lohrer said. “You would work at your own pace. If you needed a credit of English, you would be given all the assignments up front. As fast as you completed them, you would be given the next set of assignments. Through the program, I completed my senior year of high school in three or four months. That way, I was able to join the Army a year earlier than I would have otherwise.”

So, Lohrer went into the Army on active duty at age 17. He was stationed at Fort Knox, Ky. and his Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) was 19K, a U.S. Army M1 Abrams Armor Crewman. During combat, they operate M1 Abrams tanks.

“The Army teaches you discipline,” Lohrer said. “So, it helped me mature a little earlier than other teenagers. I had never had my own bank account or credit card, and I had to do everything by myself, such as laundry. All of a sudden, I was in a situation where I only had myself to rely on.”

Lohrer’s four years on active duty were somewhat uneventful in that 1993 to 1997 was a relatively quiet time around the world. When his Expiration Term of Service (ETS) came up, Lohrer was ready to explore the possibility of attending the University of Florida.

Lohrer had served in the military for four years when his ETS came up. He was ready for something new in his life. “By that time, I’d started thinking about becoming a lawyer,” he said. “I knew college was the next evolution in my life. I wanted to attend a reputable college, earn a degree, and pursue graduate studies. I wanted a career and profession.”

Lohrer returned to his parents’ home in Lake Placid to plan his future. “There wasn’t internet like it is today, where it’s easy to look things up,” Lohrer said. “The University of Florida sent me information about the application process. I had been in the military and, as a junior or senior in high school, I never learned about the college application process. So, here I was, trying to figure it out on my own.”

Most colleges and universities in the United States require students to take SAT or ACT entrance tests before they are granted admission. “I hadn’t taken the SAT or the ACT, which was a pretty significant barrier and I didn’t, particularly, feel like taking the exams four years after high school. I was naïve about it. I thought you could just show up and say, ‘I want to go to this college.’”

While doing research on applying to colleges, Lohrer’s father suggested he speak with someone at SFSC for advice about how to proceed. Lohrer visited SFSC’s Admissions Office, where he was told that anyone who earned an Associate in Arts degree at a Florida community college would be accepted as a transfer student to a state university and wouldn’t have to take the SAT or ACT. “I said, ‘Sign me up,’” Lohrer said.

Lohrer graduated from SFSC with an Associate in Arts in 1998 and headed to the University of Florida where he earned his bachelor’s degree with a double major in Criminology and Political Science in 2000.

However, Lohrer waited too long to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and submit his application to law school. He wouldn’t be eligible to enroll until the following fall semester. He was established in Gainesville and saw no reason to get a job elsewhere for one year. So, he enrolled in a master’s degree program that focused on political campaigns. “Instead of writing a thesis like most graduate programs require, this was more of a practical course,” he said. “You had to work on an actual political campaign. Adam Putnam had been appointed Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and his state senate seat became vacant. I moved to Melbourne, Fla. for four or five months and worked on the campaign for one of the people running during the special election for Putnam’s seat. As that campaign was going on, I found out that I had been accepted to law school.”

But for Lohrer, the military and law school eventually and surprisingly merged.

During the summer of 2000 while attending the University of Florida Levin College of Law, Lohrer had been three years removed from the Army and he was beginning to miss it. Although he didn’t want to be in the Army full time, he missed the orderliness of it. College life can, sometimes, seem chaotic and he missed the Army’s discipline and camaraderie. “The camaraderie you share with soldiers is much different than what you share with fraternity brothers,” he said.

Lohrer had taken a summer job as a census taker. An Army recruiter lived at one of the houses Lohrer visited to gather census information. He and the Army recruiter talked at length about the Army and Lohrer revealed that he missed it. “He told me about the U.S. Army Reserve – that you don’t live on a base and you report for one weekend a month somewhere locally. You can be in the Army and, yet, have a career and go to college. So, I signed up for the Army Reserve and served with a local unit in Gainesville.”

But in 2001, 9/11 happened. “Until then, the world had been a pretty quiet place and no one in the Army Reserve went anywhere,” he said. “I was in my third semester of law school and my Reserve unit was activated to go to Iraq. No one at the law school had any experience with people leaving to go off to war. I was the first person at the law school that this happened to.  I had three days to put my world in order before I left.” Lohrer was sent with his unit to train and mobilize for deployment at Fort Stewart, Ga. in February 2003 and his unit deployed to Iraq in March 2003.

