AVON PARK, Fla. – April 25, 2025 – South Florida State College (SFSC) is offering Panther Prep, a six-week program to help high school students learn about their world, fulfill their potential, and discover that a college degree is within reach. Panther Prep is funded by a $20,000 grant from the Edward K. Roberts Community College Fund at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.
This summer bridge program prepares students for college by helping them improve their academic performance and life skills through classes in mathematics, English, 5G leadership training, financial literacy, and Foundations for College Success/Master Student.
“College can feel like an impossible goal for many who graduate from high school and don’t know how to get started with higher education,” said Asena Mott, SFSC dean of off-campus instructional sites. “Our goal with Panther Prep is to prepare our newest adult students for college success by providing a six-week summer session at no cost to them. Thank you to the Community Foundation of Sarasota and the Edward K. Roberts Community College Fund for making this scholarship opportunity possible. It is only through their generosity that SFSC is able to empower our newest high school graduates and fulfill their next steps of moving from impossible to ‘It’s Possible!’”
Panther Prep meets Monday through Thursday, June 23 through July 31, on the SFSC DeSoto Campus in Arcadia. Classes are held Monday through Wednesday, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and on Thursdays, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The program is open to 12 DeSoto County residents who graduate from high school this spring, whether they graduate from public or private schools, have been homeschooled, or have earned a diploma through a GED program. In addition, these are students who have not taken dual enrollment courses.
For qualified applicants, tuition and books are free and lunch is provided. Students will receive a Panther Prep kit that includes a backpack, lanyard, USB drive, notebook, calculator, and a Panther Prep t-shirt. Students who complete Panther Prep receive $450 toward the purchase of a laptop from the SFSC Bookstore when they enroll in fall classes at SFSC.
For more about the Panther Prep program, contact the SFSC DeSoto Campus at 863-993-1757 and ask for Irene Cerna, Gerri Lewis, or Cynthia Barrera.
About the Community Foundation of Sarasota County
The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. With assets of $544 million in more than 1,590 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $56 million dollars last year in the areas of education, the arts, health and human services, civic engagement, animal welfare and the environment. Since its founding, the Community Foundation has been able to grant more than $500 million to area nonprofit organizations in our community thanks to the generosity of charitable individuals, families, and businesses. For more information, visit www.CFSarasota.org or call (941) 955-3000.
Basic Corrections Class 113
AVON PARK, Fla. – April 18, 2025 – During a ceremony on Thursday, April 17, South Florida State College’s (SFSC) Basic Corrections Academy Class 113 graduated 10 new correctional officers at the SFSC Highlands Campus in Avon Park.
From the SFSC University Center Auditorium stage, Michael Austin, coordinator of SFSC’s Criminal Justice Academy, called up the 10 and handed each new officer a certificate. Those receiving a certificate were class leader Andres Figueroa, Briceida Anguiano, Jazmin A. Brown, Ariana L. Flowers, Kymberlie C. Johnson, Alyanna A. Morton, Arisbeth G. Moya, Cheyann N. Stadler, Margarita Williams, and Mason J. Worth.
Three cadets were singled out for their achievements during the program. Earning top honors for academic excellence was Alyanna A. Morton, Margarita Williams earned a Certificate of Valor, and Andres Figueroa was given special recognition as class leader.
Guest speaker for the ceremony was Julio Nieves, SFSC Criminal Justice Programs coordinator.
The Basic Correctional Officer Program is 420 contact hours or approximately 11 weeks. Upon successful completion of the program, students earn a Career Certificate and are eligible to take the state certification examination to become certified officers.
For more information about this program, visit southflorida.edu or call SFSC’s Criminal Justice Academy at 863-784-7285.
April 18, 2025 – New College of Florida (NCF) and South Florida State College (SFSC) have signed a new articulation agreement, officially welcoming SFSC as the latest partner in the NCF Transform Guaranteed Admission Program (GAP). The agreement, signed Monday, April 14, ensures a seamless transfer pathway for SFSC students earning an Associate in Arts (AA) degree to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree at New College. This strategic partnership opens new doors for SFSC students seeking a top-tier liberal arts education within Florida’s public higher education system.
“We are excited to partner with New College and afford our students an efficient pathway to pursue a bachelor’s degree of their choice,” said Fred Hawkins, president of South Florida State College. “This agreement represents our shared commitment to student success and expanding access to world-class education across the state.”
“New College is ranked among the most transfer-friendly institutions in the country, and we’re proud to extend that reputation with this partnership,” said Richard Corcoran, president of New College of Florida. “SFSC students now have a direct line to Florida’s public honors college—and the opportunity to thrive in a dynamic, intellectually rigorous environment.”
To qualify for NCF Transform, SFSC students must complete their AA within eight semesters and hold a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the time of transfer. Students can pursue bachelor’s degrees in a variety of academic concentrations including Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Liberal Arts, Marine Biology, and Psychology.
Through NCF Transform, students receive personalized joint advising and customized academic planning to help them complete their degrees within two years of transfer. Participants in the program are also eligible for generous scholarship opportunities—including annual awards of up to $10,000, renewable for two years—for high-achieving students.
The partnership underscores New College’s commitment to academic excellence and broadening access to Florida’s most distinctive liberal arts experience.
For more information about the Associate in Arts degree at SFSC, visit southflorida.edu or email recruiter@southflorida.edu.
Learn more about NCF Transform at ncf.edu/transfer.
ABOUT NEW COLLEGE OF FLORIDA
Founded in 1960, New College of Florida is a top-ranked public liberal arts college and serves as Florida’s Honors College. Recognized for its academic excellence, rigorous inquiry, and commitment to free expression, New College offers more than 50 undergraduate majors, graduate programs in Applied Data Science and Marine Mammal Science, and a growing NAIA athletics program.
