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SCF Students Receive Scholarships from Sertoma Club of Bradenton

Sertoma Club of Bradenton presented scholarships to two State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) students. The scholarship committee for the Sertoma Club participated in scholarship essay reading in August and was impressed with the need for scholarships at SCF. As a result, the club gave a total of $7,000.

Brooke Jones and Yavonne Bain thanked the Sertoma Club during a luncheon Oct. 24 where they were presented with the scholarships. Jones, a full-time student, works at Publix 20 hours a week while studying to earn an Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree. She is a first-generation college student and has worked at Publix since she was 14-years-old. She plans to apply to the nursing program.

Bain, who works full-time at NEUROInternational and is working toward her AA degree, also plans to apply to the nursing program. NEUROInternational works with clients who have sustained brain injuries. Bain went to work with them to gain experience in the health care industry.

Sertoma, which also awards academic and community achievement scholarships to students graduating from Manatee County public schools, awarded the SCF students $3,500 each. This year, more than 2,400 SCF students submitted scholarship applications. The Foundation awarded 1,151 scholarships totaling $1.63 million.

For more information, contact Allison Nash at NashA@SCF.edu or 941-752-5390.

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Robyn Bell Takes Helm of SCF’s Music Program

A powerhouse pair of women have been working for nearly a decade at SCF to elevate the music program and promote students who shine. The pair have switched roles this year as Robyn Bell has taken over the duties of program director for the college’s music department.

Melodie Dickerson, director of vocal studies, helped hire Bell, director of instrumental studies, nearly 10 years ago. Since then they have worked together to help music students flourish. Over the summer, Dickerson passed the baton as music program director over to Bell, who also is the director of SCF’s Bradenton Symphony Orchestra and the SCF Symphonic Band.

As director of instrumental studies, Bell, who holds a doctor of musical arts degree, works to connect student musicians to professional and community musicians.

The two are part of a thriving music program at SCF where Pete Carney serves as director of jazz studies, Don Bryn serves as director of keyboard and theory studies, and Rex Willis is director of guitar and composition studies. The music program at SCF prepares students who want to transfer to a four-year university and continue with their music studies.

“This superb team of dedicated individuals provide the area’s best and most comprehensive music education for students looking to further their skills,” Bell said. “With talented faculty and staff, state-of-the-art performance facilities, scholarship opportunities, and a vibrant, receptive and enthusiastic audience to attend performances, students who enroll in the SCF Music Program are guaranteed the highest level of experience, support and success.”

Dickerson served as the program director for a dozen years. During her tenure, thousands of students have come through the program, and she has had a hand in awarding hundreds of scholarships. Many of those students also have gone on to perform professionally or returned to Manatee and Sarasota counties to teach the next generation of musicians.

As the new program director, Bell will work with Dickerson to ensure the program’s trajectory will continue to rise. They have worked together on plans for the new Studio for the Performing Arts and are promoting the benefits throughout the community. Producing high quality performances for students, staff and the larger community to enjoy is the ultimate thrill for the pair. They are working to ensure SCF has the resources and support to build an accessible recital hall that offers more intimate performances for the performers and audiences.

For more information, contact Bell at BellR@SCF.edu or 941-752-5579.

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Dental Hygiene Program Receives Grant for Equipment

The Dental Hygiene Program and Clinic at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) recently purchased two VELscopes, which help detect oral cancer early, with a grant from the Arthur T. Esslinger Memorial Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

The two VELscopes, purchased with the $3,990 grant, will help students learn how to use the equipment integral to many dentist offices and will be a critical tool in patient screenings at the dental clinic.

The Dental Hygiene Clinic at SCF provides teeth cleanings, oral examinations, dental X-rays, fluoride and sealants to patients ages 6 and older. Clinic hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Friday. Clinic appointments during the spring semester are available Monday through Friday. Care is provided by SCF students under the supervision of licensed dental hygiene instructors and dentists. The cost ranges from $10 per quadrant for sealants to $52 for adult complex cleanings with x-rays. No insurance is required.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call the SCF Dental Hygiene Clinic at 941-752-5353. To support equipment purchases for SCF’s health programs, call Barbara Bourgoin, development director, at 941-752-5398 or BourgoB@SCF.edu.

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Foundation Awards $20,000 for SCF Studio for the Performing Arts

The Ralph S. French Charitable Foundation has awarded a $20,000 grant to the State College of Florida Foundation for an acoustically correct music practice studio in the new Studio for the Performing Arts at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF).

The practice studios, which allow for one-on-one tutoring as well as individual practice time, are essential for students to meet their coursework requirements. Plans for the new building include a total of 10 practice studios. The 13,400-square-foot building at SCF Bradenton will support the growth of music, art and theatre programs in Sarasota and Manatee counties. It also will provide an outreach to all populations, including those with limited access to such amenities, meeting a critical need for SCF and the community.

The French Foundation was established to support organizations that educate and empower individuals to help themselves and others in need. Ralph S. French was a doctor who owned a home on Anna Maria Island. He believed not only in helping people, but also empowering them to help themselves.

