Graduating student: Polk State showed me I don’t have to be another statistic
Growing up, no one encouraged Keiona Haggins to go to school. “I was only told to not end up pregnant or in jail,” she said. She lived in a home where emotional and physical abuse…
Polk State JD Alexander Center Makes it Possible for First-Generation-in-College Student to Juggle School and Three Jobs
For students at the Polk State JD Alexander Center, it’s all about location. Without Polk State College’s presence in the Lake Wales community, many students would not be pursuing their higher education because they would…
Mom, Veteran & Bachelor’s Student Finds Her Path at Polk State
Brittiny Pearn always knew she wanted to be a teacher, and she is well on her way to being the next leader of a Polk County classroom. She was the first Bachelor of Science in…
Writing Tutor, Adjunct Professor To Inspire With Relay For Life Survivor Speech
She climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. She has been awarded by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for work during a coup in Africa. She survived a violent car chase that left her with a permanently disfigured arm.…
Baccalaureate Student Thanks Foundation, Mental Health Services For Her Success
Nikki Torres was no stranger to life’s challenges in 2016 when she was diagnosed with sarcoidosis – an incurable auto immune disorder. As a single mother to a son with autism who climbed her way…
UCF Success Coach Motivates Students: “If I Could Do It, You Can Too”
When students become a part of the Eagle family at Polk State College, they also have the opportunity to become Knights or Bulls in training. Through the College’s partnerships with University of Central Florida’s Transfer…
Polk State Gives Student From Puerto Rico “Fresh Start”
The story of how Jose Ferrer’s life changed starts two days before Hurricane Maria razed his hometown of Aguadilla. Three months into his first semester of college, Ferrer sat in class at the University of…
Without JD Alexander Center, These Veterans Wouldn’t Be In School
For students at the Polk State JD Alexander Center, it’s all about location. Without Polk State College’s presence in southeast Polk County, many students would not be pursuing higher education because they would not be…
Aerospace Alumnus Learned More Than Flying Planes
Aaron Poidevin remembers the first time he thought he wanted to be a pilot. He was at MacDill’s Airfest. He was 8. “I was a kid watching airplanes doing tricks in the sky – of…
Academic Advisor Gives Students Choices About Their Education
College is incredibly exciting, but can also be difficult to navigate. Polk State College’s academic advisors make huge differences in the lives of students every day, not only by ensuring that they enroll in the…