After 14 months in Iraq, Lohrer returned to law school at the University of Florida. Because he had been in Iraq, Lohrer missed out on the traditional process of participating in on-campus interviews, placing him at a disadvantage for gaining the prestigious and most sought-after summer clerkships and internships. However, he was hired as a summer associate with a two-attorney firm in Gainesville that introduced him to construction law. When he went back to law school for his final year, the firm asked him to stay on part time. He continued to work for them through the following summer.

After passing the Florida Bar Exam, Lohrer decided to send out applications to larger law firms. “Construction law is a niche area, so I emphasized my experience on my resume. That’s when I sent my resume to a firm in Fort Myers that concentrated on construction law. I was there for three years. Although I learned a lot while I was there and I was very close with a lot of the people there, it was a smaller firm handling smaller cases. I wanted to move onward and upward.”

At the time, Becker & Poliakoff had an opening in their Fort Lauderdale office’s construction law department. “They were looking for a younger attorney with some experience, and I fit that bill,” Lohrer said. “Fort Myers has a small legal community. Becker had a Fort Myers office, so I’d gotten to know a couple of their lawyers. I got the interview with Becker and I’ve been with the firm since 2008.”

Lohrer continues to serve in the U.S. Army Reserve today. After returning from Iraq, he was selected to become a drill sergeant and spent several years training new soldiers in basic combat training. Lohrer is, currently, the First Sergeant of an Army Reserve drill sergeant unit located in West Palm Beach. He has 23 total years of military service, including time on both active duty and in the Reserves. He began his career as an E1 private and rose through the ranks to become an E8 First Sergeant who was recently selected to the E9 sergeant major list.

Lohrer has advice for young people who are looking to the future. “At various points in my life, I didn’t always have a plan,” he said. “But I knew that I needed to do something, not just sit around. Time passes quickly and if you’re unsure about what to do with your future, a lot of options exist. For me, I got experience in the military and got help with college. I was unsure what the college process was like or what I wanted to do, but I went to SFSC’s Admissions Office and talked to people there. They gave me valuable information.

“Just go talk to people, get different perspectives, and learn about different options. When I see people who are adrift, there’s always some reason not to move forward—like COVID-19. If you put in the effort, plenty of opportunities are available out there to explore. Life is a lot better if you’re trying to improve yourself and you’re staying busy and active.”

AVON PARK, Fla. – July 20, 2020 – South Florida State College (SFSC) honored 12 graduates of its Dental Assisting Program in a pinning ceremony in the Alan J. Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts at SFSC on Thursday, July 15. Dental Assisting graduates receiving their pins were: Deborah Figueroa, Dacie Luna-Moreno, Laynee Galvan, Briana Molina, Monica Medrano, Jannete Godinez, Yasmine Martinez, Joanna Perez Granados, Blanca Serapio Vivanco, Wendy Yvette Rivera, Elizabeth Gomez, and Jasmine Gutierrez-Montes.

To open the ceremony, Dr. Michele Heston, dean of health sciences, paid special tribute to Bob Sconyers, who retires from SFSC in August after serving 15 years as dental assisting professor. “Mr. Sconyers told me once that he doesn’t like pinning ceremonies and that they should never happen,” she said. “During a ceremony, I learned the reason behind his perplexing comment. He was keynote speaker and shared his passion for his profession, his students, and teaching them to become the most compassionate, competent dental assistants that they could possibly be. He said he hated pinning night because his students would leave his classroom. He treasured that time with students so much that the goodbyes were heartbreaking.” Dr. Heston shared several of the graduates’ warm and complimentary comments about Sconyers.

Class president Deborah Figueroa introduced Sconyers as the evening’s keynote speaker. As a special thanks to him on behalf of her class, she presented him with a plaque. “As a gift for your past and to remember us in your future,” Figueroa said.

“This is my last official function,” Sconyers said. “The whole 15 years, I’ve enjoyed. The last year has been so special, and it’s all because of these young women.”

Addressing the graduates, he said, “I want to talk a little bit about the dental assisting profession. Dental assistants make dentistry faster, safer, and cheaper. They make it faster by being the dentist’s right hand or right several hands, so that they can do their job quicker. Dental assistants make dentistry safer by keeping the dental clinic clean and keeping the patient comfortable. If the dentists had to do dentistry by themselves, we couldn’t afford it. But with dental assistants, dentists are able to see many more patients and are able to keep the cost down.

“This is the best class I’ve ever taught,” Sconyers continued. “Every time I asked them to do something, they made it their mission to get it done quickly and correctly. They were the best ever at practicing their skills over and over until they could get 100% on every process. And they have made me a better teacher. You leave as highly trained dental assistants. Now your job is to be the best dental assistant ever. But don’t stop there. Continue to challenge yourselves. Keep learning. Whatever you do, wherever you want to go, you have to have a plan to get there. Make life happen on your terms. You need a plan for your education. Do you want to be a dental hygienist? Do you want to be a dentist? Do you want a bachelor’s degree? You can do it.

