The digital magazine for faculty, staff, students and friends of Pensacola State College
July 30, 2020
The 2020 Pensacola State College President’s Leadership Institute graduation ceremony on July 22 didn’t take place at a local restaurant as usual and as scheduled. Instead it was held in the College’s Student Center on the Pensacola campus, and graduates got to feast on a visually beautiful and scrumptious hors d’oeuvres spread created by the PSC Culinary students, led by program head – and graduating class member – Chef David Langham.

Sure, graduates sat at their own little tables in the Student Center, or maybe with an invited loved one or friend who they’ve already been in close contact with during the COVID-19 pandemic. But as sacrifices go, there really wasn’t much of one, other than the ability to get off campus for a bit and getting a graduation photo together.

The 2019-2020 President’s Leadership Institute session began in late August and class members met monthly for a series of leadership and team-building workshops, many of which featured guest speakers with proven leadership capabilities and strategies. Participants also read various books on leadership and worked in groups to issue book reports.

Troy Moon, who was a member of the 2020 PLI class, writes about the graduation ceremony and introduces you to the members.

PSC graduating nurses build on noble tradition in challenging times
Jeanette Garrett became a nurse in 1942 and had her first initial and last name engraved on the back of her golden pin, a traditional symbol of the noble nursing profession.

Now, nearly 80 years later, the name still remains intact. But there’s another name engraved underneath – “V. Bell.”  

Because on July 30, Victoria Bell became a nurse during the Pensacola State College Department of Nursing Spring and Summer Pinning Ceremony , where Bell and her fellow classmates solemnly recited the Florence Nightingale Pledge . The pin now on her nursing uniform is the same one worn by her great-grandmother, Jeanette Garrett Bell , who passed away when Victoria was only 4 years old.

“When they told me I was going to get Nanny Bell’s pin, I was so excited," the 24-year-old new nurse said. “It’s something I’ve wanted to do ever since I was in kindergarten. I was horrible whenever I had to go to the doctor, but the nurses and everyone were always so kind and I felt their compassion at a young age. And now I want to give some of that compassion to people who need it.”

Bell was one of 190 nursing students who earned degrees this year. Of those, 80 chose to participate in the pinning ceremony at Brownsville Church , a ceremony that is tradition but not mandatory. Attendees observed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and PSC safety protocols by following social distancing guidelines and wearing masks or face shields.

Still, the nurses who did attend were excited to join the profession that has been part of the frontline battle against COVID-19.

PSC President Ed Meadows thanked the graduates for their commitment to the College and the nursing profession.

“The very fact that you are here means you take seriously your education, your training and the laws of this field," he said, before asking the graduates to rise and thank the family, friends and faculty who supported them on their academic journey.
Shanel Gainey had her two children in attendance – 10-year-old Corban and 6-year-old Chloe . But her husband is in the U.S. Navy and has been deployed overseas since September.

“It’s been a rollercoaster,” Gainey said. “He was deployed at the midpoint range of my program, so it was difficult trying to balance everything. If not for the staff and my professors and the assistant director and director of the nursing program at the Warrington campus, I would not have made it.”

Bell’s guests were her boyfriend, Dyllan Brown, and the two people who gave her the family nursing pin ─ her grandfather Felix Bell and great-aunt Ann Arnold .

“I helped raise this young ’un from the time she was born," Felix Bell said. “I used to tell her all the time to go to school and be a smart girl so she could take care of her grandfather. Next thing I know, she’s grown up and going to nursing school.”

Almost all of the graduates earned an Associate in Science in Nursing degree, while some who were already nurses will receive a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

-- Troy Moon
PSC adjunct selected as state’s 2019 Sports Massage Therapist of Year
James Fritschle, a Pensacola State College adjunct instructor, has been named the 2019 Florida Sports Massage Therapy Association’s Therapist of the Year.

“It feels awesome to have my ego ‘massaged’ by a group of professional massage therapists,” said Fritschle, who has been teaching clinical massage therapy at the College for eight years. A Pensacola State alum, Fritschle earned his associate degree from the College in 2003.

