Over the course of four days, Art Center Sarasota’s west side was transformed into a beautiful mural that will stay for two years. This project allowed students from the Boys and Girls Club to take part in designing Sarasota. Through this, they developed a stronger connection to their community and learned valuable skills. 

Art Center of Sarasota explained that the goals of this project included teaching the students problem solving, communication, teamwork, and spatial reasoning. Both organizations connect to the youth in their areas and inspire them to pursue their passions and prepare them for a successful future. 

Annie Dong and Dawn Stanhope, Boys and Girls Club President

Their search for the perfect muralist led them to Annie Dong, who was dedicated to creating a beautiful addition for Sarasota — an opportunity she had dreamed of — while encouraging the young artists in our community. Annie is currently an art and psychology student at New College of Florida. She is working towards a career in art therapy and has prior experience with murals. 

Her goals for the mural project were to help the students bond as a respectful and communicative team that could have fun together. She looked back fondly at the discovery that basketball — not art — was the group’s main passion because of how talented they were, and she had the opportunity to express that art was born from unrestricted creativity that can take several forms. 

“I learned that in their free time, they have fun writing music and poetry,” Annie remarked. “I acknowledge to them that art is more than just painting or drawing. Art exceeds that because you are allowing your creativity to flow. That is what makes it art — the power to be able to create. That put smiles on their faces, and that was for sure one of many of my favorite moments.” 

Art Center Sarasota’s completed mural

When asked about what inspired the theme of the mural, Annie described how the location of Art Center Sarasota was the main consideration. The development of the Bay has showcased Sarasota’s nature scene and has become a popular place to spend time. Because the mural is seen from the Mangrove Path, it was designed to fit into the Bay’s natural theme. It depicts waves and florals that fit the location perfectly. The color palette was based on Annie’s previous murals and the Boy and Girls Club logo. 

The ribbon cutting was held on January 19th, where Art Center Sarasota and the Boys and Girls Club introduced the mural to the city’s residents. Annie and the students were celebrated for their hard work with ice cream, photoshoots, and a small party afterwards. This was the perfect addition to our Sarasota community. 

Devon Geary is a student contributor to the New College News.

Photos by Remy Katz.

The Quad Fellowship supports Master’s and Ph.D. students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) – 25 from each of the four countries. This first-of-its-kind scholarship program is designed to build ties among the next generation of scientists and technologists.

Joshua earned his bachelor’s degree in statistics and applied mathematics, and is now enrolled in New College’s Applied Data Science graduate program, with his main research interest in astrostatistics, a crossover between astrophysics and statistics.

Each Quad Fellow will receive a one-time award of $50,000, plus $25,000 in additional support. This can be used for tuition, research, fees, books, room and board, and other related academic expenses. In addition, all 100 of those chosen will continue their studies in the United States and will participate in an international STEM residential program in Melbourne, Australia in the summer of 2023.

“Each of these students has demonstrated their commitment to advancing innovation and collaboration among our four great democracies and an enthusiasm for building a better tomorrow for the Indo-Pacific and the world,” said National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, in announcing the awards.

Locally Grown

Joshua is a native Floridian, was born and raised in the Sarasota-Bradenton area, and attended Bradenton Christian School. “I come from a lower-middle-class family that really sacrificed a lot so I could have a private education. I am also a first-generation college student, and worked to put myself through school.  I selected New College, where I could get a high-quality, affordable education and still be close to home,” he said.

“As a teenager, I became interested in very existential questions and popular science. I remember watching Cosmos with astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson in ninth or tenth grade, and that sparked my interest in astronomy. Never, though, did I envision that I would one day be doing research in astronomy and statistics until I came to New College,” Joshua said.

Before the Quad Fellowship: New College Life

“My first year at New College I stumbled around, trying to figure out what I wanted to study. I started off with an interest in economics, but then I started taking some statistics and data science courses, and everything started to change,” he said.

In the fall of 2020, Josh was selected as a Barancik Scholar, receiving a scholarship funded by a grant from the Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation that provides support for students from the Sarasota-Manatee area with financial need. Not only did it help with his tuition, but also expenses related to his conference presentations.

