BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Whatever Lisa Prevatt has done throughout her life and is still doing to help others makes her no different from any number of women.
Well, that’s her opinion, anyway.
However, Santa Fe College has chosen to put the spotlight on her and four others as part of its annual Woman of Distinction and Woman of Promise honors.
Prevatt, who lives on Hampton Lake, will be recognized at a luncheon on March 1at 11:30 a.m. at the Hilton UF Conference Center in Gainesville. Tickets, which are limited, are $40 and may be purchased online. Visit sfcollege.edu/wod and click on the tickets link.
“I’ve always enjoyed going to that distinguished-women’s luncheon and hearing about all the just exciting work women were doing in our community,” Prevatt said. “Now that it’s me, I just feel like I don’t do anything different from so many other people, so I guess I feel like I’m a representative of all the women who work hard to do good things within their communities and to help others.”
Prevatt, of course, felt honored when she was informed that she had been selected for the honor, along with Women of Distinction Bea Awoniyi, Annette Bauer (deceased) and Yvette Carter and Woman of Promise Emma Katie-Grace Hutto, but she admitted it kind of left her speechless.
“I don’t feel distinguished, except I’m 6 feet tall,” Prevatt said. She then laughed and said, “There you go. I do stand out sometimes.”
If you take away her height, you’re still left with someone who stood out, especially when it came to education. She worked for more than 20 years in the Bradford County School District as a teacher and administrator.
Making a rewarding change in careers
Education was the retired Prevatt’s second career. She initially worked 10 years in the field of nuclear-medicine technology after graduating from Santa Fe College. After the birth of her first child, she found the career to be emotionally challenging when working with pediatric patients. Plus, when you are trying to raise a child, it’s a challenging career that consists of long workdays and having to be on call.
Prevatt’s second career began in 1989 as a teacher at what was then known as Lawtey Community School.
“It’s just really a great job for mothers because the hours are so similar to your children’s,” Prevatt said. “If you need to be a working mother, it’s a great career. It’s served me and my family well. I loved it, too, being able to just touch the lives of children is a precious thing.”
Teaching also seemed to be a good fit for someone who had to overcome her struggles with reading as a child. She wanted to rely upon the experiences she had with her teachers (good and bad) to help children with their own struggles.
“That definitely molded me and drew me into my philosophy, which is that all students can learn, but they don’t all learn the same,” Prevatt said. “They need a lot of encouragement and patience when they’re struggling. They also need to see all the little successes they have so they don’t give up. You just have to be that great encourager.”
Of course, nothing’s better than when a teacher sees that student’s face light up when they finally make that breakthrough after their struggles and comprehend what they’re learning.
“That’s such a reward,” Prevatt said. “That’s what education’s about, just helping them to get there.”
Prevatt said the appeal of teaching in elementary school was the chance to witness that “very obvious educational growth” that young children make.
“And they love their teachers when they’re little,” she added.
Prevatt also taught at Starke Elementary School before moving into administration. That phase of her career began at Southside Elementary School under Principal Mary Agnes Goldwire, who Prevatt described as a “great mentor.” From there, Prevatt returned to Lawtey to serve as that school’s principal.
Though she considered herself an elementary school person, Prevatt had the opportunity to go to Bradford High School as an assistant principal. She was hesitant about that move when it was first mentioned to her by Harry Hatcher, who was superintendent of schools at the time, but in discussions with him, she finally said, “Wherever you need me.”
“So I ended up going to the high school, which ended up being a good experience,” Prevatt said.
Prevatt said she had envisioned working at the district level one day, but never had an eye on being assistant superintendent, but that was the next position Hatcher had for her.
“He wanted the focus of that office to be more curriculum and instruction, so he just asked me to do that,” Prevatt said. “That was an honor.”
During her final four years before retirement, Prevatt once again found herself back at the school where it all began, serving as Lawtey principal again.
“Honestly, the best four years,” Prevatt said. “The best way to end my career, back with teachers and children. I was so thankful for that. What a great staff that was. We truly were Team Lawtey.
“You never know what life’s going to bring you, but I found that God is good, and He has good plans. Being in Lawtey was a good thing.”
