Retirement: Bidding Beth Andrews Au Revoir
Beth Andrews, English professor, officially retires from SFSC on Tuesday, June 20, after serving the College for 19 years. Before bidding her “Au revoir,” learn more about her life, career, and plans for retirement.
Where are you originally from?
While I was born in Fitchburg, Mass., I grew up in Leominster, Mass. My family moved to Sebring in 1977, where I completed high school.
Where did you earn your degrees?
I earned my Associate in Arts at South Florida Community College. Then I went on to earn my Bachelor of Arts, a Master of Arts, and a Master of Education from the University of South Florida in Tampa.
Although you began teaching at the College in August 2006, when did you first become associated with SFSC?
I originally joined SFSC in 1991 working for the Summer Reach-Out program under the direction of Gwen Sanders-Hill. As a graduate from Sebring High School, the College was conveniently located and allowed me to complete my Associate in Arts while living at home. Watching the College grow over the decades has been amazing.
What were your professional goals while working on your degrees?
My first professional goal was to teach college-level English. Two outstanding educators inspired me to go into this field — my sixth-grade teacher at Johnny Appleseed Elementary School, Paul Tresaloni, and former SFSC English professor, Veronica Morris. As my career grew, I also wanted to work with beginning educators, and teaching part time in the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Teacher Education (BSETE) program has provided me a chance to do that.
What have been your favorite jobs throughout your career?
I have been blessed to have had a few amazing positions in my career. The first was teaching middle school students in Highlands County, which provided me with many opportunities to be part of this great community. The second has been teaching students at SFSC. Both jobs gave me opportunities to grow in my career and to interact with a variety of students. As I grew as an educator, I realized that teaching is reciprocative; my students learned from me and I learned from them.
What have you enjoyed most about teaching at SFSC?
I would have to say that my students and my colleagues are what I have most enjoyed at SFSC. I have enjoyed the opportunities to work with a variety of non-traditional students, U.S. veterans, returning students, very young students (one as young as 13 years of age), and foreign students, all of whom have made important impacts on me and who have taught me so much. It has also been an honor to have worked with my former professors, especially Lynn MacNeill and Dr. Henry Bettich. It was also cool to work with Susie Johnson [retired SFSC Financial Aid director], who was my financial advisor at the University of South Florida. Finally, I have loved working with so many talented colleagues. I am honored to have been part of such an amazing group of educators.
What do you consider your most cherished accomplishments in your career?
My most cherished accomplishments have been being able to connect and work with many students. When I began working at SFSC, I was blessed to teach students whom I had taught when they were in middle school. In addition, working on the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Quality Enhancement Plan (SACSCOC QEP) Literature Review in 2010/2011 was one of the highlights of my career. It was during this time that I got to work with many colleagues and administrators whom I admired and had a chance to help first-generation college students.
What will you miss most about the College?
I will miss working with students and the incredible people with whom I work. They have filled my life with so much inspiration over the decades.
What do you plan to do in retirement?
I plan to travel as much as possible with my handsome husband, Doug, during my retirement. In addition, I hope to have the time to formally learn Spanish and to continue to paint watercolors. Mostly, I plan to spend as much time as possible with my very large family.
Is there anything else you’d like people to know about you?
I am number seven out of nine children. I was a first-generation college student and when I first enrolled at South Florida Junior College, I was fortunate to have the guidance of Joe Johnston, Roberta Flowers, Betty Carlisle, and Mary Sowash to guide me through the College enrollment and academic processes.
I have eight grandchildren and look forward to visiting them more often when I am retired. I am still a student of watercolor painting, having studied under [retired SFSC Art professor] Cathy Futral. I look forward to working on this skill.
