BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Bradford County must answer a call to action in supporting its youth and enabling them to achieve future success — a call that Santa Fe College President Paul Broadie II said aligns with the beliefs of Martin Luther King Jr. and is proven necessary by data.
Broadie, who was the featured speaker at the Concerned Citizens of Bradford County’s fifth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Major Service Awards Banquet, which was held Jan. 15 at the Gov. Charley E. Johns Conference Center, said he had no hesitation in deciding what he wanted to talk about when he was invited to do so. He said the decision wasn’t easy because he’s a college president, but because of the power of education.
“The dictionary defines education as a process of giving and receiving,” Broadie said. “That’s true, but I want to expand on that. When I think about education, I think of education in terms of opening minds, unlocking potential, creating opportunities, provoking critical thinking and providing the tools that allow an individual to realize their dreams.
“By the way, a community has great power to change a life. Hold on to that for a little while. You — every single person in this room — has great power to change a life and demonstrate the critical importance of education.”
Broadie said data tells a story as well as calling people to action. With that in mind, he shared how 22 percent of Bradford County citizens are living in poverty. When looking at just children, that rises to 36 percent. Though he described Bradford High School as “strong,” based upon its 88-percent graduation rate, Broadie said of those who graduate, only 17 percent go on to earn and associate’s degree, while only 10 percent go on to earn a bachelor’s degree.
“Those numbers represent a call to action,” Broadie said, adding, “Poverty should never define or confine an individual or a community. Instead, it should be used as a tool to inspire individuals to reach for prosperity.
“It is our job — Santa Fe College and every single person in this room — to show individuals the way, to provide an opportunity for a better future, a future that breaks cycles of poverty and generational poverty.”
Broadie said Santa Fe College and Bradford County as whole have work to do, referencing the following Martin Luther King quote: “If you can’t fly, then run; if you can’t run, then walk; if you can’t walk, then crawl; but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”
“Bradford County, we must fly, run, walk and crawl, but first, we must rise to the challenge that our community faces,” Broadie said.
It’s a call to action that Bradford County and the college share, Broadie said, adding that Santa Fe College and Concerned Citizens of Bradford County both strive to “lend a helping hand in our county, our communities and our surrounding areas in all positive aspects.”
Broadie talked of how Martin Luther King said how education must allow one to reach his or her “legitimate goals” in life and that the goal of “true education” is “intelligence plus character.”
“Everyone deserves to reach the legitimate goal of their life. We are here to make that possible,” Broadie said, adding, “Education can change a life. More importantly, I have witnessed again and again how education can break cycles of poverty and close equity gaps.”
Broadie remembered his own life and how his family seldom saw his father, while he was working two jobs and going to school. When his father finished school, the family’s life began to change. His father worked only one job and was at home more often. The type of home the family lived in improved.
“I never forgot that because it was education that allowed that to happen,” Broadie said. “Our mission at (Santa Fe College) is to expose as many people as possible to the power of education.”
During his career in education, Broadie has seen single mothers rise from poverty into the middle class. He’s seen those who’ve committed criminal offenses not only not repeat as offenders, but go on to become gainfully employed. He’s seen individuals who were on the wrong path change their course and flourish as a result. He’s seen first-generation college students inspire their entire family to go to college.
“As we have done and will continue to do in Bradford County, we will unlock the talents that reside within individuals and provide avenues for them to advance their lives,” Broadie said.
Broadie said his parents told him he could do anything if he followed his dreams. They let him know that he mattered and provided the belief in his ability to achieve whatever he wanted in life.
Those words had power.
“I make it a point — and I’m going to ask you to make it a point — to let people know that they matter,” Broadie said. “Some of our youth are lost because they don’t think they matter. They don’t think they can achieve.
“If you take nothing else from my remarks, let people know they matter. Believe me, your belief in others’ abilities will inspire them more than you will ever know.”
Broadie encouraged Bradford County to rise to the challenge of words recently uttered by Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter Bernice King: “Educate, communicate, achieve.”
“We are all accountable for the success of this community,” Broadie said. “Just like Martin Luther King did, we must inspire individuals to dream and achieve — to achieve what they never thought possible. When they achieve it, we must tell them to keep going because the possibilities are endless.”
The Santa Fe College president then told the room what the school was doing to help students achieve. He mentioned how Andrews Center Director Gina Greenidge is working to expand dual-enrollment opportunities, with an emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education and how students are benefitting from programs such as Talent Search and Upward Bound.
“Our college has added an Educational Opportunity Center, which is helping individuals aged 19 through 65 here in Bradford County earn credentials and secure employment,” Broadie said.
One of the school’s efforts is particularly exciting, Broadie said. SF Achieve gives Santa Fe a presence in Bradford High School, with college specialists working with students on pre-college curriculum, filling out college applications and financial-aid forms, and giving them look at career opportunities, whether achieved through college-degree programs or career technical training.
Broadie said the college is also committed to helping students pay for books or even, in some instances, covering academic costs not covered by financial aid.
“The power of education is great,” Broadie said. “At Santa Fe, we’re doing everything we can to make sure we reach as many people as possible. I’m going to take a liberty in saying I don’t think Dr. King would have it any other way.
“Every student in Bradford County is a bright light. We will ensure that those lights shine as bright as possible.
“Remember the words spoken by Dr. King’s daughter: ‘Educate, communicate, achieve.’”
In closing, Broadie encouraged people to not ask children what they want to be when they grow up. Instead, he said the question should be this: “What can you be when you grow up?”
“Every one of us has the power to change a life and transform a community,” Broadie said. “We all have the ability to turn hopeless to hope and dreams to reality.
“I personally and Santa Fe College join you as we rise to the challenge and make a difference in the lives of others.”
