SARASOTA, Fla. — The inaugural New College Athletics Gala will be held Saturday, February 3, 2024, 5:30 p.m. at College Hall, 351 College Drive, Sarasota. New College added intercollegiate sports in 2023 and is preparing to enter the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the prestigious Sun Conference this fall. Funds raised at the Gala will support scholarships to allow New College to recruit top scholar-athletes from across America and internationally. Tickets cost $100 and are available online by visiting GoMightyBanyans.com.
“The addition of intercollegiate athletics has impacted New College in numerous ways, increasing enrollment, improving the vibrancy of student life, and emerging as a shared source of pride for students, faculty and staff,” said New College President Richard Corcoran. “Athletics will continue to play a vital role in fulfilling our vision to be the best liberal arts college in America.”
The evening’s setting is on the New College Bayfront, featuring majestic views of Sarasota Bay. Wear cocktail attire and prepare to enjoy a relaxed evening featuring casino-style games. Tickets include play money to be used at gaming tables throughout the night. Hors d’oeuvres will be served, and a cash bar will be available. Sponsorship opportunities for the event are still being offered.
New College began its athletics program with six teams in 2023-2024, including baseball, softball, men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s and women’s soccer. Next year the Mighty Banyans will compete in a dozen sports, with ambitious expansion plans for the next several years.
“The New College Athletics Gala is an important event for creating scholar-athlete scholarships that will allow our athletics program to continue its rapid growth,” said Mariano Jimenez, Jr., Vice President, Athletics and Recruitment.
For more information, email [email protected], call 941-487-4105, or visit GoMightyBanyans.com.
SARASOTA, Fla. — New College of Florida will host tours of the Ellen and Ralph Caples Estate, 351 Caples Drive, Sarasota, from February 5 — March 2, 2024, to kick off a Historic Preservation Campaign. The primary purpose of the campaign, which will be coordinated by Joyce and Jeff Hart in conjunction with the New College Foundation, is preservation, awareness and enhancement of all historic sites and building on the New College campus.
“The history surrounding New College’s most iconic buildings is a defining part of its identity and contributes to the bond between the College and the Sarasota community,” said New College President Richard Corcoran. “The Hart’s vigor for historic preservation and sharing their knowledge and love for these landmark structures is commendable, and these tours will be important for our ongoing efforts to preserve the significant pieces of history entrusted to us.”
The Mediterranean Revival style mansion was constructed in the 1920s and is part of the Caples-Ringling Estates Historic District in Sarasota. It still features many original construction and design elements, which were preserved during recent interior renovations. Ellen Caples gifted the mansion to New College in 1971. Ralph Caples was a friend and business associate of the Ringling Bros. and played a leading role in Sarasota’s development, including bringing the railroad to the area.
The Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation named the Caples Mansion on its Six to Save Program list of historic buildings in 2021 and continues to advocate for its preservation. Other historically significant structures on the campus include the Charles Ringling Mansion, Cook Hall, the Pei Dorms, Four Winds Café, and Robertson Hall.
Jeff and Joyce Hart own J. Hart Interior Design. Joyce currently sits on the City of Sarasota’s Historic Preservation Board and is a past board member of the Alliance for Historic Preservation.
“After more than a decade of requests, we are grateful to President Corcoran for granting us permission to open the mansion to the public,” Joyce and Jeff said. “As graduates of Ringling College of Art and Design, and along with 12 other local designers, we get to combine our passion for restoring and showcasing historic homes and bring the rooms of the historic mansion to life again.”
A Ribbon Cutting will take place on Sunday, February 4 from 3-5 p.m. Daily tours are available February 5th to March 2nd 10 a.m.-4 p.m., closed on Sundays. The admission fee is $25 with all proceeds of the tours benefitting the New College Historic Preservation Fund. Event sponsorships are also available. For more information, visit ncf.edu/alumni/caplestour, call 941-487-4800 or email [email protected].
