by David Chapman
Staff Writer
Dr. Edythe Abdullah knows Florida Community College at Jacksonville.
This year she celebrates her 25th year with the school yet with so many memories, she remains focused on the future.
“It’s a growing and fun place to be,” she said. “I love Jacksonville, it’s my hometown and I like being able to make a difference here.”
She’s spent the past six years making a difference as president of the Downtown Campus and is proud of what it has become and the variety of things it can offer people.
“It’s a high-quality, safe and one of the most diverse campuses around,” she said.
Along with the arts and science programs offered, that diversity includes programs for career technical students, a charter high school and adult high school.
Some of the programs Abdullah is helping develop will lead to students of today taking on the higher paying jobs of tomorrow.
“As Jacksonville grows, there will be more work in business and industry type roles,” she said. “Which means there will be a need for more employees that we can provide.”
Abdullah has already seen the need for jobs in areas like port operations, where some of the campus’ students are trained and currently working on specialized roles.
A new partnership with the Institute of Food Safety will focus on seafood inspections, which she noted as being highly unregulated. The Downtown Campus program will help develop and train food safety technicians in regulatory standards through its biotech programs.
But as much Abdullah likes to help her students succeed, she wants to see the community prosper just as much, which means tackling issues at all levels.
The Downtown Campus has a high school dropout retrieval program, aimed at assisting people who decided school wasn’t an option at one point get an education and even go to college and become more productive members of society.
She also said the campus officials are in negotiations with the City about taking over the Don Brewer Early Learning Center, as she said the campus has an early childhood development program that could benefit both students and the community around the center.
Abdullah also spends extra time helping the school’s “Careers and Karate” program that helps young high school students develop discipline and structure through karate and mentors while helping the drive toward graduation.
It’s a busy schedule, but Abdullah does find time for herself.
When she’s not planning programs, assisting students or teaching karate chops, Abdullah enjoys working with Bethel Baptist Church near her Northside home or hitting the water in her kayak.
“I love kayaking,” she said. “I like to go to Huguenot Park, but I don’t have the proper racks to transport my kayak right now, so I’ve been going behind my house.”
At least one person has noticed the waves she’s made in her lengthy and dedicated career.
“She’s a highly effective innovator with a gift for leading her innovations to a successful execution,” said FCCJ President Dr. Steven Wallace.
Wallace has known Abdullah for 11 years and has seen her work her way through the system to become “one of our senior and most respected campus presidents.”
Wallace noted the campus’ Advanced Technology Center and Institute for Food Safety that Abdullah is developing as projects of which he is especially proud.
Abdullah is also aware of the campus’ presence Downtown and has worked with Downtown Vision Inc. in the past to maintain relations with employers.
She deems it essential for the campus to be proactive in Downtown progress and believes the Downtown Campus can be a great benefit for the area.
“We realize we’re a resource for them,” she said of Downtown’s employers and officials. “We’d like to continue being a part of making Downtown a better place altogether.”
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