KEY WEST, FL, May 8, 2024— The College of the Florida Keys held its sixty-eighth Commencement Exercises for the spring class of 2024 on Friday, May 3 in the Tennessee Williams Theatre on the Key West Campus. Ninety-four graduates donned blue and orange graduation attire to receive their diplomas. The College expects to award a combined total of approximately 116 credentials, including bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, and college credit certificates, to spring graduates.
U.S. Army veteran Garrett Wills, who earned associate degrees in Marine Environmental Technology and Diving Business and Technology, presented the Student Address. He also presented the Instructor of the Year award to History instructor Charles Goulding. The College bestowed the 2024 Distinguished Alumnus Award to Monroe County School Board member Andy Griffiths. Griffiths earned his Associate in Arts degree at CFK in 1979 before becoming a successful fishing charter business owner and the longest serving elected official in Monroe County. Senator Doug Broxson delivered the Keynote Address and received the 2024 President’s Award for his legislative support of CFK and the Keys. The full ceremony can be viewed on the College’s Facebook page at facebook.com/TheCollegeoftheFloridaKeys. Following Commencement, the College held a nursing ceremony for students who completed their Associate of Science in Nursing this spring semester. Upon passing the national NCLEX-RN licensure exam, each will become a registered nurse. CFK’s summer semester begins May 14 and fall semester begins August 19. Information about academic programs, steps to become a student, and ways to pay for college can be viewed on the College’s website at CFK.edu/FutureStudents.
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Two FAFSA Workshops open to all, not just CFK-bound students KEY WEST, FL, April 26, 2024—In response to ongoing challenges and delays associated with the rollout of the new 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) is helping incoming and returning college students and their families to navigate the new process. Two FAFSA Workshops will be held virtually on Wednesday, May 8 and Thursday, May 30 at 5:30 p.m. These events are open to all, including individuals who do not plan to attend CFK. Students can sign up for a workshop on the College’s website at CFK.edu/paying-for-college/financial-aid. The FAFSA determines eligibility for various federal aid including Pell Grants, loans, and work-study programs, critical to helping millions of students afford college. It is also required for many other scholarships and aid opportunities.
During the FAFSA Workshops, CFK’s Financial Aid team will walk through the entire FAFSA process, offering tips and strategies to ensure a smooth and successful application. Additionally, they will cover common pitfalls, eligibility requirements, and the various types of financial aid available. To maximize the assistance provided at the workshop, attendees are asked to create a FAFSA account beforehand at FAFSA.gov and to avoid any similar-looking websites without a .gov domain. The new FAFSA is redesigned to be simpler. It is able to better assess students’ financial need but has been fraught with months of delays and system glitches. As a result, many students are still waiting for their application to be processed and many more are delaying or foregoing applying for financial aid or college admission altogether. “We don’t want to see anyone deter their plans to pursue higher education—whether it be at CFK or elsewhere—because of the FAFSA delays,” said Lana Gaspari, CFK Vice President of Advancement. “We understand that students are frustrated. We are using all options to help our students and community access aid and move forward with their plans this fall.” Beyond federal aid, CFK offers other resources to help students pay for college, including scholarships and payment plans. Additionally, the College has not increased tuition in over a decade. Those who cannot attend the FAFSA Workshops are encouraged to contact CFK’s Financial Aid Office at 305-809-3523 or financialaid@cfk.edu for assistance. KEY WEST, FL, April 12, 2024—The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) welcomes the community to celebrate the arts at two annual events on Wednesday, April 24 at the Key West Campus. Attendees are invited to start with the Mud-Pi Dinner, 4- 6 p.m., in the Ceramics Studio, featuring savory tastings created by culinary students and served in unique bowls created by ceramics students. Afterwards, attendees can head to the Student Art Show, which runs from 5 to 7 p.m. and features a range of art created by students over the past year.
Mud-Pi Dinner 4- 6 p.m. Ceramics Studio, CFK Key West Campus Admission: $40 if purchased by April 19; $50 at the door CFK’s Mud-Pi ceramics club and Cookin’ Tugas culinary club are teaming up to present the annual Mud-Pi Dinner on April 24 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Ceramics Studio on the Key West Campus. As per tradition, attendees of the fund-raiser will select their own student-crafted ceramic bowl to eat from and take home as a souvenir. Students in CFK’s culinary program are catering the event with five savory tasting options. The menu features Vietnamese summer rolls, Cajun andouille gumbo with blackened chicken, karaage chicken slider, pork pot stickers, and Ropa Vieja. Dessert will be served at the Student Art Show in the Library Gallery. Tickets are $40 if purchased by April 19 or $50 at the door. Proceeds from the Mud-Pi Dinner will benefit the Mud-Pi ceramics club and Cookin’ Tugas culinary club. To purchase tickets, contact CFK’s Business Office at 305-809-3186. For more information about the event, contact Stacey Hardy, CFK’s Art-in-Residence, at stacey.hardy@cfk.edu or 305-809-3244. Student Art Show 5- 7 p.m. Library Gallery, CFK Key West Campus Admission: Free CFK will showcase the talent and creativity of its students at the annual Student Art Show in the Library Gallery on the Key West Campus. Art students, art faculty, and art lovers from the Keys community will celebrate a year’s worth of artistic accomplishments at the opening reception on Wednesday, April 24, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. The Student Art Show will feature a variety of artwork created by students this past year, including pottery, photography, and sculptures. Some pieces will be for sale with proceeds going to the student artists as well as the Library Gallery Fund. Several awards will be given for each category. Attendees will be invited to cast votes for the winner of the “People’s Choice” award. For more information, contact Kristina Neihouse, Director, Learning Resource Center. kristina.neihouse@cfk.edu or 305-809-3501. KEY WEST, FL, April 5, 2024—The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) invites the community to attend its CFK Poetics event on April 18 at 5 p.m. at the Tennessee Willliams Theatre on the Key West Campus. The annual visiting poets activity will feature a live reading from acclaimed poet Lauren K. Alleyne. She will read some of her work and take questions from the audience. The event is free for all attendees.
