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Photos submitted by Susan Kessler – Sylvie Moody, far right, leads a group of St. Johns River State College graduates as they prepare for their commencement ceremony Thursday in Orange Park.
A new crop of St. Johns River State College graduates walked across the commencement stage this week and into what they said will be a bright future.
The college – which has campuses in Palatka, Orange Park and St. Augustine, as well as a robust online campus – had its fall 2023 graduation ceremony Thursday at the Thrasher-Horne Center in Orange Park, where 146 of more than 470 graduates received diplomas, certifications and other honors.
Among the graduates were people who worked hard, overcame adversity and learned more about themselves in their pursuit to obtain their degrees.
Sylvie Moody, who enrolled in SJR State six years ago to earn her GED, graduated this week with her associate degree in nursing. She had already been a certified nursing assistant and has worked her way up to being a registered nurse.
With her associate degree in hand, she plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing and become a nurse practitioner and college instructor.
“I so appreciate the excellent teachers and mentors who have been there to support me during this time,” Moody said. “The thought of being there for someone else in that same way really appeals to me.”
Moody took home an extra honor Thursday as the recipient of the Academic Excellence Award for her “strength and dedication in maintaining academic excellence throughout the nursing program,” according to a press release from SJR State.
Moody said she has learned many things along her journey to graduation, but some of the biggest lessons she received can’t be learned simply by taking notes and acing tests.
“I’ve learned that I’m more capable and comfortable with taking on the challenges of the clinical setting,” she said. “It has required me to push myself further past my limits, taking myself out of a more comfortable position of followership and stepping into the role of leadership at times.”
Weston Von Meier was another award winner. He was presented the Valedictorian Award, which is bestowed based on GPA and the difficulty of courses taken.
Not only was Von Meier a talented student, college officials said, but he also helped his classmates succeed.
“While earning his (associate) degree, Von Meier also worked as a math tutor on the Palatka campus,” SJR State officials said in a press release. “He plans to attend the University of Florida in the fall to major in electrical engineering.”
Also at the Palatka campus was Brett Corley, an Army veteran who enrolled to become eligible to teach. Currently a teacher at Peniel Baptist Academy in Palatka, Corley discovered the bachelor’s degree program was what he wanted to pursue.
On Thursday, he accomplished his goal and took home a bachelor’s degree in organizational management.
“I am uncertain where I want to use this degree,” he said. “I love teaching, so I think that is the likely path, though I am open to opportunities as they present themselves.
“It aligns with many of the jobs I have done for both the Army and civilian jobs. What I’ve learned through the program has taken what I knew before to a new level. What better way to make what I’ve learned on the job official?”
