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Faculty, staff, students, community members, proud family members and friends gathered at the 2024 President’s Reception Nov. 21 on The Third Floor of The BEAR JONES MOORE REEVES CENTER for Math and Advanced Technology to celebrate the leadership, academic excellence, and character of outstanding students at Pensacola State College and to recognize their past academic and community service contributions while in high school and college.
Dr. Brenda Kelly, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs welcomed all in attendance and congratulated PSC Scholarship recipients, Robinson Honors Program officers, student ambassadors and Student Government Association officers before introducing Pensacola State College President Ed Meadows.
“That you selected Pensacola State, to us, makes you the best of the best – not that you are better than other students, but because you chose to make an application for scholarship, to volunteer your service and leadership to the College, and to find ways to become a part of the College and college life,” affirmed Dr. Meadows. “I like to tell students that 80% of the friends you will have in this world, you meet while you are in school. Get to know your fellow students, the faculty and staff so well that not only do they know your last name, but they also know your first name, your dreams and your career aspirations. They will know about your character well enough that if you need them for a reference, you can call them later on and ask them to write letters of recommendation for you.”
Retired neurosurgeon Dr. Troy Tippett, member of the Pensacola State College Board of Trustees who also established the Tippett Family Endowed Chair in Science, Technology and Mathematics with wife Diane, was then invited up to share some remarks. “It is always makes me smile to see the scholars and leaders of this college. You know that you are the result of having a great economic engine here at Pensacola State College, and you will produce even more for our future. We are so proud of all the contributions that you’ve made.”
Dr. Meadows thanked Dr. Tippett for his continued service to Pensacola State before Dr. Kelly began the awards recognition, first acknowledging the 2024 Presidential Scholarship recipients, Chloe Ayres and Haley Thomas. Chloe is going into education as a first-year PSC student, and Haley, also a first-year student at PSC, hopes to enter the Dental Hygiene program.
Director of the Robinson Honors Program Amber Carey presented attending program officers, led by President Heaven Lee and Executive Vice President Riley Perantoni, sharing, “[Members of the program and club] are leaders among their peers, and they dedicate themselves to service in our community and to our college, so we want to recognize them.”
Congratulating the Robinson Honors Program officers, Grover Robinson IV attended the evening’s reception, he and his wife Jill having set up a PSC Foundation endowment scholarship in honor of Grover’s parents, the late Sandra and Grover Robinson III; they dedicated many years of service to the College and its students, faculty and local communities. The endowment assists PSC in offsetting the high cost of smaller class sizes, seminars, travel scholarships and other unique opportunities associated with the Robinson Honors Program.
Mr. Robinson remarked, “All of you who receive awards tonight, certainly you are the reason we do this. You are the future of Pensacola, and we will go as far as you take us, so we want to make sure that all of the educational opportunities are available to you here. All of us here at Pensacola State are invested in the future, and we are invested in you and in what you are doing. You have taken the initiative to take a step forward to be a part of this; all of you here tonight have made that decision to do something more, and we want to foster whatever we can do to help you on your way.”
Associate Vice President of Institutional Research and Enterprise Solutions Mr. Michael Johnston then presented the Pensacola State student ambassadors, a distinct group of newly admitted student leaders who volunteer their time and enthusiasm to share their unique PSC student experiences with prospective students, current students and the community while obtaining leadership skills helpful for transfer, job and scholarship opportunities. PSC ambassadors must maintain satisfactory academic standards and participate in an application and interview process. “For one or two years, these students serve as ‘official’ hosts and hostesses of PSC, representing the College in a variety of functions. Tonight, they are our guests of honor,” smiled Mr. Johnston.
PSC Student Government Association Officers, elected by their peers and led by President Anthony Watson and Vice President Ella Kimball, then received recognition for “acting as the official voice through which the opinions and concerns of the student body may be expressed,” said Michael Johnston.
President Meadows closed the event by first thanking the faculty, staff and supporters of the College for participating in this wonderful evening, then addressed the student honorees a final time, saying, “Thank you for choosing Pensacola State College. I wish you well in your endeavors – and be sure to make friends!”