Polk State’s Eagle Educator Bridge Pathway Program supports School-Related Employee of the Year recipient in achieving bachelor’s degree

As a student growing up in Polk County Public Schools in Lakeland, Alexia Frihart remains grateful for the lasting impact that her teachers had on her. Set to graduate with her Polk State College Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education on Thursday, Frihart hopes to make a similar impact in the classroom.

She will graduate cum laude with a 3.8 grade-point average from the Eagle Educator Bridge Pathway Program at Polk State, which supports paraeducators and long-term substitutes in becoming full-time teachers.

She credits her third-grade teacher, Sofia Larenas, and high school teachers Tyler Campbell and Meghan Simms, for serving as her inspirations. Since graduating from Lakeland High School in 2022, Frihart has worked as a paraeducator at North Lakeland Elementary.

“I had amazing teachers growing up here in Polk County,” Frihart recalled. “I wanted to give back and show the kids the love that was shown to me. Teachers help create the doctors, the engineers, the marine biologists.”

A calling for the classroom

Paraeducators are assistants who perform a variety of tasks throughout schools, including aiding teachers in the classroom, providing individualized help to students and performing clerical tasks. Frihart was recognized as Polk County Public Schools District 5 School-Related Employee of the Year for the 2024-2025 Academic Year.

“To win that at just 20 years old really opened my eyes to the fact that the educational setting was where I was supposed to be,” Frihart reflected. “It fueled my drive for excellence. It’s one of my proudest moments.”

Frihart earned her Associate in Arts in 2023. Through Polk State College Foundation and Greenhouse Program scholarships, she says she has paid little out of pocket. It was Talley Miller, the principal at North Lakeland Elementary, who encouraged her to explore the Eagle Educator Bridge Pathway Program at Polk State.

“I learned that I would be certified with all of my endorsements,” Frihart added. “There were so many great benefits to the program.”

The Polk State Education Program integrates English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL); Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM); Exceptional Student Education (ESE); and Reading K-12 endorsements. This customized, standards-based approach is designed to provide graduates with a competitive edge in employment. The program is currently enrolling paraeducators and long-term substitute teachers to start during the Summer 2026 Semester.

Launched in the fall of 2023 in partnership between Polk State and Polk County Public Schools, the program provides paraeducators working in Polk County Public Schools with the opportunity to achieve their Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education degrees so that they may assume careers as teachers and lead their own classrooms. The program has since opened to long-term substitute teachers.

“The cohort is like a family,” Frihart explained. “The coursework is not easy but having people with the same goal going through it with you makes it worth it and really helps pull you through. We’re all in it together.”

A web of support

Those going through the program continue to work full-time and are given a mentor teacher. Program participants work alongside and learn from their mentor, assuming more classroom duties as time goes on.

Frihart feels fortunate to have learned under Cherie Perryn at North Lakeland Elementary and the Saundra Ellis, the school’s second-grade chair. Upon graduating, Frihart will transition to a full-time second-grade teacher at North Lakeland – a role where she feels she can have an even bigger impact.

“I’ve seen kids grow up, come back and share where they are in life,” Frihart added. “The best thing is when they have that ‘a-ha’ moment. To work so hard and to pour into these kids and see them succeed almost brings you to tears and is further validation.”

For her success, Frihart also credits her family. Neither of her parents, Jamie and Heather Gardner, attended college but both were pillars of support.

“They always pushed me to pursue my own dreams,” Frihart said. “I can’t see myself wanting to be anything other than a teacher.”

Recently married, her husband, Trevor Frihart, has been there to relieve her burden as she juggles full-time work and classes.

“My husband has been such an anchor for me,” Frihart said. “He has supported me during the nights in class and weekends studying. Whether it’s just giving me some time or cooking dinner, so that I had something to eat before class, he’s done whatever he can to support me.”

Why Polk State?

In addition to home and work, Frihart has been fortunate to have a supportive team around her at Polk State. Professors Terri Hubbard and Niqui Young-Pringle-Brown are two of her biggest supporters.

“They said they would drag me across the finish line if they had to,” Frihart reflected. “Niqui Young-Pringle-Brown has always been someone I could go to if I need anything. Professor Hubbard gives the emotional support you need when you’re having a bad day.”

Frihart said her positive experience at Polk State has encouraged friends and family to enroll. That includes her aunt, who also works as a paraeducator.

“The thing I love most about Polk State is that you feel like a person in the classroom,” Frihart exclaimed. “You’re not a number or a dollar sign. Your professors know your name and care about you as a person.”

Although she doesn’t foresee working full-time in a setting outside of an elementary school, Frihart hopes to continue her education and pursue a master’s degree. She would also like to one day serve as an adjunct professor within the Polk State Education Program.

“My heart is with the elementary students, but because of the professors at Polk State, I’d like to come back one day and do a little of what they’re doing,” Frihart added.

Paraeducators in Polk County start at $21,469. The starting salary for teachers in Polk County is currently $47,500 – higher than the national average and 121% higher than the starting pay for paraeducators. The Eagle Educator Bridge Pathway Program provides upward mobility within the educational field and helps address teacher shortages. Polk County Public Schools provides increases and bonuses for additional degrees and certifications.

“Stick with it because it’s worth it,” Frihart concluded. “I didn’t know if I was going to make it through early on. Now, I know I’m going to make it, and you will too.”