PirateQ 
For the past 15 years, B.A.S. graduate Lori Rudd has been a PSC student herself or a PSC mom with seven of her nine children dually enrolled as homeschooled high school students.
Lori Rudd graduates today with her B.A.S. in Business Management & Administration from Pensacola State College. For the past 15 years, she has been a PSC student herself or a PSC mom with seven of her nine kids dually enrolled as homeschooled high school students. With her own graduation approaching, she shares her PSC story and sentiments of gratitude in a letter to PSC President Ed Meadows, Ed.D.
Dear Dr. Meadows,
I wanted to write to you and the Board to express my deep gratitude for the work you have done during your tenure as President. As I prepare to walk the stage next week, I needed to take a moment and recognize the individuals who had the biggest impact on me and made it possible for me to reach this moment and let you know how important PSC has been to my family.
I have nine children, of which the oldest seven have all been dual enrollment homeschool students during their high school years. They have become military officers, a State Trooper, a teacher, and a nursing supervisor for Ascension Sacred Heart. The professors at PSC helped me set my children on the path to success.
I had foregone my own higher education as I was raising and home schooling my children. In January 2018, our family was shattered by an act of domestic violence. After 30 years I was starting over from scratch. I immediately enrolled in the Paralegal Studies program because I have always loved law. I began courses under Dr. Simpson-Robinson as a shattered shell of a person. Slowly she and Dr. Michael Payne fanned the embers that became my phoenix’s flame, burning my former self to ash so she could reemerge as someone entirely new. They poured hope, encouragement, and positivity into me in ways that I cannot put into words. When I didn’t think I could go on, they knew I could and made sure I did. I completed my A.S. in Paralegal Studies, and their references helped me secure my position with the Florida Statewide Guardian ad Litem office as a paralegal. I continued in the Business Department mostly because I couldn’t imagine not having Dr. Payne’s steady encouraging presence in my life. This added Dr. Jimmy Stallings, Dr. Rameca Leary, and Dr. Lillian Harding to my team of professors. Each one became a vital support on my journey. If I wrote a book dedicated to each professor and the way they impact their students, it would not be enough to express what they have each meant to me as a student and as a phoenix rising. You have some of the best professors in academia right here at PSC!
As I consider what comes next, I lean into the relationships that I have built with my professors and treasure their advice and wisdom in matters beyond the classroom. Whether I apply to Law School, pursue my M.B.A., or possibly choose a master’s program leading to clinical mental
health counseling, the shear fact that this non-traditional student has these possibilities is largely owing to the endless support of your staff that walked beside me throughout my A.S. and B.A.S.
The PSC financial aid and scholarship department also deserves a big shout out as the true champions of students like me. I could never have secured funding for my education without them. I was the honored recipient of multiple scholarships during my time here, and each one served as an equal deposit of encouragement and belief in my abilities and financial assistance. As I worked one full-time and one part-time job, continued raising my children and home schooling them, and attended PSC full-time, the challenges were immense for my physical, mental, emotional, and academic reserves. PSC was always there to help whether it was the food pantry, counseling services, or top-notch professors (and department heads) with small class sizes who care enough to invest in their students as people.
I hear you have announced you will be leaving PSC and while I certainly wish you blessings in abundance on your new path, I must say that PSC is losing a valuable leader. Thank you for the steady leadership you have provided over the years. I have either been a parent of a student or a student for the past 15 years, and I have loved watching the school grow and change in positive ways. I hope the new president will continue to build on the foundation you have laid. The foundation that cradled and nurtured the ashes of my life until the phoenix was ready to burst forth from the flames and proclaim that she is a completely new person walking across that stage on May 15th. I look forward to seeing all my favorite professors, department head, and college President there!
With sincere gratitude,
Lori Rudd
Class of 2026
B.A.S. Business & Administration
Pensacola State College