Passion Leads 加藤视频 Graduate to Exciting Opportunity
May 12, 2016
Florida SouthWestern State College graduate Jake Smith is pleased that this year鈥檚 commencement fell on his day off from work.
Jake, like many students graduating from 加藤视频, already have a full-time job or a foot in the door before their diploma is even printed. A native of Charlotte County, Jake听completed a B.A.S. in Supervision and Management and was recently hired as a west coast sales representative for Gulfstream Lures, a fishing supply company located on the east coast.
鈥淔ishing is my passion and the company is full of great people,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 thrive off of meeting new people and building relationships. Networking has been so important.鈥�
The 加藤视频 Charlotte Campus was like his extended family and he never regretted choosing a smaller college over a colossal university someplace else.
鈥淟iving here my whole life made it so I knew a lot of people when I started college, but I鈥檝e met so many new people who I recognize now off campus. Having that small town feel has been great,鈥� said Jake.
He made it his business at 加藤视频 to help out where he was needed, by recruiting high school students, helping veterans register for classes, and even proctoring exams for students with disabilities. He worked with and befriended one veteran in particular, Donald Simsen, a non-traditional student studying to be a radiology technologist before passing away from cancer earlier this year.
Jake鈥檚 father Anthony Smith is a disabled Marine, so working with veterans has always been important to him. His choice after high school was either join the armed forces or attend college with the help of his father鈥檚 military benefits, so he decided to register at 加藤视频.
鈥淢y parents have been a huge support and I鈥檝e surrounded myself with great people,鈥� he said. 鈥淎t 加藤视频 I learned that you get out of it what you put in 鈥� and that鈥檚 huge.鈥�
As a student at 加藤视频, Jake was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa (honor society for two-year colleges) when he completed an A.A. in Criminal Justice Technology. He eventually decided to study management, marketing and finance, and was later inducted into Sigma Beta Delta (international honor society recognizing achievement in business).
Not a semester passed when Jake wasn鈥檛 on the college鈥檚 dean list and he was added to the national 鈥淲ho鈥檚 Who Among Students鈥� directory. Staff on the Charlotte Campus also awarded him 鈥淥utstanding Student Ambassador鈥� for the work he did in recruiting new students.
Jake said he is听proud of not only being the听last cohort to earn an Edison State College diploma, but also being part of听the听final group to graduate in Germain Arena. Starting in 2017, 加藤视频 will host commencement inside of the Suncoast Credit Union Arena.
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Last Updated: May 12, 2016
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