NIA sends off 20 members of first graduating class
Law enforcement and corrections officers, from agencies large and small, left Polk State’s Center for Public Safety on Nov. 18 equipped with the tools needed to take the next step in their careers and to…
Polk State College to celebrate 127th commencement on December 8
Polk State College will host its 127th commencement ceremony on Thursday, December 8, at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland, where members of the Fall 2022 Graduating Class will celebrate with their families, friends, and…
National Public Safety Innovation Academy prepares law enforcement and corrections for next step in careers
Launched in September at Polk State College’s Center for Public Safety in partnership with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the National Public Safety Innovation Academy (NIA) gives law enforcement and corrections staff the tools they…
Student goes from paralyzed to Polk State OTA & Orlando Health
Chase Roberts was told he would never walk again. Now, he’s not only on his own two feet — he is also helping others recover from traumatic injuries. Roberts, a student in Polk State College’s…
Full circle: Polk State Gateway graduate aims to make difference as staff
Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College Collegiate High School staff member Lawerence Shipmon looks to provide the same hope to students that the school once did for him. A long-term substitute and an adjunct professor,…
Polk State graduate trades public relations for the sky
As a teenager and young adult, Tyler Koonce had two passions – sports and aviation. He began his professional career in the former and plans on finishing it working in the latter. After 15 years…
Polk State grad driven to give family the American dream
Orlando Vera Perez’s journey as an undocumented immigrant in the United States has not been easy, especially as a student paying out-of-state tuition and having to overcome obstacles including the inability to legally drive or…
Polk State Gateway’s 2022 class topped by trailblazers
Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College Collegiate High School’s valedictorian and salutatorian could probably both be described by a single word – trailblazers. Grace Joseph is the first Black female in the school’s history to…
Polk State Lakeland Collegiate’s top students get degrees for free in high school
Taylor Rickey and Laura Burse each began their high school careers elsewhere. Now, they’re leaving Polk State Lakeland Collegiate High School as valedictorian and salutatorian. Rickey and Burse spent their first two high school years…
Polk State graduate’s journey to nursing career started with believing in herself when others already did
As a child, Margarita Garcia felt the odds were stacked against her, preventing her from ever reaching her fullest potential. Her family had emigrated to the U.S., and she worked in the fields with her…