Kevin Letourneau Florida Community College, Class of 2008 A.A. Degree

State-wide Appeal

Kevin Letourneau
Florida Community College, Class of 2008
Associate in Arts Degree (Business)

Kevin Letourneau was born and raised in Maine, graduating from high school in the small town of Brunswick. There wasn’t time for college — he had started working in his uncle’s restaurant while still in school. By the time Kevin had graduated, he was on his way to running several restaurants. And though he enjoyed traveling throughout Maine to manage the restaurants, it wasn’t long before the relentless pace of the business began to wear on him.

A unique opportunity arose when his sister, who lives in Florida with her husband, was expecting their first child. They couldn’t find a trustworthy nanny for their baby — who better than Uncle Kevin? Leaving Maine and the restaurant business behind, Kevin moved to Florida for a new start. “My plan was to take care of my nephew for a year and then enter college,” Kevin explained.

Choosing Florida Community College for its convenient locations, he started taking classes at Kent Campus in 2006. He appreciates the opportunity FCCJ offers. “The school has small classrooms that allow me to get to know my professors, but it still offers a balance of extracurricular activities students can take advantage of,” he says. “I know the school cares about me and the choices I make.”

Outside the classroom Kevin stays involved by serving as a Kent Campus Student Ambassador, assisting in recruitment and student success programs. “Ambassadors work closely with the student government (SGA) and other activities on campus, so I have the chance to see a lot of what is going on at Kent from many different perspectives.”

In fact, Kevin enjoys working with the SGA so much that he attended the state-wide conference of the Florida Junior/Community College Student Government Association (FJCCSGA) this month and decided to run for president. “I knew president was where my prior experience would be best utilized,” he says. The first-time candidate was elected and will serve as FJCCSGA President for the 2007-08 academic year. “I’m extremely honored to be the voice of approximately one million community college students here in the state of Florida,” Kevin says.

When he’s not on campus or studying, Kevin stays busy working part-time as a restaurant accountant. In his spare time, he likes to be outdoors. He enjoys boating on the St. Johns River, canoeing and kayaking in the springs near Gainesville and says he tries to make it back home to Maine to ski. “I love to just be active in anything,” he says.

Kevin plans to graduate next spring with his university transfer (associate in arts) degree and major in business administration, but he hasn’t quite decided on a school yet. He’s thinking about the University of Florida, Florida State or the University of North Florida, but he has a favorite. “I am heavily leaning towards UF,” he says.

As for his future career, Kevin remains open-minded, although his political path may just have started. “Public office or motivational speaking would really make me happy,” he says. “I would like to do something that has an impact on people’s lives.”