At SPCHS, all students are expected to graduate with their high school diploma, an Associate in Arts degree, and successfully continue their postsecondary education to meet our vision of becoming “visionary leaders.”
To encourage our seniors to complete the FAFSA and to recognize them for their dedication resulting in acceptance at a variety of colleges and universities, Ms. Boyle, SPCHS Guidance Counselor, coordinated SPCHS’ first College Decision Day.
Writing a grant provided incentives to entice SPCHS students to meet our goal of increasing the FAFSA completion
rate for our school. To achieve our goal, students and parents attended the SPCHS College Application Workshop, facilitated by Ms. Boyle and Mrs. Betts, and attended one of the FAFSA Nights facilitated by SPC staff. Thanks to our students, parents, and staff, SPCHS achieved a 60% FAFSA completion rate, which was the highest in the District, and an increase of 17% over last year.
The Decision Day Celebration included a delicious lunch and a drawing for three Amazon Fire Sticks, which were given to participating seniors, along with SPC/SPCHS spirit items.
Furthermore, SPCHS seniors had some very special guests join the celebration! Senator and Mrs. Don Sullivan and Frances Neu, Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness and the Executive Director of the SPC Foundation, visited SPCHS to enjoy the festivities with students. Senator and Mrs. Sullivan’s visit was especially poignant as Senator Sullivan was the visionary leader who helped establish St. Petersburg Collegiate High School which opened in 2004.
Senator and Mrs. Sullivan enjoyed speaking to the students and learning how SPCHS has evolved over the years. Many enhancements have been added including a three-year leadership program, additional tutoring and support for students, and an emphasis on civic engagement.
On behalf of the students and staff of SPCHS, we wish to offer our sincere appreciation to Senator and Mrs. Sullivan, and Ms. Neu for attending the SPCHS Decision Day. We are all grateful for Senator Sullivan’s visionary leadership which has empowered so many SPCHS students to reach for their dreams!