Desai among graduating seniors at Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Shreeya Desai of Cape Coral received a bachelor of science degree in biology during the 2021 Commencement Ceremonies of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, held Sunday, May 16. Desai, the child of Dr. Sudhanshu Desai and Dr. Sandra Desai, graduated cum laude.

Having persevered through an unprecedented academic year, 514 undergraduates and 10 master’s candidates received their diplomas during an in-person ceremony held on the Hobart and William Smith campus.

Hobart and William Smith are small, residential colleges. Nearly all of the 1,824 students live on campus and many live in learning communities and theme houses that focus on community building. HWS offers more than 70 academic programs, and 60 percent of students study abroad.

For more about HWS, please visit www.hws.edu

Sowinski graduates from Montclair State University

MONTCLAIR, N.J. — Meghan Sowinski of Cape Coral has graduated from Montclair State University with a BA in fashion studies, having completed requirements as of Spring 2021.

The university held 16 commencement ceremonies between June 7-13 at Sprague Field on campus to celebrate undergraduate and graduate students who completed their academic degrees in August 2020, December 2020, January 2021 and May 2021.

Montclair State University is a research doctoral institution ranked in the top tier of national universities. Building on a distinguished history dating back to 1908, the university today has 11 colleges and schools that serve 21,000 undergraduate and graduate students with more than 300 doctoral, master’s and baccalaureate programs. Situated on a 252-acre suburban campus just 12 miles from New York City, Montclair State delivers the instructional and research resources of a large public university in a supportive, sophisticated and diverse academic environment.

Ortiz completes doctor of chiropractic program at Sherman College

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Natalia Ortiz of Cape Coral was one of 23 students from around the world who received the doctor of chiropractic degree from Sherman College of Chiropractic in Spartanburg, S.C., at the 140th Commencement Program Saturday, June 12.

The doctor of chiropractic program at Sherman College requires students to complete approximately 4,600 hours (14 quarters) of classroom and laboratory study and also includes an internship in the college’s on-campus Chiropractic Health Center.

Sherman College of Chiropractic provides students with a comprehensive education, preparing them to enter the field as doctors of chiropractic. On its 80-acre campus in South Carolina, Sherman’s on-campus Health Center, where senior students intern under licensed doctors of chiropractic, provides quality and affordable chiropractic care to the local community with approximately 25,000 visits each year. For more information, visit www.sherman.edu or call 800-849-8771.

Moua graduates from RIT

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Ximena Moua of Cape Coral graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with a BS in industrial engineering.

Some 4,000 degrees were conferred in the 2020-2021 academic year at all of RIT’s campuses. Due to New York state COVID-19 occupancy restrictions, commencement was celebrated May 14-15 in smaller ceremonies by college and were live-streamed for graduates’ family and friends.

Rochester Institute of Technology is home to leading creators, entrepreneurs, innovators and researchers. Founded in 1829, RIT enrolls about 18,600 students in more than 200 career-oriented and professional programs, making it among the largest private universities in the U.S.

The university is internationally recognized and ranked for academic leadership in business, computing, engineering, imaging science, liberal arts, sustainability, and fine and applied arts. RIT also offers support services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The cooperative education program is one of the oldest and largest in the nation. Global partnerships include campuses in China, Croatia, Dubai and Kosovo.

For news, photos and videos, go to www.rit.edu/news.

Young graduates from Missouri State University

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Missouri State University awarded 2,954 degrees to students in spring 2021. The commencement ceremonies took place May 13-14, 2021, at JQH Arena.

Margo Young of Cape Coral graduated with a bachelor of general studies, magna cum laude.

Students who graduated with honors completed at least 30 undergraduate credit hours with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5.

Missouri State University is a public, comprehensive university system with a mission in public affairs. For more information about MSU, visit www.missouristate.edu.

Ehindero receives degree from Washington and Lee University

LEXINGTON, Va. – Ayomide Morenike Ehindero of Fort Myers received a bachelor of arts degree from Washington and Lee University on May 27.

Commencement ceremonies for 444 Washington and Lee seniors were held on the university’s Wilson Field – a first for the university – to accommodate pandemic-related distancing and gathering size guidelines.

Ehindero majored in strategic communication.

Washington and Lee University, the nation’s ninth oldest institution of higher education located in Lexington, Va., is among the nation’s premier liberal arts colleges and universities. For more information about the university, visit www.wlu.edu.

