HOSTING BOOTS – BREWS & BBQ -TO BENEFIT SCHOLARSHIPS

Put on your boots, grab your cowboy hat and saddle up for Hodges University’s first Boots, Brews and BBQ on Saturday,  October 24. The fun begins at 6:00 p.m. at The Club Pelican Bay, 707 Gulf Park Drive in Naples. All proceeds from the event benefit the Thelma Hodges Friends of the University Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded on the basis of student need, with
funding granted first to those with the most critical financial need.

Guests can chow down at the chuck wagon and then kick up their heels to the sounds of Cahlua and Cream. Sandra Buxton is serving as chair of the event. Tickets are $100 each and tables of eight are available for $800. For more information and to purchase tickets, please contact April May at amay@hodges.edu or 239.598.6135.

Hodges University, a private, non-profit institution of higher learning, is celebrating its 25th anniversary of contributing to the richness of Collier County and providing a diverse learning environment to many.

Founded in Naples in 1990 as International College, the institution began with just 85 students in a rented storefront. In 2007, International College was renamed Hodges University in honor of its main benefactors, Earl and Thelma Hodges, long-time residents of Naples and long-time supporters of Hodges University. In addition to honoring the significant gift made by the Hodges, the name change more accurately reflected the growing student body and diverse degree programs offered as well as the move from college status to university status.

Hodges University now has campuses in Naples and Fort Myers and is comprised by the School of Allied Health, Nichols School of Professional Studies, Fisher School of Technology, Johnson School of Business and School of Liberal Studies.

The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. Though serving students of all ages, Hodges University has garnered recognition for developing a curriculum that is uniquely catered to adults who balance their academic obligations while maintaining full-time jobs and family responsibilities.

The university offers flexible schedules of day, evening, weekend and online classes; competency-based, self-paced degree options; career counseling; and hands-on support from a highly qualified faculty. All of these factors culminate to produce a
learning environment unlike any other institution in the region.

Hodges University works closely with employers to develop and implement programs of study that will prepare graduates to fill the workforce needs of the local community and to become contributing members to the growth of Collier County. Over the past 25 years, Hodges University has conferred more than 9,000 degrees to graduates who live and work in Southwest Florida.

In addition to its 32 undergraduate and seven graduate degree programs of study, Hodges University also facilitates a comprehensive English as a Second Language (ESL) program, which offers English language immersion to non-native
speakers of English who want to increase their fluency. This intensive program is designed to enhance students’ knowledge and use of English, as well as their ability to integrate into an English-speaking culture.

In addition to the current 2,300 students enrolled at Hodges University, there are 275 full-time and 100 part-time university faculty and staff who live and work in and contribute to Southwest Florida. Along with the impact of the Hodges community on the local economy, Hodges University students, faculty, staff and alumni understand the importance of giving back through volunteering and have contributed untold number of hours over the years.

Hodges University has made enormous strides over the past 25 years and has been a dynamic, progressive institution fulfilling its role in the community  it serves. The institution has touched the lives of its graduates, their families and employers, and the community as a whole. Hodges University will continue to offer its distinctive transformational, learner-driven education for the next 25 years and beyond.