African acrobats
Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) will host the Zuzu African Acrobats on Feb. 13 at 7 p.m., at the PHSC Instructional Performing Arts Center, 8657 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel. Admission is free and open to the public. For information, contact Luther Buie, associate dean of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Multicultural Student Affairs, at 727-816-3192 or .
Student achievements
- Christian Hewett, Odessa: Bachelor of Science in commerce and business administration, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
- Maitri Milan Mehta, Lutz: graduate of Campbellsville University, Kentucky
- Chase Memmer, Odessa: Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering and Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
- Jose Soto, Lutz: Bachelor of Science in commerce and business administration, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
- Kiera Aliese Young-Hardeman, Bachelor of Social Work, Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, Texas
Cambridge exam awards
Forty-six Pasco County students received prestigious awards from Cambridge International for outstanding performance on Cambridge examinations, including two students from Anclote High School who posted the highest possible score on one of the rigorous exams, according to a news release.
Pasco County has three high schools that offer the rigorous Cambridge courses: Anclote High, Hudson High and Pasco High.
“All the Cambridge courses are demanding, and the exams are extremely challenging, so this recognition says a lot about the students’ ability to achieve at the very highest level,” said Pasco Superintendent of Schools Kurt Browning in the release.
“The students, their families, and their teachers have a lot to be proud of,” said Browning.
The Cambridge Awards celebrate the success of students taking Cambridge examinations around the world. More than a million students study Cambridge International programs in over 160 countries.
As a global organization with a 160-year history and part of the University of Cambridge, Cambridge Assessment International Education partners with schools and districts around the world with a shared goal of making education transformation a reality. This program is part of an internationally benchmarked program that allows students to earn college-level credit in high school.
In addition to the students who earned the Top in USA Award or the Scholar Award with Distinction, 43 more students from Anclote, Hudson High and Pasco High received awards of Merit or Scholar for posting impressive scores on three or more Cambridge exams.
Student exhibit
Pasco-Hernando State College’s (PHSC) Social and Human Services Club, in partnership with Growth & Recovery Counseling, will host a discussion with virtual guest speaker, Rachel Rifkin from the National Alliance for Eating Disorders. Those attending also will have the opportunity to view the student exhibit, “Awareness through Art.”
The event will take place on Feb. 23 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at PHSC’s Spring Hill campus, 450 Beverly Court, Spring Hill, in the Rao Musunuru M.D. Conference Center.
For information, contact Eddie Williams, associate professor and Human Services program director, at 352-340-4865 or .
Saint Leo earns honors
Saint Leo University earned honors in four categories for providing the best online bachelor’s and master’s programs in the United States, according to the 2023 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Online Programs edition, a news release said.
The university received honors in:
- Best Online Bachelor’s Programs in Psychology, ranked 36th
- Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans, 75th
- Best Online Bachelor’s Programs, 124th
- Best Online Bachelor’s Programs in Business, 127th
“Saint Leo is celebrating 25 years of offering online education, so it’s fitting that the university is being honored for providing outstanding online degrees,” said Dr. Edward Dadez, Saint Leo president, in the release.
“In 1998, the university took a risk and entered the online field. Now, through online classes, students can study anywhere and anytime that is convenient for them. It was an investment that paid off for the university and especially for its students,” said Dadez.
This year’s edition of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Online Programs evaluates more than 1,800 online bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, in four categories: Engagement; Services and Technologies; Faculty Credentials and Training; and Expert Opinion.
To see the rankings, data, and methodologies for U.S. News & World Report’s Best Online Programs edition, visit USnews.com/education/online-education/rankings.
Community celebration
Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) will host a free community celebration of the college’s 50th anniversary and Black History Month on Feb. 25 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the PHSC Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Instructional Performing Arts Center, 8657 Old Pasco Road, in Wesley Chapel.
For information, call 727-847-2727, or email .
Stick bridge competition
Saint Leo University’s Department of Natural Sciences will host its annual Popsicle Stick Bridge Competition on March 9 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., in Selby Auditorium in Lewis Hall, at the campus at 33701 State Road 52 in St. Leo.
Saint Leo University and Pasco County high school students are invited to design and build bridges to compete in the contest.
The winners will be selected in two categories: the strongest bridge that can hold the most weight and the most aesthetically pleasing bridge that receives the most votes from the audience.
Teams of one to three students may compete, and members should come up with a name for their bridge.
The goal of the contest is to build the strongest bridge using only Elmer’s glue and no more than 200 standard Popsicle sticks. Entries must bridge a 1.2-meter span as described in the contest rules.
Last year’s winner was “Bridge to the Starz” that held 66 pounds.
High school faculty who would like to enter their students, as well as interested students, may participate by emailing by Feb. 18, then pick up a kit, design a bridge build (test if you want to) and then join in the competition on March 9.
The public is invited to attend the event to watch the teams compete.
