SF Unscripted

Santa Fe College faculty have maintained a vibrant virtual and face-to-face exchange with counterparts in Orebro, Sweden for over a decade (double check this from the audio file). Join our conversation with Professor Doug Diekow and representatives from the Thoren Business School to learn more about the Swedish-Gainesville connection and how this has benefitted students over the years.

Santa Fe College graduate Abigail Dumonceau visits with Dr. Vilma Fuentes several years after graduating from SF and receiving award notice for the Boren Scholarship for study abroad funded by the National Security Education Program (NSEP).  Unfortunately, Abigail has yet to travel since the award notification due to study abroad limitations brought on by the worldwide Covid19 pandemic.

Abigail has always had an interest in international studies.At age 17, through a voluntourism trip she describes the transformative experience which she describes as an awakening, making her more genuine and authentic in her daily practice after returning to the United States. 

Abigail recalls fondly her participation in SF Student Life organizations like the Global Society club and the Model U.N. She discusses how learning to develop policy and exposure to foreign delegations, along with studying abroad in Sweden provided invaluable experiences and boosted her confidence to pursue the National Security scholarship. 

After a long wait, Abigail announces upcoming plans to return to South Africa. Now, equipped with the knowledge of the Zulu language, courtesy of the African Flagship Language Initiative Program at the University of Florida.  She hopes to utilize the trip to support her argument that natural resources are critical to national security. Combing her interests in wildlife ecology, conservation, and sociology. 

After two years study abroad programs will begin in 2023 at SF, to find out more visit sfcollege.edu/studyabroad. 

In season 4, episode 4 of Developing Global Citizens we discuss the connection between food and culture in teaching the Humanities. And several SF students and faculty talk about their personal experiences with some of the foods highlighted in the Florida Heritage Foods Initiative, www.floridaheritagefoods.com. 

The Florida Heritage Foods Initiative at Santa Fe College aims to stimulate the heritage food economy in Florida farmers' markets in partnership with Florida Organic Growers and Consumers, by providing public education about heritage foods for consumers and providing farmers' markets with tools to reach culturally diverse communities already purchasing heritage food.

Funding for the Florida Heritage Foods Initiative: Connecting Local Food with Local Culture in Florida Farmers Markets was made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service through grant Agreement Number 21FMPPFL1026-00. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.

Dr. Vilma Fuentes invites Professor Dr. Javier Sampedro, professor of Humanities, to the studio.  Dr. Sampedro, talks about the complex dynamic of growing up in Cuba under communist rule and alternatively living most of his adult life outside his homeland. 

Dr. Sampedro touches upon the resiliency and joy provided through the arts and the adaptations made possible through childhood's tendencies towards creativity and exploration. He also reflects on how his experiences in Cuba have influenced moments throughout his life and how a chance meeting of an American girl abroad captured his heart, altering his life in unexpected ways. This episode expresses emotions about the difficulty of bridging two cultures, two countries, with hearts and memories deeply seated in both. 

Dr. Vilma Fuentes welcomes two Santa Fe College Latina employees, Olga Asimbaya from the Records office and Ismelda Alvarez from the Admissions office. In advance of Hispanic Heritage Month the two discuss their own history and the paths they took to earn their college degrees.  In addition, both Ismelda and Olga discuss why they have chosen to give back in service to students and encourage Spanish speakers of all ages interested in attending college to register for Sigue Soñando, an admissions event hosted by Spanish-speaking SF employees to cover the application process, various entry points to college based on language proficiency and how to overcome common barriers.

Dr. Vilma Fuentes sits down with Santa Fe College chemistry professor, Dr. Alpheus Mautjana to discuss growing up in the era of apartheid in a Bantustan, his educational journey in South African and the United States. Dr. Mautjana discloses how he makes strides to not only connect with his students at Santa Fe College, but also how he continues to connect and provide educational resources to families currently living in South Africa. 

In this episode Dr. Vilma Fuentes speaks with visiting Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Mona Ahmed Ashour about her experiences in the United States over the past five months. 

Dr. Ashour discusses some of the fears and misconceptions she faced when she first arrived in the United States. And provides a comparison and contrast of cultural and religious factors influencing education and career advancement for women in the United States and Egypt.  

In addition, Dr. Ashour provides insight into the differences she sees in educational spaces and classrooms in the two countries and shares some of the methods she has learned and hopes to take back to her classrooms in Egypt. 

Join us as we hear from higher education officials from Grenada, St. Lucia and Suriname as we compare and contrast their community colleges and technical vocational education systems and compare them to U.S. community colleges. Our guests participated in a six week Community College Administrator Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and implemented by Florida State University and Santa Fe College.

Inspired by the story of William Wilberforce,  leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. after watching the movie "Amazing Grace", Santa Fe College Professor Richard Tovar embarks upon a quest to make an impact on the world and live for something greater than himself.  More than a decade later, Tovar sits down to talk about the global problem of human trafficking and recalls the early days of founding the non-profit organization FIGHT (Fight Injustice and Global Human Trafficking).  His conversation touches upon how human trafficking while a global problem, has very real local impacts and discusses some of the societal stereotypes, cultural acceptance and legal frameworks..

On January 20, 2022 the Santa Fe College Institute of Public Safety is hosting Human Trafficking Awareness Training (HTAT) aimed at training federal, state, local, tribal or military law enforcement officers or agents.  The training will cover current indicators for human trafficking, an overview of Federal statutes and applicable state law related to trafficking. The training is oriented with case studies, videos, and student-centered learning activities tailored to your community’s unique challenges, followed by a panel discussion with state, local, & federal subject matter experts. Law enforcement officials should register for the event here.

To listen to other podcasts from Santa Fe College visit www.sfcollege.edu/listen.

Florida ranks third in most human trafficking cases, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, behind only California and Texas.  To learn more about efforts you can take to increase awareness or learn more about human trafficking in North Central Florida visit the North Central Florida Human Trafficking Task Force Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/NCFHTTF/.

Additional resources:

•  U.S. Department of State: Fact Sheet - Understanding Human Trafficking 
• U.S. Department of State: 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report