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SARASOTA, Fla. — Today, First Lady Casey DeSantis was joined by Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) Director Taylor Hatch and New College of Florida President Richard Corcoran to recognize October as Disability Employment Awareness Month and highlight new job opportunities available through Hope Florida – A Pathway to Possibilities. Through this initiative, New College of Florida is providing employment opportunities for individuals with unique abilities, including positions at libraries and food-service locations on campus. As the first educational institution to partner with Hope Florida, New College announced scholarships specifically for Floridians served by Hope Florida, including Floridians with unique abilities.
“Two months ago, we announced that Hope Florida will now serve individuals with unique abilities,” said First Lady Casey DeSantis. “In that time, Hope Navigators have already begun serving more than 100 Floridians with unique abilities. Each family’s needs vary– from building paths towards economic self-sufficiency to creating deeper community connections. Ultimately, our success is helping these individuals meet their goals and God-given potential, and we are now able to offer not only employment but scholarship opportunities to Hope Florida participants.”
New College’s new Hope Florida scholarships include two full-tuition, room and board scholarships which will be awarded annually to two Hope Florida participants, as well as additional assistance opportunities, such as book stipends. Following the event, Chancellor of the State University System Ray Rodrigues and Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr. sent a letter to all Florida colleges and universities asking them to join these efforts. Click here to view the letter.
“New College of Florida is proud to partner with First Lady Casey DeSantis’ Hope Florida initiative through employment and educational opportunities,” said President of New College Richard Corcoran. “During Disability Employment Awareness Month, we are thrilled that this initiative connects us with Floridians served by Hope Florida including those with unique abilities who are looking for job opportunities and scholarship assistance.”
Ensuring there are employment opportunities for participants is a key component of Hope Florida. New College of Florida is partnering with the initiative to specifically provide jobs and educational scholarships for people with unique abilities and other Floridians served by Hope Florida. October is a key month for the developmental disability community and holds significant importance in raising awareness and promoting the employment and empowerment of individuals with these unique abilities.
“We are incredibly grateful to First Lady Casey DeSantis for her leadership and continued commitment to Floridians of all abilities, and for convening today’s event to celebrate and highlight the achievements of Floridians with unique abilities,” said Taylor Hatch, Director of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities. “Through the launch of First Lady Casey DeSantis’ Hope Florida – A Pathway to Possibilities, individuals with unique abilities and their caregivers are now bringing their talents and passion to their local community through volunteerism and greater community involvement.”
Hope Florida – A Pathway to Possibilities, led by the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, utilizes Hope Navigators to serve as a connector for individuals with unique abilities to local-community-based providers including nonprofits, faith-based organizations, peer supports and private sector business partners.
As a part of the event, First Lady DeSantis also recognized Aladdin Equipment Company, Inc. as an Exceptional Employer for their continued commitment to employing this population.
“On behalf of myself and Aladdin, we are beyond grateful to receive this award,” said Carrie Collins, the Owner and Vice President of Aladdin Equipment Company. “Hiring people with unique abilities has been a special part of Aladdin for decades because the pursuit to maintain manufacturing in the United States is our goal. Recently, working with The Haven Academy students has set the standard for Aladdin and we hope other businesses in our area. Providing opportunities for employment to these amazing individuals is important to us because they bring unique perspectives, talents and strengths to our business. We hope that in receiving this award other businesses will recognize the value in hiring such incredible individuals and will follow suit.”
“Florida recognizes that each and every one of us is a gift, and we work to ensure that every Floridian can thrive in the Sunshine State,” said State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo. “Thankfully, under the leadership of Governor and First Lady DeSantis, Florida continues to promote awareness and honor the lives of individuals with special needs and disabilities.”
Hope Florida, created by First Lady Casey DeSantis and implemented by a number of state agencies, was first launched in 2021. Since its inception, the initiative has served more than 74,000 people, helping over 8,500 Hope Florida participants to reduce or eliminate reliance on public assistance to meet food or cash needs. Over a 10-year period, participant reduction of public assistance will save taxpayers almost $190 million.
SARASOTA, Fla. — New College of Florida (NCF) will celebrate its 44th annual Clambake fundraising event Soiree on the Bay, hosted by the New College of Florida Foundation on Thursday, November 2, at 6 p.m. Local philanthropists Elizabeth Moore and Don Patterson are co-chairing the event. Held on NCF’s scenic bayfront campus in Sarasota, the Clambake will raise money to support three new master’s degree programs slated to launch in 2024.
