Convocation 2026: 60 Years of ‘High-Fives’
August 17, 2026
The 2026 Santa Fe College Convocation kicked off Friday, August 14, with a performance of the final scene of ‘Dirty Dancing’ by students in SF’s Fine Arts and Entertainment Technology program — a show that left the SF community feeling like “nobody puts baby in the corner,” bringing together all Saints to fellowship, celebrate excellence and reflect on their shared mission.
SF President Paul Broadie II handed out his patented ‘High-Fives’ to the entire theatrical cast, illustrating the core value that SF is, first and last, about students, with faculty, staff, administration, alumni and current students presenting the many ways their institution makes them feel like “they’ve had the time of their lives.”
Broadie told the crowd, “I don’t know if you listened to the lyrics, but they were speaking to you,” recounting conversations with students who ask him regularly to do things like create master’s degree programs. “When I ask them why, they say it’s because they don’t want to leave — ‘I love Santa Fe.’
“This year is especially meaningful as we celebrate 60 years. Sixty years of impact and transforming lives. For six decades, we’ve strengthened families, fueled the economy, created opportunities, and served as an engine for the communities of Alachua and Bradford Counties. Give yourselves a hand.”
Caridad “Carrie” Lee, chair of the SF District Board of Trustees, celebrated highlights over the past year, including the opening of the Ralph W. Cellon Jr. Institute for Skilled Trades and Advanced Manufacturing, the coming renovation of ‘M’ Building on the Northwest Campus, the groundbreaking for the Automotive Technology Training Center at Blount Center, and the construction of the Hitchcock Family Clubhouse that will give the Saints baseball and softball teams a place to dress in for games and allow them to build team camaraderie.
“We are on fire to deliver state-of-the-art opportunities for our students,” Lee said. “And you are the core of the success!”
Broadie recognized Dr. Naima Brown, VP for Student Affairs, for streamlining the process of student services in a way that “lets them focus on academics instead of enrollment.” Colin Benner, Director of the One-Stop Center, explained how the consolidation of admissions/financial aid/registrar functions in one location at the Center will help SF students get quickly acclimated to life and study on campus.
The president took a moment to acknowledge the College’s military veterans “who serve and enrich our institution,” and Broadie recognized SF’s student leaders, College Ambassadors and Student Government, which is headed by incoming SG President Isabelle Criollo, who presented her agenda to ‘create a greater sense of belonging among the student community.’
More food options on campus had been high on the wish list for students — and SF employees as well — which was granted with new food court tenants Latin Food Blessing, which will offer similar fare to the departed La Fortuna —with a Peruvian twist — and Lemon Delight, that specializes in boba teas, lemonades and specialty fruit juices, as well
as more fresh food options at the Blount Center, Institute for Public Safety, and the ‘O’ Building on the Northwest Campus.
As the first graduating class of the dual-enrollment charter high school, SF Academy of Science and Technology, enters their senior year, Broadie applauded their ‘A’ grade rating from the Florida Department of Education. “We didn’t cherry-pick students,” he said. “They come from all academic backgrounds, all walks of life.”
Owing to the College’s close relationship with area employers and work-based learning, Broadie celebrated SF’s inclusion in an institutional cohort — one of just six nationally — to serve as an innovative model of workforce-based learning opportunity for the evolving, AI-based economy. He told the Convocation crowd that SF accounts for more than $413 million in annual economic impact, according to a recent State of Florida study of its colleges, supporting 4,866 jobs in Alachua and Bradford Counties.
He announced future plans to transform the aging shopping center across 6th Street NW from the Blount Center Campus into the Santa Fe College Workforce Innovation Training Center, “to upskill and reskill today’s workforce.”
Broadie said the College’s efforts in finding innovative ways to deliver education “isn’t just about new buildings,” referencing the Mobile Classroom Initiative that will leverage a $1.57 million Workforce CAP grant to roll out state-of-the-art mobile teaching labs to bring access to college education to aspiring students in the rural communities SF serves.
Winners of the “You Are Santa Fe” Award this year were Andrea Mender, whose efforts as director of Grants Development cultivated $11 million in funding for the College, and Rhonda Morris, Associate Vice President for Strategic Planning Institutional and Effectiveness, whose leadership in the accreditation transition, data-driven practices, and advocacy for college-wide engagement has shepherded SF to tremendous success.
The annual “Impact Award” went to Nursing Programs — accepted by department Chair Tracy Ison — for its innovation, creativity and commitment to satisfying the growing demand for highly qualified health profession graduates.
Reinforcing the sentiment that SF provides an environment where employees had “the time of their lives,” Chief Human Resources Officer Lela Frye presented Years of Service awards for SF employees, including Professor Brian Fox (Business Technology), who was recognized for 30 years of service, and Curriculum Coordinator Korona Skipper, who started her tenure at SF 40 years ago.
