South Florida Community College

Until she had a heart attack, my mom went to aquabics class at the Jacaranda Hotel swimming pool three times a week. This class is part of the Community Education program at South Florida Community College. SFCC bought the historic Jacaranda Hotel many years ago and refurbished it. In addition to the aquabics and aquacize classes held here, the college's food service classes are given here and student lodging is here. Since the college didn't have a pool at that time, the pool at the Jac was the perfect place for water fitness classes to be held. My mom felt like she got a great workout in this class. It decreased the pain caused from her arthritis, kept her muscles stretched out so she could move around easier and kept her limber. It was also a wonderful social gathering for my mom and the other ladies in the class. They got together once a month or so for lunch at various restaurants and Mom hosted an annual Christmas party at her house. Lasting friendships were formed and, although my mom is no longer enrolled in the class, she still attends the luncheons and gets together with several of her classmates. I attended the aquabics class several times but the pressure of the water against my chest made it too difficult to breathe. Debbie, the fabulous instructor, was very understanding and encouraging. She allowed me to do the exercises I could participate in and let me float and kick when I couldn't do what the other ladies were. This is a class I highly recommend to anyone and everyone. more

From summer youth camps to senior programs, they've got it all at South Florida Community College! South Florida Community College is a public community college serving DeSoto, Hardee, and Highlands Counties. It consists of several schools - the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Applied Sciences and Technologies, and the School of Adult and Community College. I've enjoyed several community college programs. My favorite is the music program. The college is the sponsor of the SFCC Community Orchestra and the SFCC Highlands County Concert Band. These community music groups provide a forum for local musicians to share their talents. Concerts are held in the 1,500 seat auditorium. more

While it has been 30 years since I've been to school and although I have no desire to return to school, SFCC plays a very important role in my life. They offer several cultural and entertainment series which truly enrich my life. The first is SFCC's Artist Series which presents about ten premiere performances each year and often includes Broadway musicals, ballet, and outstanding concerts by well-known artists. Due to this program, we are able to see some of the best entertainment in the country right here in our little town. We've had season tickets to this series for year so it is impossible to name all the programs we've seen but some of the most memorable have been John Davidson, Victor Borge, Debbie Reynolds, Rich Little, Paul Anka, The Lettermen and the Chinese National performers. Next is the Matinée Series (on Tuesday afternoons during the winter months). Again, this series presents about ten performances each season. Geared toward senior citizens, this afternoon series focuses on golden oldies, the big band sound, patriotic tributes, local college and high school ensembles, honky-tonk, rag-time and a bit of country. This past year we saw performances by the Suncoast Mummers String Band, The Diamonds, Jo Ann Castle, the River Rats, the Fabulons, the Sebring High School Show Choir, SFCC's Brass Ensemble, Mark Nizer and the Lowe Family. About two years ago, SFCC began a Jazz Series. Last year, during the 2004-2005 season, three excellent jazz concerts were presented via this series. The performances were given by the Eddie Higgins Trio, the Bobby Lewis Quartet and The Williams Reunion Jazz Band. We look forward to hearing this series grow. more