Moore has been a civic activist notably in environmental initiatives such as Mote Marine Aquarium and Research, Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, Lemur Conservation Foundation, Tree Foundation, Southface Institute, Climate Adaptation Center, Gulf Shellfish Institute and, recently, Roger Williams College President’s Taskforce on the Blue Economy. She owns Triangle Ranch in Myakka, Florida, and is also a member of the Manatee County Cattlemen’s Association. In addition to hosting many community events at her ranch, she also runs an Airbnb to showcase her “Florida Cracker” cottages and land conservation initiative. In 2021, Elizabeth was featured as “The Woman Who Wants to Save Florida” in Sarasota Magazine. An avid tennis fan, Moore is the title sponsor of the Elizabeth Moore Sarasota Open.
Patterson spent 40 years in the communications industry, culminating in his role as co-founder and CEO of Ascend Wireless Networks, taking the business from startup to acquisition by a private equity firm in less than 10 years. Passionate about helping the underserved, Don has held numerous high-level roles with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Suncoast. He led the creation of “Stay Safe” in partnership with the Salvation Army, an initiative that serves as an emergency alternative for women victims of abuse as a result of being homeless. He was invited to attend the first conference by the Department of Justice to address the emerging Human Trafficking crisis, and “Stay Safe” continues to work in Sarasota to this day. As a community leader, he funded the creation of the “Thursday Night Market” in the Rosemary District, reviving traffic flow to businesses in the area post-pandemic. He is also an accomplished Marathoner and Ironman.
“Don and Elizabeth are pillars of the community and wonderful friends of New College and our Foundation, and I know we can expect to celebrate our most successful Clambake yet,” said Richard Corcoran, interim president of New College.
NCF recently revealed plans to add three new master’s degree programs, including the nation’s first Master’s of Marine Mammal Science. This new research-intensive program will be complemented by the establishment of the Florida Institute of Marine Mammal Science (FIMMS). Additionally, NCF will establish programs to offer a Master’s of Environmental Economics and a Master’s of Educational Leadership. Funds raised will support the necessary financial aid for student recruitment, faculty hiring, and facility improvements that will launch these programs successfully.
Event sponsorships are now available. For more information, visit ncf.edu/clambake, call 941-487-4800 or email [email protected].
During his senior year of high school, he and his family saw an issue of Money magazine which listed New College as a “best buy” institution. “There were several things I liked,” Matthew says. “The idea of the contract system, narrative evaluations and less focus on core curriculum and more focus on mastery of subject matter.” He adds with a chuckle: “My parents were focused on the ‘best buy’ part!”
His AOC was literature. Matthew credits his time at New College as the perfect training for his future career as a lawyer. He says, “I think you can draw a straight line from the training in good persuasive writing that I received as an undergraduate at New College to the grades I got on my law school exams a few years later. There’s very little that allows you to jump out in front of the pack as a law student and a lawyer than the ability to write, and New College is very good at helping good writers to become great writers and struggling writers to become good writers.” After New College, Matthew graduated from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Today, he practices law in the New York City area.
Matthew enjoyed the open and curious environment at New College. His fellow students were the kind of people he always longed to be around. “Intelligent, curious, interested in learning for its own sake. I often think about how lucky we were to have that experience.”
When Matthew refers to his education at New College, others are often astonished that there is a public college with the model that New College has. He says, “It’s not for everyone. But for the kind of person that New College it is right for, like myself, there’s hardly anything like it. Especially as a public school as opposed to an expensive private school. It’s worth having it in the world for those for whom it is the right thing.”
Matthew has been a supporter of the college for over 20 years. He has a message to his fellow alums: “Remember what New College meant to you while you were there. Remember how special it was and how rare it was. When you give money to New College, you are funding something that is not easy to find anywhere else. New College is unique among colleges in a way that few institutions are unique among their peers.”
Altom says, ”New College is a secret ingredient in what makes Sarasota so wonderful, as it brings amazing students from around the world to Sarasota to live and learn. Many students stay after college or return. And this has been going on since 1960!”