“Teaching ─ I love the challenge of making learning fun and fascinating for both myself and the students,” he added.

Fritschle became involved in the field as a volunteer with the association’s Sports Massage Team.

“I earned a good reputation by volunteering at regional athletic events like 5K runs, marathons and tennis tournaments,” he shared. “In summer 2007, I got a call to work at EXOS (formerly Athlete’s Performance) at the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze. That phone call ignited my career ─ I was now working with World Cup, Olympic and pro-level athletes at a state-of-the-art athletic training and research facility. I worked with EXOS for more than a decade, but now focus on teaching and operating a small private practice in downtown Pensacola.”

Sports massage therapists are trained in the care of common athletic and repetitive use injuries, as well as the biomechanical demands of various sports and performance disciples, including the performing arts.

Fritschle explained that sports massage therapists help athletes reach their goals using hands-on approaches that up-regulate muscle activity and mental readiness (pre-performance) or down-regulate muscle activity and aid in recovery of muscle soreness and stiffness (in between or after performance(s). He added sports massage therapists often travel with athletics teams to competitions or events.

“The hours can be long physically demanding and range from early morning or late night. Therapists must be proactive in keeping fit to meet these demands,” said Fritschle who also was president of the Emerald Coast Chapter of the Florida State Sports Massage Therapy Association (FSMTA).

“I joined the professional association around 2006 when I decided massage therapy was not just a job for me. Serving as an officer with FSMTA has been beyond valuable. For me, volunteering provides exponential growth, leadership and team building opportunities. A favorite quote of mine is from Helen Keller: ‘Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.’ ”

A military brat, Fritschle has lived in the Pensacola area since 1988.

“My dad served in the U.S. Navy so and I got to experience life on both the East Coast and West Coast. I feel fortunate to make a home on the Gulf Coast,” he said.

Sonja McCall-Strehlow, Pensacola State’s Massage Therapy and Esthetics Program coordinator, said Fritschle brings a wealth of knowledge to the PSC massage program because of his level of expertise.

“One of the biggest things that James has done for my program is allowing our students to be involved in the Ironman Florida Triathlon over in Panama City Beach. He is very involved in the tournament and each year we take our students over there and they work on more than 5,000 athletes who compete in the event, she said, adding he is one of the many adjunct therapists who work in the College’s program.

“We have a diverse faculty of adjunct therapists who specialize in different facets of our industry and they work really hard to make our students the best that they can possibly be. James receiving this recognition is well-deserved.”

Fritschle and his wife, Becca, have been married for 15 years and share “a deep love of all things green.”

“Becca is a master beekeeper, actress and organic gardener. She teaches theater with Pensacola Little Theater and runs the teaching garden at Ever’man Natural Foods Cooperative Grocery,” he said. “When I am not working in my massage office you can find me helping Becca harvest wild honey for our Little Green Bees cottage honey business.”.

-- M ary Mabins
Many Pensacola State students are first-generation college students, from homes where higher education was not a tradition or expectation.

That’s why two new Student Services Advisers are perfect fits for their jobs in the Pirate Path to Success program, which assists first-generation college students. Pell Grant recipients Jacqueline Brazile and Ashley Faulkner are both the first in their families to attend college. And a third recently-hired Student Services Adviser, Amber Johnson , while not the first college graduate in her family, has a background in helping people overcome obstacles.

All three have been hired since May as part of the $2.2 million U.S. Department of Education Title III grant that PSC was awarded in October 2019. A fourth adviser, Halley Cook, was previously advising at Milton, and remains as an adviser on the Title III grant.

Troy Moon spoke with the advisers and learned about their hopes for the Pirate Path to Success program.

AFC Spotlight Employee for July: Warrington's Obi Kalu
The Pensacola State College chapter of the Association of Florida Colleges (AFC) is spotlighting Obi Kalu, Specialist, Student Services, TRIO EOC on the Warrington campus, for the month of July.

Kalu began her career at Pensacola State College eight years ago and has been a member of AFC for the past seven years. Throughout her membership she has been instrumental in recruiting new members for the chapter. She has held a number of positions at AFC state and within the local chapter, including her most recent position as Chapter President.