Joshua’s statistics professor, undergraduate advisor, thesis supervisor and now interim director of the Applied Data Science graduate program is Dr. Bernhard Klingenberg.

“I got to know Josh about 3 ½ years ago, when he took his first course with me,” said Klingenberg, who recommended Joshua for a summer internship at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. “It was an amazing opportunity,” Klingenberg said. “When he first studied with me, he had not even thought about becoming a statistician. He was more interested in economics and was thinking of going into big finance – perhaps leading to a job on Wall Street. He came back from the Harvard internship infected with the research bug, and using statistics as the basis for his research.”

From Harvard to NASA

“Joshua has tremendous initiative and drive, and has always found exciting opportunities for himself,” Dr. Klingenberg said.

“In my second year, I began looking for an internship,” Joshua said. “Dr. Klingenberg told me about REUs (research experiences for undergraduates). I looked around and I came across a program at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. I reached out to the program coordinator, Dr. Katharine Reeves, who encouraged me to apply. A few months later, I opened up my email and saw I had been accepted. That was the moment that changed my life,” he said. 

This was during the first year of Covid, so it was offered online. Joshua was assigned several mentors and was put on a statistically heavy project – on solar flares. “It was a really great experience. I learned about research, and how academia works,” Joshua said. “Since that summer I have continued working with that same research team for about 2 ½ years now. The project has grown and changed considerably from when we first started. We are now working on papers that will be submitted to journals, and I continue to work at the Center for Astrophysics part-time.”

This past summer Joshua attended a conference at the Center for Astrophysics. He was able to visit the Harvard campus and the astrophysics center and got to meet the mentors and colleagues that he had been working with virtually. “This experience is what got me into the field of astrostatistics, and is also where the idea for my thesis was born,” Joshua said.

His thesis, titled “Statistical Modeling of Solar Flare Occurrences and Their Energy Distributions” turned into a year-long project analyzing solar flares, then utilizing statistical models to better understand the data that had been collected. 

The summer of 2021 Joshua applied for more internships. NASA hired Joshua as a STEM intern with the Hubble Communications Team. “It was great. They had social media data from all of the Hubble outreach accounts – Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and others – for the past several years, and I analyzed that data,” Joshua explained. “I worked with my mentor, Jim Jeletic, who is the deputy project manager for the Hubble Space Telescope mission. He was a wonderful mentor and it was an invaluable internship,” Joshua said.

Working with the Stars 

One of Joshua’s favorite sayings is, “You don’t know if you don’t ask.” Joshua told Jim he was really interested in STEM research and asked if he knew anyone at NASA Goddard who might have a project on which he could work. “He connected me with Dr. Gioia Rau and Dr. Kenneth Carpenter.

“I ended up working on a project studying the chromospheres of cool, evolved stars.” I have been using Hubble Space Telescope data looking at the outer atmospheres of these stars. I worked part-time at the Exoplanets and StellarAstrophysics Lab at NASA Goddard from the fall of 2021 through spring of 2022. In the summer of 2022, I continued that work on stellar atmospheres with NASA Goddard, and was able to visit the center and work there for a bit. I am currently finishing up my research with Dr. Rau and Dr. Carpenter, and writing a paper on my research.

“I learned so much about STEM research, public outreach and scientific communication – and the impact that science and research can have on society,” Joshua said of his internships. 

The Quad Fellowship

Meanwhile, late last spring, a new fellowship crossed the desk of Duane Smith, who works in the New College office of Career Engagement and Opportunity.

“I knew Josh from working with him before on other applications,” Smith said. “So, when I learned about the Quad Fellowship, and what the Quad Fellowship was looking for – individuals who will use science to have a positive impact on society – I sent him the information, thinking that it would be a good fit.”

Smith adds that the monetary award is there to support their education, but the fellowship is designed to facilitate the interaction between those who will be the next generation of leaders in their particular disciplines. “It will also give these students an international perspective that will be crucial to their success in 21st century technology. Building these connections will impact the entirety of Joshua’s career,” Smith said.

“Joshua is certainly well-deserving of this fellowship,” Smith added. “When we get up into this airy region of highly prestigious awards, it is intensely competitive. I am just really happy for him.”

