
Polk State SGA president uses platform to raise sickle cell awareness

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common inherited blood disease in the U.S. and comes with many complications. Aaliyah Jones, president of Polk State College’s Student Government Association (SGA) on the Lakeland Campus, has…

Polk State LSAMP students present plan for safer drinking water at national competition

What’s the big idea? For a trio of Polk State College students, the answer was making drinking water safer. Tyrece Frater, Emily Garcia, and Anthony Diaz Ortega presented their big idea earlier this month in…

Polk State head basketball coach, incoming transfers inspired by accomplished fathers

Father’s Day is one of those days where men and women from across the country reflect on the impact their fathers have made on their lives. Polk State Basketball Head Coach Brandon Giles has perhaps…

Polk State student utilizes career assessment, STEM programs to land geomatics internship in Ohio

When Selia Nunez began studying at Polk State College, she envisioned a career in a physical therapy office. Now, she might have her sights set on the ocean, thanks to a career assessment and a…

Polk State Flight Team makes historic trip to nationals

Polk State College’s flight team made history this year with a trip to the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) competition, but members and coaches believe this is just the beginning for the team. Polk State…

Polk State Baseball’s Nick Collins goes from full-time landscaper to All-State performer

Fresh out of high school, Polk State Baseball’s All-State designated hitter Nick Collins spent his weekdays in the field but not one with a diamond, dugout, or bleachers. For the first year out of Springstead…

Polk State Lakeland Collegiate’s top students get degrees for free in high school

Taylor Rickey and Laura Burse each began their high school careers elsewhere. Now, they’re leaving Polk State Lakeland Collegiate High School as valedictorian and salutatorian. Rickey and Burse spent their first two high school years…

3 Polk State students named to All-Florida Academic Team

A trio of Polk State College students were recognized as members of the 2022 All-Florida Academic Team. Jhon Mendoza Paredes, David Umanzor, and Mallory Anderson are the three recipients from Polk State. Statewide, 144 Florida…

Polk State’s Phi Theta Kappa chapters combine for more than 20 awards

Recognitions were not hard to come by for Polk State College’s Phi Theta Kappa chapters this academic year. The Xi Pi and Beta Upsilon Upsilon chapters combined to earn more than 20 recognitions statewide and…

Polk State graduate finishes what she started 40 years later

After five tries and four decades, Helen Hill graduated from Polk State College with a four-year degree. A 1982 graduate of Lake Wales High School, Hill, 58, of Babson Park, first attended Polk State in…