FutureMakers Talent Talk

Our guest this episode is Carlos Mendez, a first-generation college student in his third year at Florida Gulf Coast University. Carlos is a full-time student majoring in Anthropology, but he is also working full-time as a Graphic Designer. He shares with us what it is like to work full-time while attending college as well as his experience with online school and why he enjoys it. Carlos also explains the importance of employment flexibility for people who are attending school and how that has played a significant role in his journey to completing a degree. Listen to this Talent Talk episode to hear his very valuable advice to people working in higher education on how to better support students who are working full time.

From New York to Florida, Susan Block has always known she has had a passion for early childhood education. Susan is our guest on this episode of Talent Talk, and she is the CEO of Early Learning Coalition here in Southwest Florida. She shares her work history and the journey that led her to her current position at the Early Learning Coalition. She explains what this organization is and goes into detail about quality childcare and what it entails. Susan also shares with us why early childhood education is important, as well as how it affects peoples’ involvement in the workforce and the impact of childcare on the economy. Finally, from providing personal protective equipment to staying in touch with childcare providers, Susan shares how the Early Learning Coalition has been impacted by COVID-19 and the current demands for childcare right now in our region.

In this episode of Talent Talk we hear all about career and technical education from Yolanda Flores. Yolanda currently works at Lorenzo Walker Technical College as the Administrative Director. She explains to us what exactly technical colleges are and the benefits they have for students in the Southwest Florida community, and why it is important for students to pursue a career in the technical pathways. Yolanda also shares with us some of the most popular programs at Lorenzo Walker, both in and out of the health science field. Although technical colleges do offer a variety of opportunities and benefits for students, some of them are facing challenges, and Yolanda tells us how we can help. Listen to this podcast to find out more about some of the fields that are in high demand in the Southwest Florida region, and how stacking credentials is economically advantageous.

Our guest this episode is Jenna Rytlewski, a student success advisor at Florida Southwestern State College. Jenna tells us all about FSW and some of the programs this regionally accredited institution is currently offering. She also shares with us the journey that led her to her current career, and what her job at FSW entails, including how she helps students meet their goals and is dedicated to being a student ally. Jenna also tells us some of the most common barriers students face that her and other advisors are more than willing to help them with, and some of her recommendations for how to overcome these barriers. Listen to this episode to hear Jenna’s advice to people who haven’t been able to complete their degrees and are looking for a secure future!

In this episode of Talent Talk we hear from Whitney Rhyne, the Director of Strategic Initiatives at Florida Southwestern State College. Whitney begins by telling us about FSW and the diverse and unique student population they serve in Southwest Florida’s five-county region, ranging from students who just graduated high school and full-time professionals looking to attend night classes to further their career, to military veterans. Whitney also goes into detail about the newly developed Second Look Initiative, a program aiming to connect with students who were previously enrolled at FSW who were unable to complete their degrees, and what the process is like to start a program like the Second Look Initiative. Additionally, she explains the process for a student who previously attended FSW who was unable to complete their degree to inquire about their standing with the college and actively seeking to complete their degree and/or graduate.

In recent years, the student population has become much more diverse in terms of race, socioeconomic status, and age, meaning that the term “traditional student” no longer applies to the majority of the student population. Adrian Surratt is one member of the student population that has led to the diversification of this group. He is an adult learner who will soon be attending Florida Gulf Coast University after his recent completion of his Associate’s Degree at Florida South Western State College! Adrian shares with us his educational journey, including why he became a stop-out student in the first place, what pushed him to go back to school to complete his degrees, and what his goals are. He also explains what it is like to attend school during a pandemic while juggling the responsibilities of raising two kids and taking care of his family.

Building a skilled workforce has been an important focus for not only FutureMakers Coalition, but businesses and organizations across the country, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Talented workforce is just one of the topics our guest Dakota Pawlicki discusses in this episode of Talent Talk. Dakota was the Strategy Officer for Community Mobilization at Lumina Foundation at the time of this recording, another important organization in analyzing talent attraction. Currently, he is the Talent Hub Director at CivicLab. He shared with us Lumina’s philanthropic strategy behind assigning Talent Hub designations, which are communities across the nation that are exemplars for significantly increasing the percentage of residents with an education beyond high school. He also explained Lumina Foundation’s goal of having 60% of Americans having an education beyond high school and people’s reaction to this bold, time-bound goal. Lastly, he talks passionately about the important role community-level work plays in Lumina Foundation achieving this goal.

Mike Boose is the Senior Director of Human Resources and Organization Development at Arthrex, a company based in Naples, Florida. In this Talent Talk episode, Mike shares his professional background in manufacturing and leadership, leading him to his career in Human Resources at Arthrex. He also explains what Arthrex is, the work they do, and how manufacturing relates to healthcare, specifically medical device manufacturing. Mike shares the difficulty this company has had finding people with the proper qualifications and skills needed to work for them and some of the solutions they have implemented. Despite the pandemic, Arthrex is still looking for new employees. He explains some of the possible credentials and qualifications that employers working for this company are looking for in their employees, along with the benefits he believes a career in manufacturing could have for residents of Southwest Florida.

Around 20% of the working-age adults in Southwest Florida who do not have a credential beyond a high school diploma started college but did not complete their degree. Many of these students stop-out of college because of financial barriers or other responsibilities that prohibit them from dedicating the necessary time to school to be successful. One of these adults is Megan Overmyer, an adult learner at Florida Gulf Coast University. This past summer, Megan was able to return to FGCU and join FGCU Complete. Megan tells us about her academic journey, and how she is the first person in her family to attend college. While talking with Megan we quickly learned of her courage and strength, being a mother of four who is recently widowed, working full-time while being a student. In this session she explains how FGCU Complete made it feasible for her to return to school after 20 years to complete her degree. Megan also explains the process of acquiring financial aid as an adult learner; she gives very beneficial advice to adults who are looking to go back to school and complete a degree but are wary of the process because of the financial strain.