Top Left: Keely Mckinney celebrates with her family at the conclusion of FSW's School of Education Pinning Ceremony.
Top Right: (From left to right) Pedro Bretones, Dr. April Fleming, Dr. Anne Angstrom, and Keely McKinney pictured at the conclusion of the FSW's School of Education Pinning Ceremony.
Bottom Left: Students accept their pins in recognition of completing their final semester of study.
Bottom Right: Education pins sit ready for the 42 graduates of FSW’s Elementary Education program.
In recognition of National Teacher Appreciation Day, Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) is highlighting its growing impact on the region’s educator pipeline by celebrating its newest elementary education graduates and their 100% pass rate on the Florida Teacher Certification Exams. This achievement reinforces the college’s role in strengthening the regional teacher workforce. “Watching our students achieve a 100% pass rate on the Florida Teacher Certification Exams and prepare to serve schools right here in Southwest Florida is one of my greatest honors as Dean,” said Dr. April Fleming, dean of the School of Education. "Their success is more than a reflection of academic excellence; it is a promise fulfilled to our schools, our communities and the future students they will inspire.”
At a time when Florida, and Southwest Florida in particular, continues to experience a shortage of qualified teachers, FSW’s newest graduates are poised to make an immediate and meaningful impact in local school districts such as Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades. As growing demand for highly trained, certified elementary educators has increased, the School of Education has worked hard to produce high caliber educators. All 42 students proudly earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education.
“If I were talking with a student who wants to go into this field, I would let them know that this degree is very fulfilling, but you have to be disciplined and have a strong desire to pursue elementary education,” explained graduate Pedro Bretones, who also received the Dean’s Award from the School of Education. “This program has a lot to offer, but it is rigorous and holds you to a high standard.”
His preparation and performance in the program earned him the distinction of “Early Buc,” which allowed him to serve as the teacher of record in a classroom rather than in a traditional apprentice role. The designation reflects a high level of readiness and trust in his abilities as an educator while further preparing him to transition seamlessly into the workforce. Bretones is currently employed by the Lee County School District at Franklin Park Elementary, where he teaches English Language Arts in a fifth-grade classroom.
“What made FSW especially meaningful was how personal the program felt,” said graduate Keely McKinney. “Our professors were incredibly involved and genuinely invested in us—not just as students, but as future teachers. We could text them for support, meet online or in person, and they were always willing to help us navigate challenges.”
McKinney was recognized with the ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) award, highlighting her creativity and dedication to supporting multilingual learners and helping them stay engaged and successful in grade-level coursework. She currently serves as the teacher of record in a kindergarten classroom at the North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts.
Faculty leaders point to a deliberate system of academic support and accountability as the driving force behind student achievement. Through built-in checkpoints, one-on-one tutoring, and continuous mentorship, FSW ensures students are fully prepared at every stage of the program.
Rather than treating the bachelor’s program as a starting point, FSW builds a continuous pathway that begins with students pursuing their associate degrees.
“We want our AA students to know that their journey does not have to take them away from FSW or from Southwest Florida,” added Fleming. “They can continue right here with us, earn their Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, and be supported every step of the way through the wraparound services we provide during the program and even as they begin their teaching careers.”
Students who complete their associate in arts degree can continue seamlessly into the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education at FSW, remaining within the same academic environment as they advance toward their teaching careers.
For graduates, that sense of support is not just a promise but a lived experience.
“By the end of the program, they were even coming into our classrooms to support us and meet our students,” reflected McKinney. “That kind of connection made a real difference because it never felt like we were doing this alone.”
From faculty who visit classrooms to support student teachers to professors who remain accessible long after class ends, graduates describe a program where they are never navigating the journey alone. That connection, they say, carries directly into their own classrooms as they begin their careers.
As these new educators step into classrooms across Southwest Florida, FSW continues to strengthen its commitment to preparing teachers who are classroom-ready and supported from the moment they begin their studies through the first days of their teaching careers and beyond.