“This is the type of fellowship that can change my life and career,” Joshua said. “As a first-generation student from a relatively small town, who has never been out of the country before, the Quad Fellowship presents a tremendous opportunity. Being exposed to these different cultures will change my life on a personal level. And professionally, it will undoubtedly change the trajectory of my life, just like the REU did.

“I may not yet know all the ways in which things will change. I’ll know that as I move through the program. But I do know it is going to change my life.”

Joshua will be graduating with his master’s degree at the end of the summer of 2023. He has applied to Ph.D. programs around the country, including Carnegie Mellon and Harvard.

Asked about Joshua’s future, Klingenberg said, “I think Joshua will land in a very good Ph.D. program in statistics. I certainly see him becoming an active contributor to our sciences, answering important questions in whatever area he chooses. He may stay in astrophysics, or that may change as he continues his education.”

Klingenberg added that Joshua is a phenomenal networker. “It is amazing how he brings people together. For example, Joshua co-founded an astronomy club here at the college, and organized star-watching events on our bayfront. He is very gifted at networking, and certainly the connections he has made at Harvard and at NASA and through the Quad Fellowship will open doors for him in the future.”

Gayle Guynup is a contributor to the New College News.

It is a series of fortunate events in his life, what he calls “falling forward,” that led him on this path to Amazon.

Finding His Way to New College

Philip, a native Floridian, says he grew up here but never knew about New College. “I am 27 years old, and a non-traditional college student,” he said. Philip had spent two years studying pre-med at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, when he learned that there was this really good school right here in his hometown.

When his grandmother developed cancer, Philip left UCF to help his mother care for her. “When I left school, it gave me time to really focus on what direction I wanted to take. I figured out I wanted to go into computer science. I applied to New College because it was a small, very highly regarded school. Plus, I had met a few New College students at Ringling Underground, and they were so passionate about the school, it was infectious. That passion is what really spurred me to come to New College,” he said.

A Major Decision: Computer Science

Switching from pre-med to computer science was a total 180. Growing up, Philip had always enjoyed playing with Legos, and loved building things. “I think it’s a really interesting skill to have something in your mind, and then physically or digitally create it so that other people can interact with it,” he said. “That’s what led me to computer science.”

“As I was starting out, I didn’t see myself working for a large company, so I naturally gravitated towards research. My TA (Teaching Assistant) at the time, Courtney Miller, mentioned a research experience for undergrads (REU) that she thought might be a good fit for me,” Philip said. “At the time, I was looking for ways to get ahead since I had come to New College late, and was about two years behind most of the students in terms of coursework.

“Courtney was an alumni of Carnegie Mellon University’s REUSE (Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Software Engineering) program. Based on all the things she had said to me about REUSE, I decided to apply and managed to get in. I am so thankful for her,” he said. “I spent the summer of 2021 in Pittsburgh doing research under my mentors Christian Kästner and Bogdan Vasilescu for three months. It really helped me build confidence in myself.” While he enjoyed the research he was doing in the field of open-source software, he also came to realize that might not be the direction for him.

In an attempt to find better direction, Philip applied and got accepted into Google’s CS Research Mentorship Program (CSRMP), where he was paired with two students from other schools and a Google engineer, Wei Huang. Wei encouraged him to diversify his experiences and give the industry a try. Later that year, Philip applied to a couple of companies, but found he was totally unprepared. “I made it to the final round of interviews with both Google and TikTok, but did not make it any further, so I did not get an internship for my junior to senior year.”

Last December Philip wrote a student research paper that was accepted at the International Conference on Software Engineering 2022 (ICSE) Student Research Competition (SRC) track about his work during the REU. The conference was held in Pittsburgh, very near Carnegie Mellon. “It was so nerve-wracking, but it gave me the opportunity to learn and network with people working in both the industry and academia.” He was hanging out with a friend during a poster session when some engineers from Amazon came by to talk to them, which planted the seed about possibly working for them someday.

Assistance from the CEO

With no internship for the summer, Philip decided to visit the Career Engagement & Opportunity (CEO) office, and they helped him with his resume, which, he said, was a mess. “It read more like a novel than a resume. No recruiter was going to enjoy reading this when they had hundreds of other things on their desk. The CEO helped me transform it into a one-page, clear, concise resume. I truly believe the people at Amazon would still be reading my resume today, if the CEO hadn’t helped me with that,” Philip said.

