Saint Leo U hosting summer residency
ST. LEO – Saint Leo University’s two-year, low-residency Master of Arts in Creative Writing Program is accepting applications until June 15, in fiction, nonfiction or poetry for the university’s upcoming cohort.
The annual summer residency will take place during Summer 2 Term, July 14 to 19 at University Campus, 33701 County Road 52.
The master’s in creative writing is completed online with the exception of the two-week summer residency.
Information about the master’s degree program and graduate applications can be found at saintleo.edu/creativewriting.
Saint Leo is offering a creative writing micro-credential, which includes one summer residency, and not the full master’s curriculum, so participants can join in this year’s summer offering at a fraction of the price. The micro-credential in creative writing is open to anyone who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in any subject, from any university or college, who loves to write.
Register for the micro-credential through Saint Leo’s Skills Academy at https://skillsacademy.saintleo.edu/creativewriting.
Not only will participants in the master’s program and micro-credential program learn from Saint Leo faculty, but they also will have the opportunity to work with four visiting writers: Phillippe Diedrich, Asa Drake, Heather Sellers, and Chrissy Kolaya.
Email Gianna Russo at for details.
PCS cheers STEM students
LAND O’ LAKES – Pasco County Schools recognized three students for their selection into the 2025 Pasco County Sunshine State Scholars program.
Mark Butler, of the district’s Office for Teaching and Learning, explained that Florida districts pick their top 11th grade students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math.
Students must have at least a 3.9 grade point average, 25 hours of community service and experience with advanced STEM courses.
Winners were as follows:
- Lucy Kossoff, of Wendell Krinn Technical High School, not only takes Advanced Placement courses but she’s also a leader on the school robotics team.
- Tana Pinilla, of Land O’ Lakes High School, has a 4.667 GPA and 107 community service hours.
- Ryan Mizeski, of Hudson High School, has a 4.6744 GPA with 265 community service hours.
Each had the opportunity to attend a two-day program to network with peers, colleges and employers.
Grads to turn tassels
ST. LEO – More than 1,400 Saint Leo University students will participate in two commencement ceremonies May 7 at the Florida State Fairgrounds.
There will be 839 undergraduates (bachelor’s and associate degrees) participating and 581 master’s and doctoral degree recipients crossing the stage.
Being recognized among students from Saint Leo’s Center for Online Learning, are top performers, graduating with a 4.0 cumulative GPA and a minimum of at least 60 credit hours: Frances Wesby from Grovetown, GA, graduating with a bachelor’s in business administration, and Kamera Woodruff from Madison, FL, graduating with a bachelor’s in elementary education.
The top performer for Saint Leo’s graduating seniors from its education centers, with a 4.0 cumulative GPA and a minimum of at least 60 credit hours, is Leslie Willis from Brooksville, FL, who is earning a bachelor’s in elementary education.
AP exams go digital
NEW YORK – Students will power up their computers instead of sharpening pencils this May as Advanced Placement Exams go digital, which officials say offer a more secure, streamlined and student-friendly testing experience.
Standard paper testing has been discontinued for 28 of the 36 AP subjects with end-of-course exams.
Exams for these 28 subjects are moving to the Bluebook digital testing application – the same platform used for the SAT and will be either fully digital or hybrid digital with a course-specific paper component for subjects that require graphic or symbolic notation.
Schools receive new trees
TAMPA – The Hillsborough County Environmental Science Division helped three schools add to their tree canopy through a hands-on educational opportunity in celebration of Arbor Day and Earth Month.
Frost Elementary, Giunta Middle, and Lamb Elementary (in Palm River and Progress Village) received donated trees as part of the county’s second annual Classroom to Canopy Tree-Planting.
Students had a chance to assist in the tree planting as the tree’s new home was refilled with soil to promote strong, resilient roots.
Quick Hits
- The Florida Department of Education celebrated District Teacher of the Year on social media, including Pasco County Schools winner Elizabeth Skoglund, of Land O’ Lakes High School.
- Maddison Bradford, of Cypress Creek High School, won the Pasco Young Entrepreneurs Competition.
- Lacoochee Elementary School students qualified for the Odyssey of the Mind World Championships in Michigan.
- Caitlyn Culpepper, of Odessa, was among the over 100 University of Mississippi students inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, an undergraduate honors organization. Culpepper majors in biochemistry and Spanish.
- Dawn Stickle of Odessa, was recently elected to membership into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
