
Polk State celebrates largest graduation yet

Polk State College celebrated its largest commencement ceremony yet on Thursday, May 3, at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. A sea of nearly 630 students filled the arena for Polk State’s 118th graduation, which…

Polk State presents Criminal Justice Teach-In

Polk State held its Fifth Annual Criminal Justice Teach-In on April 27 at the Polk State Center for Public Safety. Speakers from the fields of investigations, K-9, courts, corrections, probation, and human trafficking gave students…

First-generation-in-college student: Mom’s dreams are my dreams, my dreams are her dreams

Marielys Cirilo’s parents moved from Puerto Rico to the U.S. as young adults with big dreams of going to college. But they quickly married and had children, and higher education became financially out of reach.…

Graduating student practices what she preached to her children

Teretha Robinson has attended Polk State College on and off for more than 30 years, coming up with “all of the excuses in the world” as to why she couldn’t complete her degree. “I had…

Honors Program Recognition

The Polk State College Honors Program held a ceremony for May 2018 graduates on April 26 on the Winter Haven campus. The event included remarks from President Angela Garcia Falconetti and individual recognition of each…

Polk State’s youngest bachelor’s student to receive degree May 3

Harrison Broer said his first day of college was weird. That’s because he was only 15 years old, and after completing his Associate in Arts degree a semester before graduating from Polk State Lakeland Collegiate…

From nurse to patient: Graduating student overcomes debilitating illness to achieve BSN

Amber Price has dedicated her life to helping and healing others, but soon after starting her career as a registered nurse at Winter Haven Hospital, she was forced to switch her role to patient as…

Respiratory Care Program receives Distinguished RRT Credentialing Success Award

For the fourth consecutive year, Polk State College’s Respiratory Care Program has received the Distinguished RRT (registered respiratory therapist) Credentialing Success Award from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). The award is presented…

Clays for Courts

The Polk State College Foundation presented the annual Regal Lakeland Clays for Courts in partnership with The A.D. Morgan Corporation on April 20, 2018, at Catfish Creek Sporting Clays in Haines City. The event benefits the…

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…