Alleyne serves as Executive Director of the Furious Flower Poetry Center and as a professor of English. She is author of two collections Honeyfish (2019), Difficult Fruit (2014), two chapbooks Dawn in the Kaatskills and (Un)Becoming Gretel, and co-editor of Furious Flower: Seeding the Future of African American Poetry. Her work has been widely published in journals and anthologies internationally, including venues such as The Atlantic, The New York Times, and Ms., among several others. Alleyne, who hails from the twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, has been recognized with a US Artist Award nomination (2023), an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Poetry (2020), the Green Rose Prize from New Issues Press (2017) and has been shortlisted for the BOCAS Prize for Caribbean Literature and the Library of Virginia prize for poetry (2020). In 2022, Alleyne was awarded an Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virgina, and the JMU Agency Star Award. CFK Poetics is a series that aims to develop awareness of an immersion in the humanities landscape by connecting students and the community with poetry on the national level in a way that is immediate to their own experiences. Since 2019, visiting poets have come to Key West or appeared virtually to share their work and have conversations with the student body as well as the community at large. Formerly featured poets include B.H. Fairchild, Chelsea Rathburn, Richard Blanco, and Ross Gay, Barbara Hamby, David Kirby, and Adrian Matejka. Additional information about CFK Poetics can be found on the College’s website at cfk.edu/poetics. KEY WEST, FL, April 4, 2024— The College of the Florida Keys continues its 2024 VIP Series with “State of the National Marine Sanctuary” on Thursday, April 18 at 7 p.m. in the Tennessee Williams Theatre on the Key West Campus. The presentation will be led by Sarah Fangman, the Superintendent of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. In its tenth season, the College’s VIP Series invites the community to learn from the Views, Ideas, and Perspectives of speakers of local, regional, and national prominence. The 2024 season includes presentations that focus on timely topics relevant to Keys’ audiences.
In this lecture, Superintendent Fangman will discuss managing the sanctuary under stress and how marine researchers and the community have responded in novel ways to try to protect threatened resources. Topics will include what we know are the impacts from the current temperature stress on the whole system—including corals, seagrass, fish, and sponges—and how the marine community is answering the cry for help. Fangman became Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Superintendent in 2017, transitioning from the same position with Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary in Georgia. She began working with the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries in 1998 after serving as a U.S. Presidential Management Fellow with NOAA Fisheries at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center and the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response program in Washington D.C. CFK’s 2024 VIP Series is sponsored by First Horizon Bank. Tickets for each event are $5 at the door. Admission is free for students at CFK and Monroe County schools. For more information, call CFK at 305-296-9081 or visit the College’s website at CFK.edu/VIP. KEY WEST, FL, April 3, 2024— The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) welcomes Dr. Monekka Munroe as the Vice President of Academic Affairs. She will start full-time with the College in May. A member of CFK’s senior leadership team and Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Munroe will lead the academic affairs division, which includes the academic divisions of Arts and Hospitality, Marine Science and Technology, and Sciences and Nursing, as well as Student Success Services and the Learning Resource Center. “I thank the numerous CFK employees who participated in the selection process for our new Vice President of Academic Affairs,” said Dr. Jonathan Gueverra, CFK President. “They join me in welcoming Dr. Munroe to the College.” Dr. Munroe began her 16-year plus career as an Assistant Professor for Criminal Justice at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University before working as an Associate Professor and the Department Chairperson for the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Virgina Union University. Dr. Munroe has also worked as a part-time faculty member for Nova Southeastern University and as an instructor for a female correctional institution. She holds an associate in arts degree from Sante Fe College, a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. She earned a doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. KEY WEST, FL, April 2, 2024— The College of the Florida Keys is accepting applications and registering students for its summer semester. CFK is offering three summer term options:
Monroe County high school students can earn FREE college credit KEY WEST, FL, March 28, 2024— The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) will hold a virtual event for Monroe County high school students and their parents/ guardians to learn more about its Dual Enrollment opportunities on Wednesday, April 10 at 5:30 p.m. Through Dual Enrollment, high school students can simultaneously earn college and high school credits at no cost to the student. The program provides a head start to college for students while potentially saving families thousands of dollars. At the virtual event, CFK will discuss the benefits of taking Dual Enrollment classes, requirements to participate, and the application process.
Interested students and parents can sign up for the event and learn more about the Dual Enrollment program by visiting the College’s website at www.CFK.edu/DE. For more information, contact Marissa Owens, Director of Recruitment, at recruiter@cfk.edu. Event to support CFK Academy charter high school KEY WEST, FL, March 15, 2024— The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) Foundation invites the community to “A Roaring Good Time Speakeasy” on Friday, April 19, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Tennessee Williams Theatre. The first annual event will offer partygoers food, drinks, entertainment, auctions, and more. Tickets are $75. Proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit the CFK Academy, the College’s new tuition-free public charter high school. Tickets and sponsorship packages are available on the College’s website at www.cfk.edu/roaring.
To contribute auction items or donations to the CFK Foundation, contact Lana Gaspari, CFK Vice President of Advancement and CFK Foundation Executive Director, at foundation@cfk.edu or 305-809-3214. KEY WEST, FL, February 22, 2024—The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) invites prospective students to learn more about the various academic and career training opportunities available at CFK through its “Future Student” virtual event on Wednesday, March 6 at 5:30 p.m.
Topics to be covered at the information session:
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