News Article

Passion Leads FSW Graduate to Exciting Opportunity

May 12, 2016

Florida SouthWestern State College graduate Jake Smith is pleased that this year’s commencement fell on his day off from work.

Jake, like many students graduating from FSW, already have a full-time job or a foot in the door before their diploma is even printed. A native of Charlotte County, Jake 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.

“Fishing is my passion and the company is full of great people,” he said. “I thrive off of meeting new people and building relationships. Networking has been so important.”

The FSW Charlotte Campus was like his extended family and he never regretted choosing a smaller college over a colossal university someplace else.

“Living here my whole life made it so I knew a lot of people when I started college, but I’ve met so many new people who I recognize now off campus. Having that small town feel has been great,” said Jake.

He made it his business at FSW 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’s 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’s military benefits, so he decided to register at FSW.

“My parents have been a huge support and I’ve surrounded myself with great people,” he said. “At FSW I learned that you get out of it what you put in – and that’s huge.”

As a student at FSW, 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’t on the college’s dean list and he was added to the national “Who’s Who Among Students” directory. Staff on the Charlotte Campus also awarded him “Outstanding Student Ambassador” for the work he did in recruiting new students.

Jake said he is proud of not only being the last cohort to earn an Edison State College diploma, but also being part of the final group to graduate in Germain Arena. Starting in 2017, FSW will host commencement inside of the Suncoast Credit Union Arena.

Last Updated: May 12, 2016