When people think about State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF), they often think first about academic programs, workforce training and university transfer opportunities. But every season, our student-athletes demonstrate that the same commitment to excellence extends beyond the classroom. On the field, on the court and in the sand, they embody the determination, discipline and teamwork that define SCF.

That commitment was on full display during the 2025-26 athletic year. SCF's softball team advanced to the NJCAA Division II World Series and finished eighth in the nation, marking one of the finest seasons in program history. Along the way, Bree Urban and A'Lana Martinez became the first SCF softball student-athletes in nearly two decades to earn NJCAA All-America honors.

Beach volleyball continued its remarkable rise as one of the nation's premier programs. Freshmen Liliana Palacios and Ava Mohler captured the inaugural NJCAA Pairs National Championship, making SCF the first college to claim the title in the event's history.

Baseball also enjoyed another outstanding season, finishing third in the state after defeating nationally ranked opponents and climbing as high as No. 24 in the national rankings.

Those accomplishments deserve to be celebrated, but what may be even more impressive is what happens away from the scoreboard.

At SCF, winning is measured not only by championships, but by student success, academic achievement and the opportunities our graduates create for themselves and our community.

Every SCF athletics team earned NJCAA Academic Team of the Year recognition by maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Twenty-five student-athletes were named to the Florida College System Activities Association All-Academic Team, while another 20 earned NJCAA All-Academic honors. Collectively, SCF Athletics posted an overall departmental GPA of 3.23.

That balance between athletic excellence and academic achievement doesn't happen by accident. It reflects coaches who expect excellence, faculty who support student-athletes and students who understand that success in competition begins with success in the classroom.

Today's SCF student-athletes are tomorrow's nurses, teachers, entrepreneurs, business owners, first responders and community leaders. Athletics simply gives them another avenue to grow, lead and discover what's possible. It is one more way SCF fulfills its mission of transforming lives through education and opportunity.

Just as important, many of these student-athletes come from the very communities we serve. This fall, SCF will launch Women's Cross Country, creating another opportunity for local student-athletes to compete at a high level while staying close to home, earning a quality education and preparing for what's next.

SCF invites the entire community to experience SCF athletics, with many games free to the public. Whether you're cheering on the Manatees, introducing a child to college athletics or simply looking for a fun community outing, every fan helps create an atmosphere that supports our student-athletes. I encourage you to join us this season.

Visit SCFManatees.com for schedules, team information and the latest news, and discover why SCF Athletics is one more reason SCF is truly Everyone's College.

Tommy Gregory, J.D., is the President of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota.

Photo courtesy of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota.

The future of a community is shaped by the people willing to move it forward, together. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reminded of that truth more than once. At a recent Gulf Coast Board Alumni (GCBA) gathering, leaders who have helped shape Gulf Coast over the years came together with those carrying that work forward today. Last month, two of our newest board members joined us as Gulf Coast was humbled to receive the Greater Sarasota Chamber’s Community Impact Award. Both occasions served as powerful reminders that meaningful progress is never the work of one person or one organization – it is the result of people, across generations of leadership, committing themselves to a shared purpose.

As we begin a new fiscal year, I see it less as a reset and more as an opportunity for continued growth. Lasting impact happens when leadership, priorities, and partnerships move in concert. It's a principle that has guided Gulf Coast's work from the beginning and continues to shape how we serve our communities.

That kind of alignment starts with leadership. I am grateful to continue working alongside an engaged and strategic Board of Directors, including Anand Pallegar and Rose-Anne Frano, who will serve another year as Board Chair and Vice Chair, respectively. Their continued service provides continuity at an important time. Together with the full Board, they listen well, ask thoughtful questions, and help keep Gulf Coast focused on the work ahead. Effective boards do far more than provide oversight. I value our Board as thought partners who bring perspective, challenge assumptions, and help us navigate both opportunities and decisions that shape our future with clarity.

