After a week at their home location off 23rd Street in Panama City, 100 ninth-graders from the Collegiate School at FSU Panama City spent their first full day on the university campus on Friday, Aug. 18. 

As she did on the first day of school a week prior, Director Debbi Whitaker again greeted every parent and student in the designated drop-off area by the Bayside Building.

Students gathered in the courtyard of the Bayside, then strolled to the Holley Academic Center for an assembly at which Associate Dean Irvin Clark encouraged them to “start with the end in mind.”

“In a little while, see yourselves walking across the stage,” he said. “Everything is done. You’ve got that academic regalia on, you know you’re getting your A.A. degree, you’re sitting out there with all your loved ones watching and waiting for them to call your name—and they hand you the first diplomas that have been awarded by this brand-new school.”

Students took a tour of the campus, including some downtime playing foosball and ping-pong in Student Affairs. They ate a group lunch in the Holley Center and attended truncated classes on the third floor. They will return to the university campus every Friday throughout the academic year. 

“All of our dual enrollment courses will be taught by instructors—faculty and professors—at Florida State University,” Whitaker said. “We are trying to overlap any traditional classes that we can with dual enrollment or AP classes. Why would you not want to have your high school credit and at the same time get a college credit?”By grade 11, the students will spend every day of their school year on the university campus. 

“It’s a great opportunity to be here,” said freshman Olivia Kohler, “getting the experience of what it’s like to go to a college so we have an idea beforehand.” Her classmate, KC Nesmith, was more direct: “FSU Panama City is great. I hope I go here sometime.”

For more about the Collegiate School at Florida State University Panama City, visit tcs.fsu.edu.