FGCU cultivating connections in rural Hendry, Glades counties
- Drew Sterwald
- Community
- Contributors: Rendy Ramos, Cadence Bakker & James Greco | Visuals
6 – minute read
Miley Castellon’s eyes lit up as Florida Gulf Coast University junior Carli Bell discussed her dream of someday working in nuclear engineering and energy.
A junior from Clewiston High School, Castellon was visiting the FGCU campus along with more than 200 peers from Hendry and Glades counties on a February day devoted to exploring the university’s academic programs and campus life.
In small groups, they toured hands-on learning labs like the nursing program’s simulated hospital rooms or learned about making business pitches from entrepreneurship faculty. They explored creative hospitality skills through a tablescaping contest or plunged into a science-based “wet walk” through a conservation area.
In a day ending with dinner hosted by FGCU’s president and a lively basketball game at Alico Arena, they experienced a taste of Eagle life and a potential path to higher education.
“I’m here because I want to learn more about engineering,” Castellon said amid a fast-paced team challenge involving Lego blocks in the Wright Construction Group Methods Laboratory behind Howard Hall. “It’s a big opportunity for me to be at this school and learn from people who are actually in college. Seeing things from their perspective helps me picture myself doing this.”
Mission accomplished. The goal of Hendry and Glades Day was to show these students that an FGCU education is within reach. But the event was part of a broader initiative to connect the university more closely with adjacent inland-Florida residents.
The efforts aim not only to recruit dual-enrolled or traditional college-age students, but also to spark interest among adult learners seeking career-accelerating education like micro-credentials. The initiative is a two-way street, with the university also beefing up its presence as a community partner and workforce developer in towns such as LaBelle, Clewiston and Moore Haven.
Reaching out in communities
Leading the charge on the ground is 20-year Hendry County resident Amanda Lehrian, who joined FGCU’s Innovative Education & Partnerships department last summer as regional partnerships coordinator for Hendry and Glades counties. Instead of working from a campus office, she is based 40-some miles northeast in LaBelle.
Thus, she is well positioned to be a face of FGCU at local Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council meetings, at popular annual fairs and festivals — or even while just shopping at the Winn-Dixie dressed in FGCU Green and Blue.
“I might be doing everything from talking with a prospective student interested in admissions information to talking with an area employer that would love to get some specialized training for their employees,” Lehrian said.
“This is all in alignment with the new strategic plan and increasing the outreach into rural areas that have always been served by FGCU — but there is a desire to increase enrollment and FGCU’s physical presence in those areas.”
Indeed, elevating partnerships for regional impact is one of the overarching goals of the 2024-29 strategic plan, “Innovating for Student Success: FGCU’s Journey to Excellence.”
Encouraging more high school graduates, adult learners and business partners from Hendry and Glades to join that journey involves building better awareness of the university’s resources and bridging a gap between rural inland and urban coastal communities that may feel like more than mere mileage.
Differing demographics
Agriculture is the No. 1 industry in Hendry, which borders Lee County to the east and has a population of about 41,000 compared to Lee’s 840,000. This fall, FGCU enrolled 175 Hendry students and 27 from Glades, which lies north of Hendry and has a population of about 12,000.
However less populous, these two are integral to the university’s commitment to its five-county service area. Hendry and Glades residents serve on FGCU’s Agribusiness Advisory Committee in the Lutgert College of Business, which offers an agribusiness minor and houses the Center for Agribusiness to promote research, education and community engagement. An agribusiness micro-credential is also in the works, according to Lehrian.
Three members of the Innovative Education & Partnerships team, along with Lutgert faculty, are meeting employers on their turf to assess what skills are in demand in the local workforce and how they match with FGCU degrees and credentials.
As with most communities, healthcare professionals and certified teachers are near the top of the wish list.
“FGCU has all kinds of diverse programs to help our residents upskill and be able to level up their position and their knowledge base,” Lehrian said. “So, I can help the faculty and staff and departments that are already doing excellent work at FGCU, and make sure that the word is reaching out to our rural regions.”
Connecting with unique programs
Meanwhile, events like Hendry and Glades Day give the university a chance to introduce prospective students to unique programs like the STEM Academy, a free 12-day exploration of careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Like many of the teens visiting campus in February, Lehrian was a first-generation college student from a small town. She knows the challenges of navigating FAFSA applications and picturing yourself taking part in something like a residential STEM Academy. She’s eager to help them overcome barriers.
“I’m really hoping we get lots of students applying for the STEM Academy,” she said. “That can be life-altering, especially if you are in the interior or rural communities of Florida that can be a little insulated from the coast. They may not have had as much exposure to different options in terms of what to study or even have seen a campus like FGCU.”
