Motto | Educatio Optima |
---|---|
Type | Public college |
Established | 1963 |
Parent institution | Florida College System |
President | Devin Stephenson [1] |
Academic staff | 300 [2] |
Undergraduates | 5,497 [3] |
Location | , U.S. |
Campus | 264 acres (107 ha) |
Colors | Red, white, black |
Sporting affiliations | NJCAA Region 8, Panhandle Conference |
Mascot | Raiders |
Website | www |
Northwest Florida State College is a public college in Niceville, Florida. It is part of the Florida College System and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Northwest Florida State College has multiple campuses but has operated continuously on its Niceville campus since 1963. The college also operates a charter high school, the Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College, which opened in 2000. [4]
Northwest Florida State College was founded in 1963 as Okaloosa-Walton Junior College, with its campus in Valparaiso, Florida; students started class the next year. A permanent campus in Niceville was dedicated in April 1969. [5] The school voted to change its name to Okaloosa-Walton Community College in 1988, [6] and gained four-year status in 2003, thus changing its name to Okaloosa-Walton College.
In June 2008, Governor Charlie Crist signed a bill that allowed several community colleges, including OWC, to offer four-year degrees and be considered part of Florida's upper education under the newly formed Florida College Pilot Project, [7] making OWC one of the state colleges in Florida. Due to the change, school officials elected to once again change the name, this time to Northwest Florida State College.
As of the 2020-2021 year, Northwest Florida State College operates at six locations. [8]
The Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College (CHS) is a charter school in Niceville, Florida, established in 2000. From then until the fall semester of 2022, CHS enabled 10th-, 11th-, and 12th-grade students to simultaneously earn both a standard high school diploma and a transferable two-year college degree (Associate of Arts) or transferable college credits. The 2022–2023 school year introduced a freshman program that allows students to receive an Associate of Science degree. Only students who enroll as a freshman have access to the AS program, and, upon entering 10th-grade, they have the choice to continue in that program or transfer to the standard AA program. [9]
CHS is a public school and is free of charge to students. College-credit classes, college and high school textbooks, provision for transportation, use of a personal laptop computer, tutoring, and more are all provided at no cost. Students are allowed to participate in a wide range of college activities and extracurriculars including sports, the Raider Rhythms dance team, and the college's Student Government Association. [10] CHS was named the #1 school in Florida for the 2002–2003, 2009–2010, and 2010–2011 school years [11] and a U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon School in both 2006 (receiving the award as "Okaloosa-Walton Collegiate High School") and 2013. [12]
The Mattie Kelly Arts Center is a performing arts and educational complex, with a 1,650-seat main stage theater, a 195-seat Sprint Theater, the Mattie Kelly Art Galleries, a music wing, a visual arts building and the NWFSC amphitheater. [13] The Mattie Kelly Art Galleries consist of the McIlroy Gallery, and Holzhauer Gallery. [14]
Northwest Florida State College has two library locations. The Niceville Campus Library is located inside the Susan Myers Learning Resources Center Library, and the Ft. Walton Beach Campus hosts the Emerald Coast Library. [15] [16] The Emerald Coast location services library resources for both the University of West Florida and Northwest Florida State College, as it is a joint campus. [17] [18] The Susan Myers Learning Resources Center hosts the Zoghby Learning Commons which houses library materials, tutoring, testing, academic support, study areas, and printing. [19]
The school's athletic teams compete in the Panhandle Conference of the Florida State College Activities Association, a body of the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 8. [20]
Alumni | Notability |
---|---|
Chris Duarte | Professional basketball player |
Kedrick Brown | Former professional basketball player |
Robert Coello | Former Major League Baseball pitcher |
Andres Feliz | Professional basketball player |
Jason Michaels | Former Major League Baseball outfielder |
Xavier Moon | Professional basketball player |
Alan Ritchson | Actor |
Ray Sansom | Former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives |
Donell Taylor | Former professional basketball player |
Branden Vincent | Former professional basketball player |
On April 11, 2009, a lone gunman shot a vending machine maintenance worker at the center in DeFuniak Springs. The victim was shot twice in the chest and died from his injuries. [22] The suspect, Thomas McCoy, a former co-worker of the victim, was apprehended and charged and found guilty of first degree murder. [23]
Between May 21, 2012, and September 24, 2012, a large-scale security breach occurred at the college. The personal information of nearly 300,000 people, including 200,000 who had no connection to the institution, was stolen. Leaked information included names, Social Security numbers, birthdates, gender, and ethnicity as well as payroll and direct deposit information. No one was ever charged in the attack. [24]
Okaloosa County is located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, extending from the Gulf of Mexico to the Alabama state line. As of the 2020 census, the population was 211,668. Its county seat is Crestview. Okaloosa County is included in the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Walton County is located on the Emerald Coast in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Florida, with its southern border on the Gulf of Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 75,305. Its county seat is DeFuniak Springs. The county is home to the highest natural point in Florida: Britton Hill, at 345 feet (105 m). Walton County is included in the Crestview–Fort Walton Beach–Destin Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Crestview is the largest city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 27,134 at the 2020 census, up from 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Okaloosa County. With an elevation of 235 feet (72 m) above sea level, it is one of the highest points in the state.