Carapazza joins marketing team at Hodges University

Hodges University has announced that Matthew Carapazza has joined the team as the Webmaster. In this position, he is responsible for the university’s website. He will oversee website updates and upgrades as it continues to evolve in look and functionality.

A native of Florida, Carapazza is a recent graduate of Full Sail University with a bachelor’s degree in audio production. Prior to graduating, he also gained experience in the planning and development of websites.

Hodges University, a regionally accredited, private, nonprofit institution was founded in 1990. With a campus in Fort Myers, Hodges provides flexible day, evening and online classes taught by world-class faculty for undergraduate and graduate degrees. Hodges is also designated as a Hispanic serving institution, and is a member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). More information about Hodges University is available at Hodges.edu.

26 employee scholarships awarded by Cypress Cove

Cypress Cove’s staff scholarship committee recently awarded a total of $52,000 in fall 2021 educational scholarships to 26 employees and dependents of its South Fort Myers Life Plan community.

The recent scholar selections bring to 64 the number of employees and their dependents who have been chosen as scholarship recipients. Cypress Cove’s fall scholars’ class is the largest-ever group award given since the program began in the Spring of 2018.

Scholarship awardees will be represented this fall at nine different institutions of higher learning: Florida SouthWestern State College, Rasmussen University, University of South Florida, Fort Myers Technical College, University of Florida, Florida Gulf Coast University, Broward College, Keiser University, and the University of West Florida.

This fall’s scholarship class includes 15 returning scholars. For the first time, all recipients were awarded named scholarships (awards named by Cypress Cove resident donors). Recipients include the mother-son awardees Patricia Chavez and Danilo Moreno-Chavez, as well as two sets of brother-sister scholars: Everett and Olivia Taylor and siblings Hannah and Nick Vanderhei.

Other scholarship winners are Jennifer Alexander, Evelyn Alpizar-Flores, Jeff Cassamajor, Ayanna Didley, Stephanie Diprospero, Rose Euzebe, Abenfi Fabien, Shantae Gayle, Dieunica Guervil, Daphline Jocelin, Gina Karat, Angelica Lindor, Philipe Orrego-Vargas, Abigayle Pierre, Ermith Previlon, Samantha Rockenhaus, Paige Siggia, Cabrini Tavarez, and Slandia Thony.

Each scholarship recipient receives $2,000 towards their education.

Cypress Cove, a not-for-profit organization, opened in 1999. Located on a 60-acre campus at HealthPark Florida in South Fort Myers, Cypress Cove is home to more than 600 residents and offers a full complement of quality living options (independent living, home health, assisted living, skilled nursing, memory care assisted living and rehabilitative care).

Hodges University earns gold ranking for 2021 Best for Vets

For the third consecutive year, Hodges University has earned a gold ranking for Military Times Best for Vets Colleges. Each year, Military Times analyzes survey information provided by colleges and universities, and public information from the Department of Education and Department of Veterans Affairs to award gold, silver and bronze medallions.

With a student veteran population of 13 percent, Hodges University has a dedicated center, the Dr. Peter Thomas Veterans Services Center, on campus that is managed by veteran staff. In this center, students can network with other veteran students, find community resources, or just relax. Veteran students also have preferred on-campus parking spaces, special programs and ongoing support services for them and their families.

More information about Hodges University is available at Hodges.edu.

FSW Respiratory Care program earns top national credentialing award

Florida SouthWestern State College’s Respiratory Care program has been awarded the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care’s President’s Award for Excellence in Credentialing Success for 2021.

To receive the President’s Award for Excellence in Credentialing Success, respiratory programs are required to have three or more years of outcome data, hold accreditation without a progress report (no deficiencies), document Registered Respiratory Therapist credentialing success of 100%, and meet or exceed the CoARC thresholds for scoring on exams and retention.

Out of 439 accredited respiratory programs in the U.S., only 26 programs received the President’s Award.

The Registered Respiratory Therapist national credential is an advanced credential in the profession that recognizes the individual as having advanced clinical skills, advanced decision-making skills, and training to act in a consulting role in matters concerning patient care planning and treatment.

CoARC’s mission is to ensure that high quality educational programs prepare competent respiratory therapists for practice, education, research, and service. – http://www.coarc.com

Visit www.FSW.edu for more information.