![Retired Polk State professor Kathy Riley won $10,400 while competing on "Jeopardy!" earlier this month. She has donated $1,000 of her winnings to the Polk State College Foundation. Here, she is pictured with "Jeopardy!"](http://06b.chertok-film.com/wp-content/uploads/kathy-riley-news-800x450.jpg)
Retired Polk State Professor Fulfills “Jeopardy!” Dream
![Retired Polk State professor Kathy Riley won $10,400 while competing on "Jeopardy!" earlier this month. She has donated $1,000 of her winnings to the Polk State College Foundation. Here, she is pictured with "Jeopardy!"](http://06b.chertok-film.com/wp-content/uploads/kathy-riley-news-400x225.jpg)
A retired Polk State College professor has fulfilled her lifelong dream of competing on the game show “Jeopardy!” Kathy Riley will appear on “Jeopardy!” on July 9. Locally, the show airs on weekday nights at…
![From left, Tom Hagerty, Geoff Hoskins, Ana Maria Sanchez, are new employees in Polk State's Office of Communications and Public Affairs.](http://06b.chertok-film.com/wp-content/uploads/new-employee-news-800x450.jpg)
Polk Has New Staff Members in Office of Communications and Public Affairs
![From left, Tom Hagerty, Geoff Hoskins, Ana Maria Sanchez, are new employees in Polk State's Office of Communications and Public Affairs.](http://06b.chertok-film.com/wp-content/uploads/new-employee-news-400x225.jpg)
Polk State College has made a handful of strategic hires within its Office of Communications and Public Affairs. Among the additions are Tom Hagerty, sports information coordinator, Geoff Hoskins, designer, and Ana Maria Sanchez, director…
![Deric Feacher, addressing the Class of 2013](http://06b.chertok-film.com/wp-content/uploads/FeacherPreaching.jpg)
Commencement Speaker Encourages Grads to Soar
![Deric Feacher, addressing the Class of 2013](http://06b.chertok-film.com/wp-content/uploads/FeacherPreaching-400x225.jpg)
At Polk State’s 109th Commencement ceremony on Thursday evening, featured speaker Deric Feacher urged Polk’s newest alumni to soar. His remarks may be viewed in full here:
![](http://06b.chertok-film.com/wp-content/uploads/Leadership-polk-news1-800x450.jpg)
Polk State Represented in New Leadership Polk Class
![](http://06b.chertok-film.com/wp-content/uploads/Leadership-polk-news1-400x225.jpg)
Polk State College is well represented in recently announced Leadership Polk Class VII. Members of the new class include Associate Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Naomi Boyer and Polk State Corporate College Business Development Coordinator…
![Yati Patel, an accountant at Polk State, was killed in a car accident on Saturday. Her friends and colleagues remember her as kind, humble, funny and committed to the College community.](http://06b.chertok-film.com/wp-content/uploads/Yati-news-800x450.jpg)
Polk State Reeling Over Loss of Young Alumna, Colleague
![Yati Patel, an accountant at Polk State, was killed in a car accident on Saturday. Her friends and colleagues remember her as kind, humble, funny and committed to the College community.](http://06b.chertok-film.com/wp-content/uploads/Yati-news-400x225.jpg)
Polk State’s Yati Patel was killed in a traffic accident on Saturday evening in Mulberry, bringing a bright, promising life to a tragic end. The news of Patel’s untimely death — she was just 24…
![Vernon Aguirre](http://06b.chertok-film.com/wp-content/uploads/W-Vernon_2-800x450.jpg)
College Community Shocked, Saddened by Loss of Student Vernon Aguirre
![Vernon Aguirre](http://06b.chertok-film.com/wp-content/uploads/W-Vernon_2-400x225.jpg)
Vernon Aguirre, who came to Polk State to pursue a second career as a filmmaker and became a student-leader whose impact transcended campus boundaries, died Saturday after sustaining injuries in a fall. The loss was…
![A pair of killdeers have made their nest in the Polk State Winter Haven Administration Building parking lot.](http://06b.chertok-film.com/wp-content/uploads/killdeer1-800x450.jpg)
Polk State Employees Unite to Protect Nesting Killdeers
![A pair of killdeers have made their nest in the Polk State Winter Haven Administration Building parking lot.](http://06b.chertok-film.com/wp-content/uploads/killdeer1-400x225.jpg)
The Eagle will always be Polk State’s favorite bird, but as the story of two killdeers proves, the College is a place where all feathered creatures will find a safe home. In mid-May, Sports Information…
![Kenneth Ross](http://06b.chertok-film.com/wp-content/uploads/Dr-Ken-Ross-800x450.jpg)
Polk State’s Ross Quoted in Inside Higher Ed Article on New Education Bill
![Kenneth Ross](http://06b.chertok-film.com/wp-content/uploads/Dr-Ken-Ross-400x225.jpg)
Polk State College’s Kenneth Ross recently lent his perspective on a sweeping new education bill to the news website Inside Higher Ed. A June 5 article titled Remediation If You Want It examines the potential…
![Polk State President Eileen Holden](http://06b.chertok-film.com/wp-content/uploads/drholdenltb-800x450.jpg)
Holden On Track to Lead Florida Association of Colleges and Universities; a First for Polk State
![Polk State President Eileen Holden](http://06b.chertok-film.com/wp-content/uploads/drholdenltb-400x225.jpg)
Polk State President Eileen Holden is on track to lead the Florida Association of Colleges and Universities in the year 2015-16, becoming the first from this institution to ever do so. Holden is currently serving…
First-Year Faculty Members to Present Work During Poster Session
Polk State’s first-year faculty members will be presenting the results of their student success projects during an informal, innovative poster session. The poster session will take place between 9 and 10:30 a.m. on April 19…