Niceville is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States, located near Eglin Air Force Base on Boggy Bayou that opens into Choctawhatchee Bay. It is part of the Fort Walton Beach–Crestview–Destin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 15,772 at the 2020 census.
The University of West Florida is a public university in Pensacola, Florida, United States. Established in 1963 as a member institution of the State University System of Florida, the University of West Florida is a comprehensive research university without faculties of law or medicine, a designated space-grant institution, and sits on the third largest campus in the State University System, at 1,600 acres (650 ha). The university's mascot is Argie the Argonaut and its logo is the chambered nautilus.
The Florida panhandle is the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Florida. It is a salient roughly 200 miles (320 km) long, bordered by Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its eastern boundary is arbitrarily defined. It is defined by its southern culture and rural geography relative to the rest of Florida, as well as closer cultural links to French-influenced Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Its major communities include Pensacola, Navarre, Destin, Panama City Beach, and Tallahassee.
The Emerald Coast is an unofficial name for the coastal area in the US state of Florida on the Gulf of Mexico that stretches about 100 miles (160 km) through five counties, Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay, which include Pensacola Beach, Navarre Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, and Panama City Beach. Some south Alabama communities on the coast of Baldwin County, such as Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Fort Morgan embrace the term as well.
Florida SouthWestern State College is a public college with its main campus in Fort Myers, Florida. It is part of the Florida College System. The college has satellite campuses in Charlotte County and Collier County, and outreach programs in Hendry County and Glades County.
Jason Drew Michaels, nicknamed "J-Mike", is an American retired Major League Baseball outfielder. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Houston Astros.
Polk State College, formerly Polk Community College, is a public college in Winter Haven, Florida. It is part of the Florida College System. The college changed its name from Polk Community College in 2009 to reflect its first Bachelor's degree program. Originally named Polk Junior College, it began classes in 1964. The main campus is located in Winter Haven, a second campus is located in nearby Lakeland. Smaller centers exist in Bartow, Lake Wales, Winter Haven, and two in Lakeland.
Alan Michael Ritchson is an American actor. He made his acting debut as Aquaman / Arthur Curry on The CW superhero series Smallville (2005–2010), where he appeared as a guest star between the fifth and tenth seasons. Ritchson had a starring role in the Spike TV sitcom Blue Mountain State (2010–2012), a role he reprised in the 2016 film sequel. He also headlined the SyFy action series Blood Drive (2017), and returned to superhero television as Hank Hall / Hawk on the DC Universe / HBO Max series Titans from 2018 to 2021. He gained wider recognition for portraying the title character in the Amazon Prime Video action thriller series Reacher since 2022.
The Northwest Florida Daily News is a daily newspaper published in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. It was founded in 1946 and is owned by Gannett.
The Emerald Coast Classic is an 8 team college basketball tournament held during Thanksgiving of NCAA Division I men's basketball season, with the inaugural tournament beginning in 2014. The two final round games are played on the campus of Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Florida. The tournament will be presented by Global Sports. First and second-round games are played at on-campus sites, with the third round and championship round scheduled Thanksgiving weekend at Northwest Florida State College.
State Road 123 is a north–south state highway that bypasses the stretch of State Road 85 through Niceville, Florida. The highway is a more direct route to Fort Walton Beach from points north. With flyover ramps at both intersections of SR 85 now completed, the highway has been widened into a 4-lane divided highway.
Niceville Senior High School (NHS) is a public high school in the city of Niceville, Florida. It is ranked as the top high school within its high-performing Okaloosa County School District. In 1996, NHS was selected as one of 226 secondary schools to be designated as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. NHS was also named a New American High School in 1999, one of only 13 in the nation to earn that honor that year. The State of Florida Department of Education rated the school an A+ in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2005.
Catholic High School is a private Roman Catholic high school in Virginia Beach, Virginia, founded as Norfolk Catholic High School in 1949 and moved to Virginia Beach in 1993. In 2003, the school was renamed in honor of Walter Francis Sullivan, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Richmond and a significant benefactor during the school's move to Virginia Beach. The Barry Robinson Theater and Fine Arts Center opened that same year. In 2019, the school was renamed Catholic High School amid direction that all diocesan institutions, schools and parish buildings must "no longer be named after an individual bishop, pastor, founder or individual".
Ray Sansom is an American politician who was a Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing portions of Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties from 2002 to February 21, 2010.
Okaloosa County School District is a public school district that covers Okaloosa County, Florida. The district has its headquarters in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The current superintendent of schools is Marcus Daniel Chambers.
The Crestview–Fort Walton Beach–Destin, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is a metropolitan area consisting of Okaloosa and Walton counties in northwest Florida, with the principal cities of Crestview, Fort Walton Beach, and Destin. As of the 2010 census, the MSA had a population of 235,865, and a 2012 population estimate of 247,665.
Florida's 4th House district elects one member of the Florida House of Representatives. The district is represented by Patt Maney. This district is located in the Florida Panhandle, and encompasses part of the Emerald Coast, as well as part of the Crestview metropolitan area. The district covers southern Okaloosa County. The largest city in the district is Crestview. As of the 2010 census, the district's population is 158,781.
30°32′22″N86°28′32″W / 30.5394163°N 86.475644°W
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