Prevatt may not work in the school system anymore, but she’s still helping a student as a mentor in Communities in Schools of Braford County’s Take Stock in Children program. This is her first year as a mentor. She’s paired with a BHS freshman and will have the chance to mentor her until she graduates.
“That has been a lot of fun, just spending some time getting to know her,” Prevatt said. “I go and have lunch with her a couple of times a month. We get to talk about her career goals, how things are going and then just life in general, too — just building a relationship, to help encourage her to continue her education and do the best she can.”
Santa Fe trustee
Prevatt thinks highly of Santa Fe College, saying, “Santa Fe just represents so much that I believe is important, including not only education, but equity and access to education. They really try to serve all students.”
The Santa Fe alumnus had the opportunity to work with the college as a member of its District Board of Trustees, taking the place of Bradford County resident Evelyn Womack. Prevatt said Jackson Sasser, who was the college president at the time, asked Womack to recruit someone to fill her spot. That led to Prevatt being interviewed by Sasser as well as by then Gov. Rick Scott.
Prevatt would serve on the board for approximately 11 years — including a term as board chair in 2017-18 — before stepping down in April 2022.
“What’s so interesting is hos that little board, with its different sills and experiences, can come together and share and discuss and help make good decisions for that college,” Prevatt said. “I truly enjoyed working with other trustees and getting to know them.”
One of the trustees she got to work alongside was Mike Goldwire, the husband of Mary Agnes Goldwire, whom Prevatt worked under at Southside Elementary School.
“He is so energetic and so passionate about helping this community,” Prevatt said.
Serving as a trustee was a great chance for Prevatt to become more aware of the college, its programs and its personnel.
“When you get to see behind the scenes, so to speak, and you get to really hear the work and the heart of the people at that institution, it made it easy for me to stay there as long as I did. They really have a heart for educating students and for working in the community. They have always been highly involved, even here in Bradford County. That’s a wonderful thing, too.”
Prevatt likes the fact that the college has a center in Starke and gives BHS students a head start on their post-high school lives through dual enrollment.
“Some of them even have their associate’s degree by the time they graduate high school,” Prevatt said. “What a benefit that is.”
A highlight during her time as trustee was Santa Fe receiving the Aspen Institute’s designation as number-one community college in the nation in 2015.
“The interview process with the Aspen folks was very thorough,” Prevatt said. “They interviewed us as a board, too. They really wanted to know what Santa Fe was all about, who they really were.
“Sure, the data was pretty good, but are people just talking the talk or truly walking the walk? Santa Fe walks the walk.”
Encouraging others
She may not see herself as one deserving of the public spotlight, but Prevatt said that by being a Woman of Distinction, she’ll hopefully encourage others to give back to their communities in some way.
That’s why she likes the fact that Santa Fe honors Women of Distinction and Women of Promise (ages 16-21) every year. She believes that when someone sees what someone else is being honored for, it makes them evaluate how they, too, can make a difference in their communities.
In other words, Prevatt believes Santa Fe is helping keep the process of giving back going.
“God created us all different, with different skills and gifts,” Prevatt said. “When we see them used for such good, that’s what is an amazing thing.”
Prevatt said her fellow Woman of Distinction honorees — Bea Awoniyi, Annette Bauer (deceased) and Yvette Carter — and Woman of Promise (age 16-21) Emma Katie-Grace Hutto certainly provide a good example to follow.
“It’s just what makes our world so much better — when people are willing to give their time and energy into different things just to help others,” Prevatt said.
Women of Distinction traces its origin back to 1987, the inspiration of Ann Bromley, Santa Fe’s coordinator of women’s programs and special projects. She sought to develop a program that would provide recognition and visibility to women for their contributions of time and talent.
Since its inception, Santa Fe College has bestowed the honor to over 190 women.
The Woman of Promise category was added to honor outstanding up-and-coming young women for leadership in their community and civic involvement. As of this date, 16 young ladies have received this honor.
In 2014, the Women of Distinction honorees began raising funds to establish the first Woman of Distinction Scholarship fund. The first award was given for the 2015-16 academic year. More than $220,000 has been raised to endow four scholarships designed to enable women to achieve their academic goals.
A goal was set in 2022 of creating a fifth scholarship.
