The digital magazine for faculty, staff, students and friends of Pensacola State College
August 12, 2021
Good day and welcome to our convocation activities as we begin another academic year.  

Before you teach your first class, I ask that you go to the internet and look up the story of Teddy Stoddard and read it from beginning to end. For those of you who have already read it in the past, I ask that you re-read Teddy’s story.

It will help all of you remember what it is to be, as Teddy wrote to Mrs. Thompson throughout his life, his “most favorite teacher ever!” We should all strive to be a Mrs. Thompson, especially beginning our academic year in “pandemic phase 2 crisis,” and I emphasize the word “crisis.” 

Herb Brooks, the 1984 Olympics gold medal-winning hockey coach, told his team before they played the world-dominating Russian hockey team, “Great moments are born from great opportunities!”

So, let’s use this crisis as an opportunity to focus on the successful future of our College and most importantly, the success of our students.  

An American economist, Paul Romer, once said, “A crisis is a terrible thing to waste.” To me, this is such an important statement as we navigate the challenges of this coming academic year.  

Rather than thinking that we must just survive this pandemic ─ we need to think, say and do what we can to make our College stronger and better as we focus on the future.  

Let’s ask ourselves, how we can be more innovative and how can we become even more technologically advanced?

But most importantly, in a world that has as a necessity moved to individual isolation, how can we be more human in the best sense of the word and become like a Mrs. Thompson?

To me, that means being more helpful to students and each other this academic year and showing a higher level of caring and engagement. 

So, I am challenging you to find the best in you as a teacher, mentor and colleague.

If all of us do this as individuals, then collectively we will have our best year ever! And we will keep the 73-year-old tradition of being known as a beloved College by our students and the communities we serve.  

Have a great day and great academic year!!!!!

Ed Meadows
President, Pensacola State College
Retired U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Derrick Hatcher lives in Navarre but was willing to make the drive to Pensacola to study cybersecurity. 

But then the veteran got a call from Pensacola State College that changed everything – and saved him a hefty amount in gas.

“I was supposed to go to the Pensacola and Milton campuses,” said Hatcher, who served 21 years in the Air Force, including tours in Iraq and Saudi Arabia. “But I got a call letting me know they were starting a cybersecurity program at the South Santa Rosa Center (SSRC) and asked me if I wanted to be one of the first students to help build that program.”

The result. Hatcher plans on earning his Bachelor of Applied Science degree from PSC in April of next year.

“I love every minute of being in school,” he said. “Before, I was struggling with PTSD issues and this has really helped me refocus. I still have episodes, but I’m getting my life back together and setting and reaching goals and renewing my purpose in life.” 
Martha Sablatura knows about leadership. In fact, her doctorate degree from Our Lady of the Lake University in her hometown of San Antonio is in Organizational Leadership. 

And she’s been a leader throughout her career, whether as Director of Research Compliance at University of Texas at San Antonio or as a Management and Program Analyst with the Air Force Manpower Analysis Agency for the U.S. Department of Defense. 

Even earlier, she learned firsthand from some of the nation’s best leaders when she entered the U.S. Marine Corps basic training at age 18. 

Now, she’s bringing that knowledge and leadership to Pensacola State College, where she is the Humanities and Social Sciences Department head. She replaces Susan Morgan, who retired in June after 31 years at the College. 

“Right now, I’m just trying to learn the ropes,” said Sablatura after one week on the job. “I’m trying to get back into academia mode. I’ve been out of academia since 2010 and there’s a big difference. It’s night and day.” 
First Pensacola State College Teens College Health Science Boot Camp features fake wounds, cool ‘toys’ and even bunnies
OK, one young man got a bit woozy when they brought out the big needles during a phlebotomy demonstration.

But other than that, all involved with Pensacola State College’s first Teens College Health Science Boot Camp called it a success.

The one-week – July 19-23 ─ camp at the Warrington campus was for teenagers too old for PSC’s traditional Kids College camp. Students who attended got a little taste of all the health sciences offered at PSC, from EMT to Veterinary Technology.

“They did a little bit of anatomy and physiology and did sutures on (model) animals,’’ said Mitzie Sowell, PSC Health Sciences department head. “They did some microbiology where they took cultures of clean and dirty hands to see the difference and how well they washed their hands.”
Other highlights were separating mock DNA using a gel electrophoresis machine, learned about scaling and cleaning teeth in the Dental Hygiene classrooms and even learned the art of moulage – creating mock wounds – using unflavored gelatin, glycerin and a little water. (We suggested using flavored gelatin in the future to make the wounds a little tastier but that was shot down for some reason.)

“The students really enjoyed that,’’ said Denise Taylor, practical nursing program director. “They really loved making artificial wounds. They also learned about disaster planning and things like that. And I had my students work with them, so it was a great experience for them as well.” 

Don Lee, director of EMS programs at PSC, said he knows the teens enjoyed the visit to his department “because I have the coolest toys.” 
He said the students worked on human airway head mannequins and even “wound up doing some complex airway procedures we weren’t planning on. But they’re like little sponges – the soak up so much and took to it so quickly.” 

Sowell said one student did get woozy during phlebotomy where they learned to draw blood – again, on medical mannequins. But she said he wasn’t feeling well anyway that day. 

“In all, really well,’’ she said. “They’re very curious and they wanted to touch things and do hands on things. We tried to give them plenty of opportunities. And they loved Vet Tech. They had live rabbits they were able to handle and seemed to really enjoy that.” 

There is a plan to bring back Teens College in 2022, said Deven Walther-Thead, coordinator of PSC Continuing Education, which puts on Kids College and Teens College. 

She hopes other PSC departments will be willing to offer summer camps for kids and teens as well.

“We’d love to be able to offer several weeks’ worth of camps in various subjects through PSC”, said Walther-Thead. 
Escambia County art teachers learn the many opportunities
to be had for students at Pensacola State College
Escambia County middle and high school art teachers were introduced to the variety of opportunities offered by Pensacola State College in an Aug. 5 presentation at Pine Forest High School by Visual Arts Department Head Alaina Plowdrey, ceramics instructor Micah Cain and college recruiter Scott Bemiss. Plowdrey said, "We presented to them ideas such as field trips to art exhibitions and tours, registration for dual-enrollment students as well as progressive thinking for seniors looking ahead to college." Plowdrey's talk focused on the Visual Arts Department, while Bemiss discussed admissions procedures. Cain offered a clay-rattle-building demonstration, inviting the art teachers to bring their creations to the PSC ceramics studios to glaze and fire. The PSC Marketing Department provided PSC-branded items for each participant. "It was a great recruiting and community-building event," Plowdrey said.
Did you know that Pensacola State College has free financial incentives for you to attend college?

In a partnership between the Florida Department of Education and Helios Education Foundation, the Now. Not Tomorrow. initiative was launched to open the door to college for all students. The thoughtful action behind this initiative will jumpstart the future of students and create a pathway to comprehensive success with less debt. The 28 colleges within the Florida College System, including Pensacola State College, have financial incentives available for students to enroll immediately.

Apply Today! More than $30,000 in scholarships is available. 850-484-2000