STUDENTS EMBRACE ENVIRONMENT DURING EARTH WEEK
The Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel hosted several events in a special Earth Week celebration in April. Students, faculty, staff and community members participated in an Earth Festival— a family-friendly event with local vendors dedicated to promoting a healthy environment. Children enjoyed creating bird feeders from recycled materials, painting pet rocks, planting flowers and build-a-bunny and egg-hunt activities.
Porter Campus students with guest panelists Jennifer Wiatrowski, PHSC associate professor, biological sciences and Neal Halstead, Ph. D., senior ecologist, Wildlands Conservation; and Moderator Davina Jones, Ph. D., PHSC professor, English / speech communications, offered environmentally themed presentations.
Other events included:“ Protecting the Environment Matters” by Margo McKnight, senior vice president of conservation, research, and husbandry, Florida Aquarium;“ Aquaponics: Where Technology Meets Sustainable Farming” by Preston Coursey, CMF International; and“ Designing Sustainable Communities” by Research Professors JoAnne Fiebe and Taryn E. Sabia, University of South Florida.
The free Earth Week celebration, sponsored by The Florida Aquarium, supports PHSC’ s commitment to engage the community in exploring and facilitating dialogue on environmental issues.
OUTSTANDING STUDENT LEADERS NAMED PHSC honored 11 students with the Dr. Felisha R. Barker Outstanding Student Leader award at the 2017 Student Activities Awards Banquet held in April at the West Campus. The prestigious awards are presented in memory of the late Dr. Felisha R. Barker, a former PHSC financial aid advisor, instructor and academic and club advisor. Also a former student leader at PHSC, Barker inspired students to excel in the classroom, on campus and in the community. Dr. Barker passed away in 2005 at age 31, after nearly a decade of employment at the college.
Dr. Felisha R. Barker Outstanding Student Leaders named in 2017 include:
Monica Baione( West Campus, New Port Richey) – Dedicated to helping others, Baione volunteered with the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization while earning a 4.0 GPA and participating in several honor societies. After organizing a flash mob to bring mental health awareness to campus, the group was invited to re-enact the dance at the opening ceremony for the Southern Organization of Human Services Conference.
Ashley Bozarth( Spring Hill Campus) – Starting with a desire to help others, Bozarth grew into a true leader, establishing the Rotaract Club on the Spring Hill Campus. With her club, the talented artist won the local Swamp Monster Competition at Weeki Wachee last spring. Events she organized benefited pet adoption and built awareness of social issues.
Diana Castro Jaramillo( Spring Hill Campus) – A Phi Theta Kappa( PTK) and Psi Beta member, Jamarillo was named to the All-Florida Academic Team. Courage and determination helped Castro succeed at PHSC. Originally, from Manizales, Colombia, learning English was among the many challenges Jaramillo has faced since arriving in the United States.
Devon Chavarria( Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, Wesley Chapel) – Chavarria faces challenges, boldly, thinking outside the box and making difficult decisions. As a full-time student taking rigorous engineering coursework, he also managed to work full time and serve as Porter Campus Student Government Association president.
20 PHSC Perspective