The digital magazine for faculty, staff, students and friends of Pensacola State College
September 23, 2021
Pensacola State College President Ed Meadows was talking to students on the Warrington campus about his own educational background, including attending Delta State University as an undergrad. 

That prompted a question from PSC EKG student Sherry Sellers, who had previously attended Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. 

“Were you a Fighting Okra?” she asked, referring to Delta State’s unofficial mascot – officially it’s the Statesmen. 

Meadows admitted he was, also telling the students he played football and ran track at the university for two years before realizing he “wasn’t that good of an athlete at the college level.” Also, he had “to get busy and start studying or I wasn’t going to graduate.”

It was all on the table at the “Pizza with the President” event at the Warrington campus on Monday, Sept. 20. About 60 students, many in medical scrubs, attended the event, where students received free pizza and were able to ask question of Meadows and other College administrators.

The Warrington campus event was the first of three “Pizza with the President” events scheduled for the fall semester. The other “Pizza with the President” events are set for:

● Noon to 1 p.m., Sept. 29 at the Milton campus, Building 4200.
● 12:30-1:30 p.m., Sept. 30 at the Pensacola campus, Building 5.  
After graduating from Pensacola State College in May with an Associate in Science degree in dental hygiene, Stephanie Haber was ready to go to work. But there was still another step between her PSC degree and being a working dental hygienist – national tests and credentials.

Haber had to take four national board credentialing tests, totaling nearly $2,000. But she is grateful that PSC’s Career & Technical Education Resources office lessened the financial load, reimbursing $490 for the cost of one of the credentialing tests. 

Now, she’s a dental hygienist working in Alabama. 

“They can be very expensive,’’ Haber said of the credentialing tests. “So, it was really great that PSC was able to help me, because $490 is a lot of money.”

Certification reimbursements are just one of the services provided by the College’s CTE Resources office, which is committed to supporting students enrolled in CTE programs and working toward an Associate in Science degree, Vocational Certificate or College Credit Certificate. 
Pensacola State College basketball player Deborrah Redmon wasn’t even born when the United States was attacked on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.

But Redmon and her teammates know the significance of the event. That’s why the College’s women’s basketball team and baseball team spent part of their Sept. 10 morning and afternoon setting up the somber GoldStars Tribute Wall in the parking lot outside WSRE-TV, the local PBS station based at PSC.

“It means a lot to be able to help put this up,” said the 18-year-old Redmon, a guard from West Palm Beach. Even though we weren’t alive to witness what happened, it still affects everyone to this day.”
Get those flannel shirts ready! It’s Lumberjack Festival time! (And to think we used to hold the Lumberjack Festival in the spring. That’s not lumberjack weather.)

The 32nd Annual Northwest Florida Forestry Conclave Lumberjack Festival is set for 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9, on Pensacola State College’s Milton campus at 5988 Highway 90 in Milton. 

Admission is free, though canned goods and other nonperishable food items will be collected to help stock the Milton Campus Food Pantry, which helps students in need. 

This is the first Lumberjack Festival since 2019. The 2020 festival was canceled because of COVID-19, and organizers decided to bring back the popular event this fall.

“You get the whole fall feel with the flannel and the changing temperatures,’’ said Jennifer Hill Faron, dean of Milton campus and Lumberjack Festival coordinator. “It just seems a perfect fit with the beginning of fall.” 

Meet Kaylan Johnson, new Humanities and Social Sciences Department Administrative Assistant
Kaylan Johnson was aware of Pensacola State when she was a student at the University of West Florida but didn’t know much about the College.

“I knew Pensacola had a community college," said Johnson who was hired last month as an administrative assistant in the Humanities and Social Sciences Department. 

But now?

“Since being here, I’ve learned to appreciate the College much more,” she said. “I see the value in PSC and how it helps a lot of students. I see the students come through here.” 