Dwayne Peterson, Executive Director of Career Education, also helped Philip with his interview skills. “Tech interviews are strange in that they are hour-long conversations in which they give you a problem which you have to solve,” Philip said. “It’s really tough. I learned that when I get nervous, I either stop talking or talk really fast. Dwayne had us do interviews for our classes, and I really improved. My professors also helped me practice virtual interviews and Professors Lepinski and Roy were especially helpful with my interview prep,” he said.

“Philip’s story exemplifies New College’s innovative approach in integrating career education into the academic program,” said Peterson. His successful outcome shows what can happen when career education is embedded into courses, as opposed to offering stand-alone, preferential career services.”

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Philip began applying for new graduate jobs in July of this year and applied to Amazon in early August. He made it through their online assessments, then in mid-September, he had his virtual final-round interview. “I was scared to death,” he said, “but I was prepared.” They told him it would be one to two weeks before a decision was made. He heard nothing. And then Sarasota was hit by Hurricane Ian and Philip’s family was without power for a week. His phone was dead for most of that time.

“One day, I was in the Lowe’s parking lot, feeding off their Wi-Fi, and I saw that I had an email. This was four or five days after the hurricane. It was from Amazon, offering me a job. I screamed, then I started crying. It was so emotional. Our home had been damaged during the storm, so I was pretty stressed about that. And then, there it was…the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.

He is still not sure what type of work he will be doing for Amazon, since they don’t tell new employees until a month before they start, but he does know that he will be working in Denver. He is an avid climber (Philip founded and is head of the climbing club at New College), which makes Denver ideal.

“I do have an idea of what I might be doing, though I am certainly not sure,” he said. Based on the background of the person who sent his acceptance letter, he believes he might be working with satellites. Amazon has ground stations around the world from where they can send and receive satellite data. “We’ll have to wait and see,” he said.

Philip admits that learning about the job was a little bittersweet. “My grandmother, who passed earlier this year, was the one who really pushed for me to continue my education. It was really rough knowing that I wouldn’t be able to share my news with her. Wherever she may be, I’m sure she is proud of me,” he said.

Philip says he is really thankful for his experience at New College. “The faculty at New College is beyond great. At other schools I have been in classes with 200-300 students, but at New College I think my biggest computer science class had no more than 15 students. That is how I have been able to develop these important relationships with my professors and my peers,” he said, and without their help, and the help of the CEO, my future might look very different,” he said.

Gayle Guynup is a contributor to New College News.

The documentary chronicles the controversy over a 1936 mural depicting violence against Native Americans in a San Francisco high school. The mural is supposed to be a critique of violence, but, as Jessica Young remarks, any kind of depiction can preserve the original act of violence.

“The definition of trauma is that it is a repetition,” said Young, whose scholarship focuses on memory in the literature of genocide. “Sometimes [it’s] the outright repetition of the violent event itself, sometimes it’s the way we see something again and again in our mind’s eye.”

Read the full NPR article here and watch the trailer below:

Airing November 10, 2022, at 8:00 pm, WEDU PBS broadcast a new Public Square episode on climate change. The program explores how society can fight the impacts of climate change in West Central Florida.

5th Year Physics and Environmental Studies student Antonia Ginsberg-Klemmt is the Founder and President of Solar on Wheels: GismoPower, a mobile solar charging carport. The invention began as an Independent Study Project (ISP) at New College, and has since won impressive awards in the US Department of Energy’s  American-Made Solar Prize Contest.

Since graduating in 2017, Orion Morton founded Florida Rewilding Collective, LLC, an environmental consulting organization focused on connecting fragmented landscapes to the greater ecosystem. While at New College, Morton was instrumental in the creation of the campus Food Forest. 

Watch the full program Public Square: Climate Change

Dwayne Peterson, the executive director of the Center for Career Engagement and Opportunity (CEO), discussed how New College faculty members are collaborating with career educators to integrate career preparation and development into the classroom. It is an approach that scales foundational career skills and prepares all students for the rapidly changing job market.