The couple is a perfect example of that. They met during their undergraduate work at New College, earned their law degrees from University of Florida, and eventually returned to Sarasota and opened their law firm, mctlaw. The firm conducts complex litigation nationwide with offices in Sarasota, Washington, D.C. and Seattle.
Jennifer points to her experience at New College as being a boost to her education at law school. “When the professor called on me using the Socratic Method, there wasn’t the absolute terror that other people experienced who had never been called on. I was used to discussing things out loud in class, to people challenging my ideas.” She also found it curious that her fellow law school students would raise their hands and ask if a subject was going to be on an exam. “I was educated in a place that valued the education of the subject more than checking boxes on an exam,” she says.
Jennifer proudly volunteers on the scholarship committee of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. When she speaks to local parents, Jennifer makes it a point to share her experience at New College. “I talk about what a great education it would be for their children. The size, engagement with the professors and the nurturing nature of the professors. I also share the notion that they are invested in the students and really care about what they learn.”
Both Alton and Jennifer serve on the New College Foundation’s annual Clambake event committee. Prior to the event each year, Altom, along with fellow alum Charlie Lenger (’78), meet with students who will be attending to explain what to expect and their role. They suggest all alums should come back to campus and meet with current students. Jennifer says, “Every time we talk to a student, we get excited, their stories are so amazing. There are so many things they are interested in and pursuing. Why wouldn’t everyone want to give that future a chance?”
Altom hopes fellow alums will continue to support the college. “New College is an incredibly important part of who we are. As a student, New College helped form us into the people we are today. As an alum, we are forever part of the New College community. Participate and move New College forward.”
The Charter Class era alum is a Professor and Distinguished Research Scholar in psychology and neuroscience at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech. Sharon describes her life’s work as being a “perpetual student.” She has been highly productive and earned numerous major honors, written more than 250 scientific articles and 8 books, and led many large interdisciplinary research centers focused on child development at the University of Washington, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), and Georgetown University. She credits New College as “the major educational force” in shaping her life and her ability to contribute to understanding the factors that promote positive human development.
Sharon loves students who are self-starters. She tries to spread the idea that each student is responsible for his or her own education, a concept she learned during her time at New College. “The essence of New College was academic freedom, charting my own course of study, and having close relationships with professors. I felt like I was going to go study with Socrates and Plato! That freedom really spoke to me.”
Sharon describes herself as a non-conformist who took on the Missouri State legislature in high school challenging a ruling that students couldn’t teach their own class to themselves. “That’s ridiculous to have a law or legislation prohibiting this. We always are teaching ourselves and learning from other students. I presented a proposal that a group of students could teach a course to ourselves, earn full credit, and grade ourselves. They still said we couldn’t be in a room without an adult. So, my high school principal let us meet in his adjoining conference room and we left the door open! It was amazing and the perfect preparation for a New College education.”
Sharon now serves on the board of the New College Foundation. This is her second Foundation Board service. “I loved my time at New College. If we had a good idea and we could make a case for why it was important for our own education, the faculty always encouraged us. They allowed me to go to major scientific meetings, study with faculty elsewhere (in Boston and Mexico City), and pursue opportunities for research and publication on children’s creativity. They treated us like graduate students – actually, like we were peers – even when we were only 17 or 18!”
She, and her husband Craig Ramey now live in Sarasota and she conducts her research remotely. “I always say we moved here because of New College first, followed by Sarasota’s vibrant culture and natural beauty. New College is not only Florida’s Honors College, it is a unique college in our nation. It has been an innovator, a real haven for students for whom a conventional education would just be more of the same. What New College offers is an environment where students truly co-determine and shape their own educational outcomes.”
Their daughter, Ann Dwyer Andre (’87) was also one of those students. Her New College education in biology led to her work today in the field of biomedical research, working on new pharmacological interventions to improve health, including a potential major breakthrough in the prevention of type 1 diabetes.
Sharon is a proud member of New College’s Four Winds Society. When asked why she has named New College in her estate plan, she says, “because there might be someone like my daughter or like me, who needs a place like New College. We’re small, we’re not going to change the world, but we might change the lives of the students who come here, so I just want this special place to exist forever and ever.”