Palm Beach State College’s Loxahatchee Groves campus dedicated a time capsule at a ceremony held at the newly established campus on Monday, Nov. 27.
College officials were joined by community dignitaries, faculty and students to commemorate a 30-year look into the future.
Provost Maria Vallejo thanked all who attended the occasion.
“We’re thrilled that you’re here and that you’re joining us for this celebration and this very historic event,” she said. “For as members of the community, this is also your event, because you’re part of our community here at the college.”
President Ava Parker showed gratitude to leaders in the western communities who made it a point to show support for the campus and where it stands today.
“It’s because of the support that you gave the college as a community, for our elected officials, both locally, here within the Town of Loxahatchee Groves, our county and in Tallahassee,” Parker said. “It’s the support you gave [former PBSC President] Dennis [Gallon] and the board that it was easy for me to develop a story so that they really could not tell us no.”
Carolyn Williams, vice chair of the PBSC Board of Trustees, shined light on the current and future opportunities the campus brings students in the community.
“Young people can come and engage in this community and appreciate the natural beauty,” Williams said. “One of the factors that we considered as we discussed this with the community is there was a need to make sure that when we built the structure, we took into consideration the natural beauty of the environment, creating a balance. We wanted to make sure that what we put out here would appreciate and enhance the natural environment.”
Former PBSC President Dennis Gallon, for whom the campus is named, hopes people understand that the Loxahatchee Groves campus will progress with the times and experience changes over the next 30 years. However, the college will still uphold its responsibility to the communities it serves.
“I think that it is a powerful testimony of the great responsibility that these institutions have,” Gallon said. “In 30 years, we will be judged by the degree to which we had our focus in the right direction, the degree to which we were able to set a mission to serve the needs of current students as well as future students. I think that we will be judged by that.”
The time capsule was welded by the students from the welding program at Palm Beach State College’s Belle Glade campus.