“We can no longer rely on a peripheral and optional career services delivery model if we want to ensure the successful transition of all students into careers at graduation,” Peterson said. “Academics alone are also not the solution, as employers are expecting students to understand and demonstrate their skills outside of the classroom. So, to meet this expectation, students need intentional training and support to build skills and learn to communicate those skills effectively.”

The only way to ensure that every student receives the training and support they need to be career-ready is to “embrace career education as a learning outcome of the entire academic experience,” Peterson said.

The Chronicle, published since 1966, is the leading source of news, information and jobs for college and university faculty members and administrators. The New Pathways report examined the pressing challenges that higher education institutions face, specifically “a shifting recruitment landscape, the rise of remote work, and persistent inequities in employment outcomes for underrepresented and first-generation students.”

New College is taking all of these factors into consideration. From day one at New College, all students are paired with their own nationally certified career coach/adviser—a luxury that larger colleges cannot provide.

Through the Novo Career Advantage program (a customized four-year career prep plan), New College’s career coaches help students apply for internships and fellowships, guide them through job exploration, and connect them with mentors through the Novo Network Mentorship Program. And nearly every student at New College completes an internship before graduation.

Beyond that, Peterson and his team work directly with professors to infuse the New College curriculum with career-building skills.

“We have always known that our academic program gives students knowledge and skills, such as critical thinking and communication,” Peterson said. “But what’s traditionally a missing component of a broad bachelor’s degree is ensuring that students can see those skills–how the skills connect to careers, and effectively demonstrate competence in that skill to an external non-academic audience (such as an employer) in writing and also verbally.”

During an 18th-century British drama course with New College Professor of English and Gender Studies Miriam Wallace, Ph.D., Peterson developed a workshop in which students were taught about valuable workplace skills based on their own career aspirations. Students were then asked to engage in self-reflection, analyzing where in the course they may have gained those skills.

Rather than write a final paper, students compiled a dramaturgy packet for one of the plays they studied. The students had to research the history of the play, highlight key performances and unpack major themes. Peterson worked with the students on a writing exercise that asked, “What if the course was their only experience? What would they put on their résumé?”

Students realized that they had been learning to use different databases, conducting critical analysis, distilling complex ideas and writing for a popular audience—all in one class. They then practiced writing those skills in a way that employers would understand.

In years past, especially at liberal arts institutions, faculty members and career educators did not collaborate on such a career-focused level. But at New College, this type of collaboration empowers students in all fields of study–from British literature to marine biology–to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to the workplace.

According to data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), students at New College are more likely to participate in career education activities (such as interview prep, résumé review, and career engagement with their professors) than students at other small liberal arts colleges.

“The NSSE data is early evidence that our institutional efforts to scale and integrate careers with academics is working,” Peterson said. “Career planning and preparation are being normalized by students and faculty as an essential academic endeavor, which ensures that all students will be ready for their future by graduation.”

For more information on the Center for Career Engagement and Opportunity (CEO) at New College of Florida, visit ncf.edu/ceo.

For more information on The Chronicle report, visit store.chronicle.com/products/new-pathways-from-college-to-career.

Now, as the thesis student nears the end of her education at the state’s designated honors college, she is reflecting on what made her experience so transformative.

“I chose New College over several other schools (Yale, Reed, Bryn Mawr, etc.) because there really is nothing quite like the experience we have,” said Boynton, who is studying psychology. “We have this incredible academic freedom, the wholehearted support of our faculty mentors, so many research opportunities, and a community of people who are all so passionate.”

Boynton is not alone in this perspective. Earlier this month, New College of Florida was ranked the No. 5 National Liberal Arts College (Top Public Schools) by U.S. News & World Report for the 2022-2023 school year.

The annual “Best Colleges” rankings by U.S. News, now in their 38th year, evaluate more than 1,450 colleges and universities on up to 17 measures of academic quality—helping parents and students find their ideal schools. There were 18 public national liberal arts colleges on the list this year.

“I was thrilled to see New College doing so well in the rankings. We’ve been steadily improving in them over the time I’ve been here, and it’s amazing seeing such a great program be recognized nationally,” Boynton said. “New College really is an incredible place. At so many other schools, the end goal for a course is just to finish it with an A, but New College has provided the space to move away from that, and to be motivated by learning the material and taking coursework we enjoy.”

