The digital magazine for faculty, staff, students and friends of Pensacola State College
March 4, 2021
|
|
Alaina Plowdrey’s doctorate dissertation focuses on “phenomenological and deconstructionist philosophies of color perception and consciousness.”
Yes, you guessed correctly. Plowdrey is, of course, an artist.
She is also the new Pensacola State College Visual Arts Department head, replacing Krist Lien who retired in December.
Plowdrey ─ approachable and engaging ─ previously served as the director of the Saint Leo University Key West Education Center. She not only oversaw administrative duties at the facility, but also taught philosophy courses at the university. In addition, she has more than 11 years of experience teaching all levels of studio art, critical theory, and art history at various institutions. Plowdrey has been at Pensacola State for just over a week but is excited about her new position.
“It’s very rich," she said of the Visual Arts Department. “The department building is stunning; it’s amazing how the endowments have helped make this such a wonderful facility. The faculty are all very talented and we have students coming in and out and they seem to be excited to be here. It just seems like an exciting, vibrant environment to be part of.”
|
|
Some of the 11 PSC students who were awarded an African-American Memorial Endowment Scholarship or Dr. Garrett T. Wiggins “Live Your Dream” Scholarship on Feb. 26. Front row, left to right: Lakisha Jones; Keyaundra Mobley; Paris Guy; Nevaeh Anderson-Polk; Lecia Bradley. Back row, left to right: Dr. Tonie Anderson-Steele; Daniel Haile; Xavier Sapp; Dr. Rameca Vincent Leary; Dr. Ed Meadows. This is a composite photo, created from individual photos of the participants without masks. All participants wore masks and were socially distanced during the event. |
|
Eleven PSC students were awarded an African-American Memorial Endowment Scholarship or Dr. Garrett T. Wiggins “Live Your Dream” Scholarship on Feb. 26 at WSRE-TV aboard the Pensacola campus.
The scholarships are usually awarded at an annual banquet, but this year’s event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The scaled-back ceremony was presented by the PSC Black History/Multicultural Committee, with Rameca Leary, the College’s Coordinator of Diversity Initiatives, organizing the event. Money raised from the scholarship banquets normally help fund the scholarships, but in lieu of this year’s banquet cancellation, Leary spearheaded a “100 for 100” campaign to raise funds for scholarships. Leary and 10 volunteers set a goal of 100 people donating $100 – a $10,000 goal.
The campaign brought in roughly $13,770 for scholarships.
|
|
Left to right: Dr. Rameca Leary; PSC President Ed Meadows; Dr. Tonie Anderson-Steele; Aaron Watson. This is a composite photo, created from individual photos of the participants without masks. All participants wore masks and were socially distanced during the event. |
|
It’s a Financial Aid Frenzy at Pensacola State College! |
|
Hold on, things are about to get crazy at Pensacola State College. You might even find out that you can attend PSC at little or no cost.
It’s a frenzy! The first-ever PSC Virtual Financial Aid Frenzy takes place from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday-Thursday, March 8-11.
PSC counselors from Enrollment, Registration, Financial Aid and the Educational Opportunity Center will be on hand to help new and returning students with information and resources to get them registered and enrolled at the College.
A key feature of the Frenzy event is to help students reduce any financial burden that might be a perceived obstacle.
More than 80 percent of all first-time, full-time PSC students received some type of financial aid – grants and scholarships, including federal, state, local and institutional awards, according to a recent PSC Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System’s Financial Aid Component Overview.
Ninety-five percent of PSC students have never had to take out a student loan, according to the report.
Even though financial aid is available to most PSC students, only 53 percent of all students receive some type of financial aid. Financial Aid Director Joanne Rozborski said navigating the steps to get that aid can sometimes be intimidating to first-time students.
“Financial aid can be complex, and some students aren’t quite sure what to do,” she said. “This is an event where we can help ease some of their concerns and help them through the process.”
Normally, PSC holds a Financial Aid Day event on the Pensacola campus, but this year’s event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instead, the four-day Virtual Financial Aid Frenzy will allow students – and their parents or guardians – to receive the necessary information and guidance.
--Troy Moon
|
|
Pensacola State College to offer free, anonymous online mental health service, Togetherall, to students, staff |
|
College leadership takes a proactive approach to heightened anxiety, depression and isolation driven by the pandemic and other current events by giving students the opportunity to connect in an anonymous, safe community of support anywhere, anytime.
Togetherall is excited to announce a new partnership with Pensacola State College to provide its students and staff free access to a 24/7, anonymous online, peer-to-peer mental health community.
Togetherall is moderated by registered practitioners who work to keep members safe and facilitate the process of peers helping peers in a supportive online environment. The size of the community and diversity of its members create an inclusive experience that inherently fosters participants’ ability to normalize their feelings.
Pensacola State College prioritizes the need to provide both students and staff additional mental health supports while they continue to navigate life during a pandemic and in a year in which many have faced major personal and professional disruptions. Through Togetherall, Pensacola State College students and staff will be able to anonymously connect with others who are experiencing similar struggles, supporting one another through their shared lived experiences with common mental health challenges.
In the past year, Pensacola State College, like most higher-education institutions, has seen an increased need to develop ways for members of the community to connect with one another. It is important to Pensacola State College leaders that that students, faculty and staff do not feel alone in their experiences of stress, anxiety, and other mental health struggles.
“As a way to offer additional mental health services to Pensacola State, the institution and Pirates CARE Team are excited to partner with Togetherall and join its anonymous peer-to-peer network in a space designed to provide social support for mental health and well-being,” said Dr. Lynsey Listau, the College’s Executive Director of Institutional Equity and Student Conduct. “We hope by offering this new resource, Pensacola State community members will feel encouraged to connect with others who are experiencing similar struggles and take advantage of the many mental health resources in the Togetherall platform.”
Togetherall points out that stress, anxiety and other risks to mental wellness have always been, and always will be, a part of life as a college student. Therefore, in forming partnerships with colleges and universities, Togetherall works to become an integral part of a comprehensive, sustainable mental health program.
“The Togetherall platform has many unique benefits and its effectiveness is proven every day—but no resource should be considered the one and only solution,” said Matthew McEvoy, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Togetherall in North America. “We commend Pensacola State for having a robust mental health program that integrates a variety of resources for giving and getting support. Togetherall is proud to welcome Pensacola State students and staff to our safe and welcoming community they can turn to, anytime, anywhere.”
Founded in 2007 in the United Kingdom, and operating in Canada, New Zealand and the U.S., Togetherall has grown into a global community. It provides service to more than 200 postsecondary institutions and a population of more than 2 million students worldwide, with thousands of new members registering each month. In a recent survey of Togetherall members, nearly 80% of students indicated that the main reason for joining was feelings of depression, 70% cited feelings of anxiety. Nearly 50% of students surveyed do not have regular contact with a health care provider for the issues that led them to seek support.
To access the service, Pensacola State College students and staff can go to the mobile-responsive webpage www.togetherall.com and enter their academic email address to register.
|
|
Pensacola State College provides high-quality, low-cost education to the residents of Northwest Florida through university transfer, workforce certificates, degrees, continuing education, corporate and professional development, and televised programming through the WSRE Public Broadcasting Service.
The PSC Foundation seeks to enhance the College’s ability to provide these services through a five-year campaign, "Your Community - Your Legacy," focused on supporting student scholarships, academic programs, faculty and staff professional development, and facility and technology infrastructure.
Click the button below to learn more about the campaign and to make your donation!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
