Christmas season kick-off
Saint Leo University kicked off the Christmas season on Nov. 18 – a little early this year – in order for students, faculty and staff to celebrate together before Thanksgiving break.
The last two weeks of the fall semester will be completed online, Nov. 30 to Dec. 11, and many students will not be on campus.
The Saint Leo community was joined by members of the Pasco County community for the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony at University Campus, 33701 State Road 52 in St. Leo.
Father Randall Meissen, university chaplain, blessed the university’s Christmas tree and nativity as the university prepares for Advent.
Student Government Union President Ashley Butler read the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke 2: 1-14, and students, faculty and staff provided Christmas music.
Leadership webinar
Saint Leo University’s Tapia College of Business will present a free virtual Leadership Re-Imagined Webinar on Dec. 3 at 7 p.m., entitled “Finding Strategic Flexibility to Power Through the Pandemic and Beyond,” to assist small businesses.
The discussion will take a closer look at how businesses are thinking and acting differently, and why flexibility is an indispensable mindset.
The guest speakers will be Dr. Drew Gold, associate professor of management for the Tapia College of Business, and Brian Quinn, chief development officer for Domio Inc.
To register, visit www.SaintLeo.edu/business-events.
For information, email Kim Bulmanski at .
College essay tips
The Pasco County Library Cooperative will host a live event, “College Essays for Teens,” on Dec. 4 at 4 p.m., to discuss the best tips and methods to writing college essays.
The program is for teens in grades eight to 12. There will be a Q&A session after the presentation.
Registration is required. Zoom meeting details will be sent out the day before the event.
For information, call Amaris Papadopoulos at (727) 861-3020.
Ask a college student
The Pasco County Library Cooperative will host “Ask a College Student” on Dec. 11 at 4 p.m., through Zoom, for teens in grades eight to 12.
A panel of current students from a variety of colleges, majors and experiences will answer any questions participants may have.
Registration is required. Zoom meeting details will be emailed the day before the event.
For information and to register, contact Amaris Papadopoulos at (727) 861-3020 or .
Wreath challenge
The Florida Aquarium’s inaugural “Upcycled Wreath Challenge: Conservation Connections” is a platform for youth to learn about critical environmental issues impacting our planet through a creative art format.
All schools in Hillsborough County can participate.
Each upcycled wreath will focus on one of the aquarium’s conservation priorities and be made entirely of reused/repurposed items or materials.
Guests can then come to see the wreath in the aquarium’s CIBC Aquatic Lounge, in the Mosaic Center.
The challenge runs from Dec. 6 through Jan. 3.
For information, visit FlAquarium.org.
New nursing program
Saint Leo University will launch a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program starting in the 2021 fall semester, its University Campus. The program is designed to prepare students for generalist nursing practice within complex health care systems.
The limited-access program will be accepting new students into pre-nursing coursework in arts and sciences during the first two years, including courses in anatomy, microbiology, math, writing, ethics and psychology. Students can then apply to the nursing program during their sophomore year to begin the nursing-major courses in year three.
The application process is competitive and limited spaces are available for the BSN program. This program format will allow for potential transfer students and second-degree students who may want to pursue their BSN degree in a shorter time-frame to consider Saint Leo.
There is a growing need for nurses in the coming years as a result of the rapidly aging U.S. population and a simultaneous number of nurses retiring.
The global pandemic continues to support this urgent need for licensed nurses in the field as the health care system undergoes a major transformation in structure and groundbreaking technology advances.
Upper-level nursing courses will commence in the fall semester of 2023, and the university anticipates having 48 spots for students in the first group admitted. Students will participate in theory, simulation, lab, and clinical experiences at a variety of health care and community agencies. The program will prepare graduates who can provide safe, quality care with an emphasis on wellness.
Another advantage offered at the Saint Leo campus includes the Anatomage Table, a 3-D educational display system that is usually found only in medical schools. The table displays actual X-rays of the human body and can be operated by touch-screen mode to help teach students in anatomy and physiology classes the various systems (respiratory, vascular, etc.) and structures they need to know as nurses.
The BSN will be available for undergraduate students only at Saint Leo’s residential University Campus. Students applying for the fall semester will receive automatic scholarship consideration.
The new BSN program has received approval from the Florida State Board of Nursing and is pending approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Applications are currently being accepted.
For more information, email , call (352) 588-8283, or visit SaintLeo.edu/bachelor-nursing-program.