In addition to earning the No. 5 ranking from U.S. News, New College of Florida was also ranked No. 76 for National Liberal Arts Colleges (up six positions from last year, and the highest ranking New College has ever achieved in this category), No. 52 for Social Mobility in National Liberal Arts Colleges (a 15-position increase from last year), and No. 40 for Most Innovative Schools (National Liberal Arts Colleges).

“Frankly, I think New College should be ranked even higher because this school does amazing things, so hopefully, this trend continues,” Boynton said. “It’s a hidden gem, but I hope to see it become less hidden.”

Beyond U.S. News, New College of Florida was also recently ranked among The Princeton Review’s “Best 388 Colleges” and “Best Value Colleges” in the country. And Fiske Guide recognized New College of Florida as a “Best Buy” college for 2023.

For more information on the U.S. News & World Report rankings, visit usnews.com/colleges.

Natalie Spivey competes on the Moot Court Team

“New College taught me a number of skills—analytical thinking, preparedness, ability to communicate—that have prepared me well for my career, both as an attorney and as a business owner,” said Reese, who is a class-action consumer protection attorney and the owner of Reese LLP in New York City.

Last February, Reese served as a judge for one of the practice rounds of the New College Moot Court Team. He was so impressed with the work of pre-law students Natalie Spivey, Libby Harrity and Francis Garcia Fernandez that he wanted to contribute to the New College Law Society. Reese’s donation will help fund students as they continue to participate in moot court matches and other pre-law events at New College and throughout the country.

“As you can imagine, the students were beyond thrilled with Mr. Reese’s donation. I know how hard these students work, how talented they are, and what this gift means to them and to all of the other students on our legal advocacy teams,” said New College of Florida General Counsel David Fugett, who coaches the New College Moot Court Team. “It is historic, it will be put to very good use, and I can’t thank Mr. Reese enough.”

New College, Reese believes, is an ideal place for pre-law students to learn. Reese graduated in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in European History under the advisement of Professor Laszlo Deme, Ph.D., and wrote a thesis entitled Gladstone’s Irish Policy. Reese founded his own law firm 15 years ago and now has offices throughout the United States.

“A successful law career requires creative thinking, preparation and the ability to think on one’s feet, and a New College education provides all three of these skills,” Reese said. “The small class size of New College requires that you always have to be prepared and able to discuss the topics at a high level with professors who have mastered their subjects. The New College thesis, and the requirement to defend that thesis before professors, translates directly to the ability to appear in a court of law and advocate for your position.”

Watching the pre-law program at New College evolve over the past three decades since he graduated has been exciting for Reese.

Moot court events are now regular occurrences at New College, providing students with the opportunity to participate in simulated court proceedings. Exercises involve students analyzing and arguing both sides of a hypothetical legal issue, while using procedures modeled after those employed in state and federal appellate courts. Judges question students, testing their knowledge of case law and the cohesion of their oral arguments.

“The moot court program at New College is fantastic. David Fugett has done an absolutely terrific job putting together the program, and it is a real asset to New College. I wish the program existed when I attended,” Reese said. “The students at the moot court were excellent and all made compelling, highly sophisticated arguments. It was a real pleasure to serve as a moot court judge.”

Spivey, who is the president of the New College Law Society and the captain of the New College Moot Court Team, said that having Reese as one of her judges was incredibly beneficial.

“Michael gave us some great insight for competition day. I doubt that there are other colleges out there that have their very own legal alumni serving as voluntary practice judges for moot court, and that’s part of what makes our team so unique (we are definitely representative of our school’s spirit),” said Spivey, who is a third-year political science major. “Michael’s donation was an incredible gift that came from his generosity and faith in the team, and it will carry us through multiple seasons.”

For more information on the Pre-Law Professional Program at New College of Florida, visit ncf.edu/pre-law.

To donate to New College, visit ncf.edu/give.

This fall, I’ve seen that hope of mine come to fruition. I’m proud to say we just welcomed our largest incoming class in five years, with 30% more students than last fall.