The building where music students currently practice is more than 50 years old and will be demolished once the new Studio for the Performing Arts is complete. The older facility was originally designed for classrooms only, offers minimal functionality and has poor acoustics. In 2010 the Department of Education performed a facilities study, and based on the results, determined it was not suitable for college music program needs. The college received state approval for replacement, but without funding.

The $3.5 million Studio for the Performing Arts is designed to be an educationally sound and inviting space for both students and the community. SCF offers the only open-door access higher education music program in the region. It serves approximately 500 general education students annually taking music classes, including 80 music majors.

To donate to the Studio for the Performing Arts or other programs, or for more information, contact Barbara Bourgoin, development director, at BourgoB@SCF.edu or (941) 752-5398

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Tervis Donates $10,000 for Gator Den at SCF

Tervis has donated $10,000 to the State College of Florida Foundation (SCFF) to update technology at the Gator Den at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) Venice. In addition, the Tervis Scholarship, a $25,000 endowed scholarship, has been set up to assist girls who graduate from Booker High School and are accepted into Gator Engineering at SCF. The scholarship is designed to encourage more young women to study engineering.

The $10,000 grant was used to provide technology that makes connections easier between Gator Engineering classrooms and the University of Florida (UF) Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. SCF has been chosen by UF as one of only two extension sites in Florida for Gator Engineering. Gator Engineering at SCF includes live-learn-work experiences, including co-ops, internships and job shadowing with local companies. The collaboration creates an innovative and technologically-ready engineering workforce available to employers in Manatee and Sarasota counties. By starting their education and internships locally, UF graduates are expected to return to embark on their careers.

Tervis, a privately owned company headquartered in North Venice, Florida has been operating for more than 70 years. It employs about 600 people, including engineers. The company recently hosted a tour with Gator Engineering students to offer them insights into the manufacturing industry. Two lead engineers at Tervis talked to the students about their careers.

For information about Gator Engineering at SCF, contact Heather Shehorn at ShehorH@SCF.edu or 941-408-1416. For information on setting up grants and scholarships for one of SCF’s programs or capital campaigns, contact Barbara Bourgoin at BourgoB@SCF.edu or 941-752-5398.

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SCF Foundation Receives Hurricane Relief Grant

The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) has awarded the State College of Florida Foundation a $2,000 grant to help replace biotechnology material lost in a power outage during Hurricane Irma.

ASBMB is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization with over 12,000 members. Its mission is to advance the science of biochemistry and molecular biology and to promote the understanding of the molecular nature of life processes. Founded in 1906, the Society is based in Rockville, Maryland and publishes the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Molecular & Cellular Proteomics and the Journal of Lipid Research.

Matt Thomas, director of the biotechnology program, applied for the grant after State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) lost power for three days in the aftermath of the hurricane. While there was no major structural damage or lost equipment, the power outage caused freezer stocks to be damaged or lost as temperatures in SCF’s sole minus 80 C freezer rose to room temperature. The grant will be used to help replace cells lines and other materials used in the cell culture class. The class gives students the hands-on opportunity to learn the basics of cell culture techniques, and to become proficient in them.

For information on setting up grants and scholarships for one of SCF’s programs, contact Barbara Bourgoin at bourgob@SCF.edu or 941-752-5398.

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Swift Family Foundation Gives $7,500 for Gator Engineering Den at SCF

The Swift Family Foundation has awarded State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) a $7,500 grant for its Gator Engineering Den at SCF Venice. The Swift Family Foundation provides grants for educational endeavors in medicine and technology areas. After a successful practice in Iowa, Dr. Frederick Swift moved to Gainesville in 1970.

SCF has been chosen by University of Florida (UF) to become one of only two extension sites in Florida for Gator Engineering.  Gator Engineering at SCF includes live-learn-work experiences, including co-ops, internships and job shadowing with local companies. The collaboration will create an innovative and technologically-ready engineering workforce available to employers in Manatee and Sarasota counties. By starting their education and internships locally, UF graduates are expected to return to embark on their careers.

UF lacks the capacity to admit all the qualified students who apply to its engineering program each year.  UF selected SCF as an extension of its program, offering a Bachelor of Science in engineering degree that allows local students to begin their coursework and then move on to the UF Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. The Swift Family Foundation grant will support Gator Engineering and the Gator Engineering Den with technology and capital needs.

Gator Engineering and the Gator Engineering Den were established to eliminate the barrier for many Florida students, many first generation, who may not have funds or the transportation to enroll at UF as a freshman.  By creating a hub at SCF Venice, students will have an opportunity to develop plans to move to Gainesville with guidance from the onsite Gator Engineering advisor.

For information about Gator Engineering at SCF, contact Heather Shehorn at shehorh@SCF.edu or 941-408-1416. For information on setting up grants and scholarships for one of SCF’s programs and capital campaigns, contact Barbara Bourgoin at bourgob@SCF.edu or 941-752-5398.