This year also brings new voices and experiences to the table. We are pleased to welcome Jaime DiDomenico, Will Dolan, and Emily Walsh to the Board. Each brings a unique perspective that will strengthen our conversations and enrich our work. At the same time, we are grateful to Anne Essner, Pete Petersen, and Susan Sofia as they conclude their service. Their time, wisdom, and generosity have left a lasting mark on Gulf Coast. A healthy board continues to evolve, balancing continuity with fresh perspectives that help us remain responsive to the changing needs of our region.

Purposeful governance leads to stronger execution. It helps keep priorities clear, stewards resources wisely, and positions organizations to make the greatest possible impact. Just as importantly, it strengthens our ability to work alongside donors, nonprofit organizations, public leaders, professional advisors, and community partners who help move that work forward every day. That same philosophy is woven throughout Gulf Coast and is reflected in initiatives like Invest in Incredible, designed to help nonprofit leaders and board members grow stronger and better together.

Ultimately, the strength of an organization is reflected in its ability to learn, adapt, and carry its mission forward over time. I am grateful for the foundation built by those who came before us and energized by those who continue to shape what comes next. That collective effort gives me confidence not only in what we can accomplish, but in how we will accomplish it – together.

Phillip P. Lanham is President | CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation. 

Pictured (L to R): Kelly Carlstein, Vice President, Strategy and Culture; Phillip Lanham, President/CEO; Jon Thaxton, Director, Policy and Advocacy; Emily Walsh, Gulf Coast Board Member; Jaime DiDomenico, Gulf Coast Board Member. Photo-TJL Imagery.

It is election season, and class warfare is in full swing, whether it shows up in housing debates, school choice fights, or somewhere else on the agenda. It has become a new sport, whether on the elected dais or at the candidate debate table, to suggest that anyone who merely sounds like they should not be struggling is dismissed, and maybe even should be penalized. The latest target is 120% of Area Median Income, a number that sounds outlandish when you first hear it. But when you look at who actually lands there, the picture changes fast.

In Sarasota County, 120% AMI for a family of four comes out to $131,650 a year. Said on its own, that can sound like real money. Said next to who earns it, it looks a lot more modest, and quite frankly, those politicians who wave them off as too comfortable to matter in affordable housing look ridiculous.

Start with the people who make our community run. A starting teacher in Sarasota County earns $60,000 this year, the second-highest starting salary in Florida. A starting nurse at Sarasota Memorial Hospital earns about $70,928. Put a starting teacher and a starting nurse together in one household, and the combined income comes to $130,928, just $722 short of 120% AMI. That is not a hypothetical stretch. That is two of the most essential jobs in this community, landing almost exactly on the number some want to treat as a punchline.

Move the pairing slightly and the story holds. A starting sheriff's deputy fresh out of the county's academy sponsorship program earns $64,537. Pair a starting deputy with a starting nurse, and the household reaches $135,465, just above the 120% AMI line. A starting firefighter, using the department's own posted high end of $76,784, paired with a starting wastewater treatment plant operator earning $50,794, comes to $127,578, again right in that same narrow band.

None of these are outliers picked to make a point. They are ordinary pairings of people who teach our kids, treat our patients, patrol our streets, fight our fires, and keep our water clean, all landing at or near the exact threshold now being treated as the new boogeyman.

It is outlandish and very out of touch for any elected official or candidate to infer our nurses, teachers, deputies, and firefighters are having an easy time finding housing they can afford, yet you hear that at candidate forums and affordable housing agenda items on commission agendas in an attempt to get your vote. It is an absolute failure to understand the working class holding our community together.

When we set affordable housing policy or decide who deserves help finding a place to live, 120% AMI should not be dismissed as rich people who are easily finding housing. Before anyone treats that number as a punchline, they should do the actual math and talk to the families earning that income to learn about their real housing struggles.

Christine Robinson is the Chief Executive Officer of The Argus Foundation. 

Provided photo.