Photo courtesy SCF.

This is my final guest editorial as President of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) before my retirement on July 1 and it’s bittersweet. Given one last opportunity, I am going to share in SCF pride the excellence of the institution and our students, faculty and staff as nothing brings me greater joy.

I am proud of our strong, dedicated executive staff and the senior team members that I hired and mentored. They are highly skilled, creative thinkers who encourage innovations and are passionate about student success. 

I am proud of our professional and career staff — often our unsung heroes. From the registration desk to the student helpline to the financial aid counselor to the facilities department crews, they comprise an entire army of student advocates who work with dedication and pride to keep everything running smoothly so students can focus on their academic journeys. 

I am proud of our faculty. Our professors demonstrate their professionalism and commitment to our college and students not only in the classroom but also in the way they go above and beyond to help struggling students and encourage those who lack self-confidence. They set our college apart with their desire to see students succeed and the personal interest they take in making that happen. Our faculty dedicate their lives to changing students’ lives. 

I am proud of our partners in the community, donors, foundations, businesses and our local legislative delegation. I appreciate their willingness to work with us to enhance programs for the community and to invest in us on major new initiatives. Their support makes it possible for us to meet the needs of our students, the workforce and community.

I am proud of our SCF Foundation directors and our College Board of Trustees past and present. They serve because they care about our students. They are helpers, advisors and givers who volunteer their time, treasure, and talents to make SCF a better institution and foundation for students to change their lives. 

I am proud of our students. I love getting to know students who are here from around the world for different reasons and from different backgrounds. Everyone has their own path, and fortunately we offer various opportunities, but what I hear most often is that students choose to come here to create a better future for themselves, their children and their families. Many overcome tremendous obstacles to come to our college. Our students humble me and inspire me. 

Doing the right thing for students has been my primary motivating factor and knowing that I was where I could make a positive impact on students’ lives is what I loved most about my job.  I consider myself to be the luckiest person alive to have had the honor of serving as leader of SCF. 

We have worked together for the last 12 years making dreams come true for SCF students. Thank you for supporting me and reading my column each month. It pleases me immensely to share that the state of our college is strong and SCF is well positioned to maintain forward momentum in the years ahead with its seventh President, Tommy Gregory.

Dr. Carol F. Probstfeld is President of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota

Photo courtesy SCF.