SJRCC PRESS RELEASE August 2008 SJRCC honors Educator Preparation Institute graduates St. Johns River Community College recently recognized 45 students for completing the teacher certification program. The Educator Preparation Institute was developed in 2006 to streamline the certification process for non-education bachelor's degree holders. The participants completed the coursework required to earn a Florida Professional Teaching Certificate. Participants are awarded a Florida Professional Teaching Certificate upon completing the EPI courses, passing the Florida Teacher Certification Exam and submitting the required paperwork to the Florida Department of Education. No other coursework is required, and the program can be completed in less than a year - on campus or online. The SJRCC EPI program currently includes approximately 200 students. The St. Johns County program completers are Abby Bergmann, Scott Brandow, Brent Cofield, Gerald Doyle, Ashley Duffy, Monica Floyd-Cox, Jennifer Lovelace, Angela McCutcheon, Lissa O'Rourke, Kimberly Sexton, Elizabeth Steen, Clyde Taylor and Drew Upchurch. The Clay County program completers are Stephanie Ammons, Audie Boggs, Gloria Cauble, Lorena Dominey, Michael Filz, Audra Grelli, Renita Haymon, LaDonna Hutchingson, Erin Knight, Nancy McKenney, Micheala Moriarty, Richard Rees, Shawn Shannon, Samuel Shelton, Mechelle Simpson and Carmen Taylor. The Putnam County program completers are Tahnee Byrd, Kristin Hudson, Detrick Lockhart, Peter Millard, Roegina Simmons and Aris West. Additional program completers are Fazela Ahmed, Daydra Andrews-Harrison, Fallon Collins, Patricia Hinton, Niki Kelly, James Maxwell, Rosie Morales, Rachel O'Donnell, Lucas Stricker and Kimberly Walker. The guest speaker was State Representative Joe Pickens, J.D. In order to participate in the EPI program, applicants must have earned a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university and possess the disposition suitable for becoming a teacher. For more information on SJRCC's EPI program, please call (386) 312-4242 or e-mail opencampus@sjrcc.edu. PHOTO CAPTIONS: PHOTO TOP: Thirteen students from St. Johns County were among those who recently completed SJRCC's Educator Preparation Institute. The EPI program streamlines the teacher certification process for non-education bachelor's degree holders. From left: Elizabeth Steen, Kimberly Sexton, Monica Floyd-Cox and Lissa O'Rourke. Not pictured: Abby Bergmann, Scott Brandow, Brent Cofield, Gerald Doyle, Ashley Duffy, Jennifer Lovelace, Angela McCutcheon, Clyde Taylor and Drew Upchurch PHOTO 2: Sixteen students from Clay County were among those who recently completed SJRCC's Educator Preparation Institute. The EPI program streamlines the teacher certification process for non-education bachelor's degree holders. Front row, left to right: Richard Rees, Michael Filz, LaDonna Hutchingson and Erin Knight. Back row, left to right: Nancy McKenney, Stephanie Ammons, Audie Boggs and Mechelle Simpson. Not pictured: Gloria Cauble, Lorena Dominey, Audra Grelli, Renita Haymon, Micheala Moriarty, Shawn Shannon, Samuel Shelton and Carmen Taylor. PHOTO 3: Six students from Putnam County were among those who recently completed SJRCC's Educator Preparation Institute. The EPI program streamlines the teacher certification process for non-education bachelor's degree holders. From left: Roegina Simmons, Tahnee Byrd and Detrick Lockhart. Not pictured: Kristin Hudson, Peter Millard and Aris West.