“The small things you do will have a great impact on others,” he said. “You can donate blood, you can volunteer wherever you like. Community service is its own reward. Always be nice. Being nice is a choice. I want to thank my students. You made this the best and most enjoyable year.”

After completing the 11-month Career Certificate program in Dental Assisting, graduates can work as certified dental assistants by passing the Dental Assisting National Board Examination (DANB) and qualifying for the Expanded Functions Dental Assisting Certification as well as Orthodontic Assistant Certification.

For more information on SFSC’s Dental Education programs, call 863-784-7027 or email healthsciences@southflorida.edu.

AVON PARK, Fla. – July 7, 2021 – South Florida State College (SFSC) Performing Arts will present Mark Nizer: The Only 4D Show in the World to benefit local nonprofits on Sunday, Nov. 14 at 3 p.m. in the Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts in Avon Park. This performance is featured as part of Play Your Part! Sponsored by Bill and Lisa Jarrett, Play Your Part! was created to help Highlands, Hardee, and DeSoto County nonprofits and parent teacher organizations (PTOs) raise necessary funds. 

“SFSC Performing Arts is giving back to our community,” said Cindy Garren, director of cultural programs at SFSC. “In 2019, local groups raised $8,690 and a few of the nonprofits raised nearly $2,000. It’s a perfect, fun, family event for PTOs and local nonprofits and our goal is to raise $10,000 this year.”

Only 501(c) (3) nonprofit, charitable organizations and PTOs can apply to participate in Play Your Part! The organization must provide services within Highlands, Hardee, or DeSoto counties. Special consideration will be given to organizations benefiting youth, education, the arts, or wellness. Applications are available online at sfscarts.org/education/pyp or request an application by emailing culturalperformances@southflorida.edu. Applications must be received by Friday, Aug. 20 and include a certificate of nonprofit status.

Selected nonprofits receive 25 – 100 tickets for the performance. The nonprofit will sell tickets for $10 each and keep 100% of their ticket revenue. Additional tickets can be requested by the nonprofit and SFSC will provide promotional materials. All unsold tickets must be returned to SFSC Performing Arts prior to the performance.

“A dinner meeting will be held on Thursday, Aug. 26 at 5:30 p.m.,” explained Garren. “Two representatives from the nonprofit must attend for an orientation and receive their tickets.”

Entertainer Mark Nizer has changed the way people view the world making the impossible possible and the improbable probable. Since winning the International Juggling Championships, Mark has taken his one-man show to thousands of venues around the world, including The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Walt Disney World, and thousands of performing arts centers. He has opened for Jerry Seinfeld, Bob Hope, George Burns, John Byner, Gladys Knight, The Temptations, Johnny Mathis, Ray Charles, and Barry Manilow Entertainment Magazine states.

“Without a doubt, the hottest juggler on the entertainment market; Mark Nizer is simply incredible,” Garren said.

His 4D shows incorporates special glasses that allow for amazing light and technology effects. Audience members’ cellphones become part of the show as Nizer uses them to light up the theatre. It is perfect entertainment for all ages with original comedy, music, technology, and world-class juggling. 

AVON PARK, Fla. – July 1, 2021 – Lake Placid resident Aleah Walker received the South Florida State College (SFSC) Performing Arts and Culture (PAC) Award from Cindy Garren, director of cultural programs. Walker, who is an Associate in Arts student, recently received the Max Gooding Best in Show Award for her graphic artwork entitled “Metamorphosis.”

“The Performing Arts and Culture Project is a voluntary program designed to promote a student’s awareness, experience, and a deeper appreciation of the diverse cultural landscape of our community,” said Garren. Students are encouraged to visit three arts or cultural activities or places and then write a reflection paper on the significance and emotional impact of those arts activities.

Walker received a $300 stipend and will use her award toward her tuition. She plans to graduate in spring 2022 from SFSC with an Associate in Arts degree and continue her education with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Design. SFSC Art faculty member Karla Respress encouraged her students to participate in the project.

“It was easy to do and it was a good experience to visit Bok Tower Gardens, the Van Gogh exhibit, and the SFSC Student Art Exhibit. This project motivated me to attend more cultural events and helped me understand that artists are relating the human experience through their art,” said Walker.

For more information on performing arts at SFSC, visit SFSCArts.org.