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Top of the class

Newsmakers

By Times Staff Writer
Published February 24, 2005

PROVOST CHAIRING STATEWIDE COMMITTEE: Torri Lilly, provost of the Citrus County campus of Central Florida Community College, is chairing a statewide committee on Workforce Education and Community Resource Development, which is part of the statewide Community College Strategic Planning Task Force.

The task force is developing a five-year plan for community colleges that is built upon changes in governance, as well as ongoing cultural, socioeconomic and technological dynamics.

The plan will support K-20 Strategic Goals and Imperatives and provide direction for community colleges.

Lilly is the former dean of workforce development at Florida Community College at Jacksonville.

STUDENTS OF THE MONTH: Citrus High School and the Rotary Club of Inverness announce the Rotary Seniors of the Month for January: Michelle Wildey and William Parker.

Wildey has been a member of the Beta Club in 11th and 12th grades, Spanish Club in 11th grade, and the National Honor Society from grades 10 through 12.

She worked as the cinematographer for the National Honor Society Variety Show in 11th grade. She has been a member of the Art Club for three years and received an honorable mention in "Pen and Ink Drawing" at the Inverness Art Show on the Square in 10th grade.

Wildey's art also appeared at the Florida State Fair and at several other local art shows. She produced a design that was chosen as a mural for a Withlacoochee State Trail building.

Wildey is enrolled in an advanced placement art course and has earned 15 dual-enrollment college credits, four semesters of drafting, four semesters of technology classes, and the maximum number of art classes at Citrus High.

Wildey's hobbies include art, reading and Web designing. She plans to attend Central Florida Community College, then transfer to a state university to pursue an art degree. Wildey has a weighted 4.24 GPA and is the daughter of Sara Roberts and James Wildey of Inverness.

Parker has been active in football for three years, playing at the junior varsity level in 10th and 11th grades and varsity in 12th grade.

He has been a four-year basketball player, playing junior varsity in ninth and 10th grades and then varsity. In ninth and 10th grades Parker was on the weightlifting team and has been on the track team for the past two seasons.

Parker has been in Key Club the past two years; Future Business Leaders of America for two years, serving as its parliamentarian this year; Beta Club for two years; the Fellowship of Christian Athletes this year; and the National Honor Society this year.

In 10th grade, Parker was on the Whirlwind newspaper staff and the Academic Team. He also was on the homecoming court this year.

Parker has taken many honors classes and will graduate with seven college credits through dual-enrollment coursework. He was recently honored by the faculty as a member of the 2005 CHS Hall of Fame.

Parker has worked part time at Wendy's and is an active member of the Hernando Church of the Nazarene, where he plays the drums in the praise and worship band. He traveled to the Bahamas as part of a missionary trip last summer.

Parker plans to attend the University of Central Florida in Orlando and pursue an accounting degree, with plans of becoming a certified public accountant and owning his own firm. He has a 3.9833 weighted GPA and is the son of Sharon Parker of Floral City.

NURSING PROGRAM RECOGNIZED: Central Florida Community College's associate degree in nursing program is ranked first in the state for passage of the National Council Licensure Examination-RN. The practical nursing program is ranked seventh for passage of the NCLEX-PN.

CFCC was top among the state's 43 registered nursing programs because its graduates boast a 97 percent passing rate on the first try of the RN licensing exam. The Florida average is 87 percent; the national average is 89 percent. The pass rate for practical nursing program graduates is 96.9 percent.

Gwen Alcorn, associate dean of nursing, said exam pass rates are a program benchmark for quality. CFCC is one of 19 community colleges in Florida accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.

Located on the Ocala campus, the associate degree in nursing program serves 180 students.

[Last modified February 24, 2005, 00:54:17]