Kalu took over as chapter president on July 1, 2020, and her term will run through June 30, 2021. She has an outstanding team as her Executive Committee and the chapter has no doubt, she will accomplish much during her term. She also currently serves as the social media page representative for the PSC Chapter and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Commission as well as the Vice President for the Career and Professional Employees Commission (CPEC). Her dedication and involvement with AFC are unquestionable.

She says her favorite part of AFC was “the networking, leadership opportunities and information from across all the 28 colleges. I can say that I probably know at least one person from each of the 28 state colleges. For the yearly dues for a professional organization, AFC is a great value. I have become more confident in public speaking and giving presentations, and I strive to become a better leader because of AFC.” And of course, she was sure to mention that if anyone has any questions about AFC or is interested in joining the professional organization, they just need to call or email her.

Outgoing President, Mel Miner said, “I don’t ever remember attending an AFC event that Obi hasn’t been involved in. She goes above and beyond when it comes to our Facebook page, fundraisers, community service projects, etc. I honestly could fill a notebook if I tried to list everything Obi has done for the chapter or the association as a whole.”

Thank you, Obi for everything you do. You are appreciated!

Please contact Melonie Miner at mminer@pensacolastate.edu to recommend an AFC member for the monthly spotlight.
PSC mourns loss of chemistry instructor Bobby ‘Doc’ Roberson
Pensacola State chemistry professor Bobby “Doc” Roberson made an immediate impact after joining the College’s faculty in 2006. The next year he was named PSC’s Outstanding New Faculty Member. 

And his influence continues with the many students whose lives he touched, and faculty members he helped and befriended over the years.

Roberson died on July 23. He was 73 years old – born on the Fourth of July in 1947. An Army officer, Roberson served two tours in Vietnam before finishing his education.

“It’s emotional for me," said PSC alumnus Miriam Villa , a current University of West Florida biomedical sciences student. “He was my teacher, but he became my mentor and my friend. It’s still hard to grasp. I spoke to him just a couple days earlier. We were supposed to go have lunch this week.” 

Villa, who will soon apply for dental school, said Roberson was a “natural teacher.”

“He didn’t use his notes," she said. “It was all from memory and this knowledge that he had. He would do the calculations in his head. And he taught us about the beauty of chemistry and how it makes up everything around us. He would even tell us to take a look at the shampoo bottles when we took a shower and look at all the ingredients. He made chemistry a part of life and I truly admired that aspect of his teaching.” 

Roberson earned his undergraduate and doctorate degrees from Auburn University. In 2009, he was inducted into the PSC Academy of Teaching Excellence. 

“He was a huge asset," said Hikmat BC , head of the Natural Sciences Department. “Not only to our chemistry program or Natural Sciences. He was a big resource for teachers throughout the college. He was very open-hearted and would help everyone.”

In fact, when BC interviewed at the College in 2012, he met Roberson.

“He wasn’t part of the hiring committee, but he introduced himself and gave me a little tour of the campus," BC recalled. “And I was eventually offered two positions, but I chose PSC because of the words he used to describe the College. He made me feel as if PSC was where I should be.”

Roberson also was friends with President Ed Meadows , working together at Bevill State Community College in Alabama.

 “Doc and I became good friends, sharing our mutual background in biology and teaching," Meadows said. “To my pleasure and surprise, when I applied for the position of president at Pensacola State (2008), I discovered Doc had retired from Alabama and was a faculty member here at the College. He and I often had breakfast together and kept in touch by text and email as he did with so many of his friends. I will miss his quiet humor, strong and enduring work ethic and friendship. Thousands were blessed to have such a caring teacher and I know he will be dearly missed by his family of students and friends.” 

Roberson is a native of Lauderdale County, Alabama. A graveside service with military honors will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, at Greenview Memorial Park in Jasper, Alabama. 

In lieu of flowers, his family has asked that contributions be made to St. Jude’s Research Hospital, where Roberson was once Administrative Director, or Bevill State Community College or Pensacola State College.

-- Troy Moon