PRESS RELEASE: MAY 3, 2024

SJR State celebrates spring graduates

After SJR State dual enrollment student Adyn Plumlee, 18, participated in an EMT ride-along, he said he fell in love with the fast-paced, everchanging environment of helping people every day – so much so, he enrolled in SJR State’s EMT program, in addition to working on his Associate in Arts degree and high school diploma. “As a Christian, I was also looking for a job where I could help people, and this job fits perfectly,” Plumlee said.

Plumlee looks forward to transferring to Columbia International University in South Carolina this fall to study disaster relief and emergency management. He plans to one day return to St. Augustine and work with local fire departments.

Plumlee is among the 150 dual enrollment and early college program graduates participating in the spring commencement on May 3. In total, 350 of the College’s 570 graduates participated in the ceremony held on the Orange Park Campus.

After serving 10 years of active duty for the U.S. Army, Amber Boyette, 32, juggled her Associate in Science degree in Radiologic Technology with raising two children. “It has not been easy, but it has absolutely been worth it,” Boyette said. “I learned that through repetition, consistency, and grit, I can achieve anything I set my mind to.”

Boyette said she initially chose the program because of her fascination with the skeletal system and the new technology used with digital imaging. “However, I fell in love with the field during clinicals, where I found being a part of a patient’s health care experience truly meaningful,” Boyette said. “Although I may only see them for a brief period of time, I strive to treat each and every patient with the utmost compassion, dignity, and respect.”

Boyette completed the program at the top of her class. She said she ultimately would like to expand her career into MRI or as a clinical preceptor for the future generations of students to come.

After a 30-year journey that spanned several schools and states, Esmeralda Evans graduates with her Associate in Arts degree. Esmeralda balanced work and family responsibilities with her classes, all while struggling with a learning disability. She also volunteers to aid others to learn English as a second language. Today’s milestone puts this 51-year-old mother of three one step closer to her dream of creating a classroom of her own. That is what brought her to SJR State.

SJR State mathematics professor Thomas Flanagan said Evans devoted herself to success while at SJR State, utilizing office hours and the college’s tutoring services, forming study groups, and ultimately earning an A in the subject she feared the most – math!

Born with a rare and life-threatening condition that impairs auto functions such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure, Cassidy Chergi, a homeschooled, dual enrollment student is earning her AA degree.

According to her physics professor, Ransom Hicks, Chergi is always positive – never indulging in self-pity. She sees hardship as something to overcome, not complain about, despite suffering from multiple strokes and surgeries. Cassidy will continue her education this fall at either UCF or UF as an architecture major - and she is doing this at the age of 14.

During the ceremony, Anthony Fiore, 18, of Green Cove Springs, was presented with the Valedictorian Award. The award is given based on grade point average and difficulty of courses.

A portion of the ceremony was dedicated to the Paul “Dee” Causey President’s Award. Each year, the award honors the memory of an SJR State alumnus whom Pickens described as not only his mentor, but a fearless athlete, dedicated family man and successful businessman. “Dee Causey loved the underdog, and he loved nothing more than helping the underdog succeed,” Pickens said.

This year, Pickens presented the award to Za’Mahya Threadgill, a dual enrollment student from Nease High School. Nominated by St. Augustine Campus commander Tom Tipton, “Za’Mahya sets the ultimate example of what every student should strive to be. Despite moving from Texas to Florida and leaving her comfort zone at a 16, working full time as a student, she exemplifies and sets the blueprint on what every young person should endeavor to be,” Tipton wrote.

Threadgill will return to SJR State in the fall to begin the new bachelor’s degree program in Criminal Justice Applied Intelligence Studies, and to begin her term as the Student Government Association’s president on the St. Augustine Campus. Threadgill’s ultimate goal is to become an FBI agent.

When Shannon Jacobsen, 43, applied to SJR State to earn her Associate in Arts degree, she admits to being a little apprehensive. Returning to school some 20 years later - with an autoimmune disease - would certainly test her limits. But despite her disability, Shannon felt that her time had been wasted and she believed that she had more to offer. “I learned that no matter your age, no matter your limitations, you can do anything you set your mind to as long as you are willing to work for it,” Shannon said.

Attending SJR State with her daughter, Erin, would prove to be an encouraging experience – they bonded over finding the best professors and classes to take, mastering Google Docs, and an occasional lunch together in the Viking Center.

When Shannon first told Erin they would be walking together at graduation, she said she couldn't help but feel worried her daughter might be embarrassed. “I also didn't want to stifle her big moment, so I offered to delay my own graduation until the next ceremony, but she reassured me that it was not a problem and that she would be honored to share this special milestone with me,” Shannon said. “Her father and I are incredibly proud of our daughter and all the hard work she has put in over the years. She is a true overachiever and has consistently given her best effort in everything she does. We couldn't be more delighted with her accomplishments and the person she has become.”

Erin said it was a privilege to graduate with her mom. “It's really cool and exciting to share this moment with my mom. It's not an experience that happens very often, and to be able to share a huge moment in both of our lives is truly special,” Erin said. “I'm very proud of my mom, she's never had it easy, and watching her juggle a household and push through her disabilities, all while doing amazing in her classes is so inspiring to see - and she killed it! (with a 3.9 GPA).”

Shannon plans to continue her education at SJR State with the goal to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner. “I have always been interested in psychiatry due to watching my mother struggle with the effects of her bipolar disorder,” Shannon said. “I want to help children who are struggling with mental health and give them hope that things can and will get better with the right kind of help.”

Erin will continue her education at the University of Florida this fall to study criminology.

State Representative Tom Leek was the commencement speaker. Leek currently serves District 28. He is the Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President of Foundation Risk Partners, Corp., a national insurance brokerage.

Photos from graduation can be found on the SJR State flickr page.

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