Johnson, 24, is a U.S. Navy brat. She and her family moved often. The family came to Pensacola from Virginia when Johnson was 18 years old.

She soon enrolled at UWF, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in creative writing. She is currently studying for her master’s degree at UWF. 

The writing spark was ignited when she watched the “Twilight” movie series, which she said prompted her to read books with similar dark themes. 

“I just love stories and have always loved books and reading,’’ Johnson said. A few of her favorite authors are Richelle Mead (“Vampire Academy,’’ “Bloodlines” and “Dark Swan” series) and Sarah J. Maas (“A Court of Thorns and Roses” series). 

Her own writing tends to be on the dark, gothic side as well. She didn’t write any “Twilight” fan fiction, as many fans of the series do, but said “I definitely wrote some vampire fiction.”

Her goal is to be professionally published.

“Pre-Covid, my plan was to accept a script writing professional internship with the Disney company,’’ Johnson said. “Now my focus has shifted to writing and publishing fictional content professionally. I also love learning new things, especially new things about the art of creative writing, and I am also entertaining the idea of teaching at the collegiate level.” 

Johnson said she is excited to be at Pensacola State.

“I enjoy helping the instructors,’’ she said. “I can help ease the stress they have with everything on their plate. Sometimes, I’m the middle person between them and the students, helping to make sure that everything is running smoothly. I just like helping people.”

Johnson is making an impact in her department.

“We are very blessed to have Kaylan in the Department of Humanities and Social Science,’’ said Department head Martha Sablatura. “Along with her quiet demeanor, she brings a great mix of experience, patience and humor to this very busy department.” 

— Troy Moon
Pensacola State College presents Job Fair, attracting
43 employers and hundreds of job seekers 
Employers need employees. We’ve all seen the headlines about a nationwide worker shortage across a variety of occupations. 

On Wednesday, Sept. 22, Pensacola State College, partnering with CareerSource Escarosa, presented its annual Job Fair at the WSRE-TV Jean and Paul Amos Performance Studio. The event brought 43 regional employers together with hundreds of prospective employees seeking jobs. 

Occupations represented at the Job Fair included restaurant/hospitality, law enforcement, technology, military, and more.

“It’s a great way to bring employers and those seeking jobs face to face,” said Jo McArthur, PSC’s Business & Industry Outreach Coordinator. 
“We’ve had a great turnout with nearly 45 employers here, and we have lots of people in the community who have heard about it, so we have a pretty good turnout.” 

Jobseekers roamed the studio, which was filled with employer booths, with many employers offering plenty of free branded items ranging from lanyards to pens to stickers. Sonny’s BBQ was offering free pulled pork sliders at the company’s recruiting booth. 

“Sonny’s has a lot of great starter jobs,” said Kate Sneed, Sonny’s BBQ Talent and Culture Manager. “We also have a few management positions in the Panhandle. We let students know, our staff eats for free.” (Her business cards have a coupon for a free appetizer on the back). 

Florida Department of Corrections recruiters weren’t offering free food, but they were offering good starting job opportunities. 

“We have great benefits, and we offer to pay for six credit hours per semester to go to College,” said Sgt. Christy Padgett, Santa Rosa Correctional Institution Recruiter. “We have so many great opportunities for careers and advancement.” 

— Troy Moon
Interested in transferring to UWF?  
Stop by the Student Center/Advising Center/ Building 5 to meet with a 2UWF Transfer Adviser TODAY, Thursday, Sept. 23, from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
PTK Beta Beta Gamma Chapter and Campus Veterans Office present the Fall Semester Annual Collection for Homeless Veterans, Sept. 21-Dec. 1, 2021.
Collections on the Milton Campus at Buildings 4200, 4400, 4300 and 4000. On the Pensacola Campus, collections at the Veterans Office, Building 6, Room 658.
Needed are hats, white over-the-calf socks, scarves, gloves, lapghans, and holiday cards (please do not seal the envelopes).