Classes began on Aug. 29, and a diverse cohort of high-achieving students (many with a grade point average of 4.0) arrived from all over the state, country and world. These students were drawn to our customized honors curriculum and our career-integrated learning experience. We have also seen an increase in the number of new students who graduated in the top 10% of their high school classes.

“Our numbers this fall show that New College is poised to educate more leaders of tomorrow than ever before,” says New College Provost Suzanne Sherman, Ph.D.

At a time when college enrollment numbers are on the decline nationwide, our pronounced upswing is worth celebrating.

“The widespread appeal of a New College education is reflected in the diverse fall class,” says David Boisvert, New College’s interim vice president for enrollment management. “New College is such a special community and the world is taking notice.”

The widespread appeal of New College is evidenced by the numerous accolades the College has received in just the past couple of months. Fiske Guide to Colleges named New College one of the nation’s 20 “Best Buy” Colleges and Universities, and The Princeton Review ranked New College among “The Best 388 Colleges” in the country for 2023.

In fact, every year since The Princeton Review began publishing its “best colleges” rankings in 1992, New College has made the list. The Princeton Review also ranked New College No. 3 for the Top 20 Best Schools for Making an Impact (Public Schools), and No. 7 for both the Top 20 Best Alumni Networks and the Top 20 Best Schools for Financial Aid (Public Schools).

In “The Best 388 Colleges” guide, New College is described as a “uniquely small and unconventional public institution” that “provides challenging courses for highly self-motivated students who want a large amount of control over their academic choices.”

I couldn’t agree more. Self-motivated students choose New College for a reason, and their experience here often serves as the launching pad for their big ambitions.

Our high rankings and increased enrollment this fall are further proof of the value of a New College education. But our success as an institution can best be told through the stories of our students—students who are generating their own national visibility for being innovators and trailblazers.

For example, over Labor Day weekend, one of our New College seniors—Antonia “Toni” Ginsberg-Klemmt—was featured in ABC Audio’s special, “Impact: Climate & Sustainability” with Aaron Katersky. The radio broadcast was streamed on stations all over the world.

Toni is an OZY Genius and a multi-award-winning entrepreneurial student. Her sustainable GismoPower invention (a mobile solar-powered carport) is taking the green industry by storm, and she exemplifies the kind of inventive spirit that is so strong at New College. She created GismoPower on our campus, is currently competing for the American Made Solar Prize, and is helping revolutionize global solar energy usage (and she hasn’t even graduated yet).

When I am surrounded daily by students like Toni, I can’t help but be inspired. So it brings me such joy this fall to see New College earning the recognition it deserves as the state’s designated honors college—a place where bright, driven students can pursue their passions and thrive as individuals.

I’m honored to serve as president for my second academic year at New College, as our visibility continues to grow.

Patricia Okker, Ph.D. is the president of New College of Florida.

Read the story in SRQ from 9-10-22 here.

The annual “Best Colleges” rankings by U.S. News, now in their 38th year, evaluate more than 1,450 colleges and universities on up to 17 measures of academic quality—helping parents and students find their ideal schools. There were 18 public national liberal arts colleges on the list this year.

“It is an honor to see New College ranked No. 5 among national public liberal arts colleges by U.S. News & World Report,” said New College of Florida President Patricia Okker, Ph.D. “We want everyone to know about the exceptional, affordable education we offer at the state’s designated honors college. And this prestigious list continues to draw students to New College from all over the country.”

U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives and communities. The company’s college rankings provide prospective students and their families with helpful information on factors such as graduation rates, social mobility and graduate indebtedness.

“For nearly 40 years, the ‘Best Colleges’ methodology has continuously evolved to reflect changes in the higher education landscape and the interests of prospective students,” said Kim Castro, the editor and chief content officer at U.S. News & World Report. “Guiding that evolution is U.S. News’ mission of providing useful data and information to help with one of life’s biggest decisions.”

In addition to earning the No. 5 ranking, New College of Florida was also ranked No. 76 for National Liberal Arts Colleges (up six positions from last year, and the highest ranking New College has ever achieved in this category), No. 52 for Social Mobility in National Liberal Arts Colleges (a 15-position increase from last year), and No. 40 for Most Innovative Schools (National Liberal Arts Colleges).

For more information on the U.S. News & World Report rankings, visit usnews.com/colleges.