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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 10, 2021
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Jeff LaLiberte / 954-821-3986 / [email protected]
Suzi McCreery / 561-301-9583 / [email protected]
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla – On August 9, 2021, Keiser University hosted Florida Lt. Governor Jeanette Nuñez and state and local officials to announce fundraising efforts to build an aquatic center and Olympic pool on the university’s 100-acre Flagship Campus located on Military Trail in West Palm Beach, Fla. Once complete the aquatic center will serve as a community resource to swimmers of all ages and abilities and the future home to the Seahawks’ NAIA Championship swimming teams.
“We are delighted to announce plans for this athletic venue to serve our students, community members, and local and national competitors,” said Arthur Keiser, Ph.D., Chancellor of Keiser University. “We couldn’t be prouder of our student-athletes for both their academic success and their pursuit of athletic excellence. The facility will impact countless community friends and neighbors as they learn the life-saving skill of swimming.”
With the Palm Beach community in mind, Keiser’s aquatic center will help bring world-class events to the region and provide an additional facility to offer swimming lessons to children and families. The Palm Beaches are home to some of the nation’s top sporting facilities and the Olympic pool at Keiser University will help bring premier swimming events to the County while serving as a communal gathering place for children and families to learn the important and lifesaving skill of swimming.
“Service to Florida and our community is at the heart of who we are at Keiser University and the opportunity to use this facility to provide swimming lessons to the community and host future Olympians for swimming competitions is important to us,” said Belinda Keiser, Vice Chancellor at Keiser University. “As leaders in education and talent development for nearly 50 years, we fully embrace the ongoing mission to better the lives of the community and our students and are pleased to partner with so many in the West Palm Beach community and throughout Florida in this mission.”
Keiser University officials also used the event as an opportunity to praise the recent passage of Every Child a Swimmer legislation which was signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis in June. The new legislation will serve as a reminder that learning to swim at a young age can instill positive health habits in children while helping save lives.
In 2019, among children up to nine years of age, Florida had the highest unintentional drowning death rate with 3.28 per 100,000 individuals. Florida also ranked fifth in the U.S. for unintentional drowning for those 17 years and younger.
The bill, which will be enacted during the 2021-22 academic school year, encourages parents to register their school-aged children for swim lessons by having public school systems in Florida distribute information on the important role water safety education plays in recreational swimming. The bill does not mandate or require swim lessons, but rather provides materials to parents about local options for age-appropriate water safety courses and swimming lessons, including classes offered for free or at reduced prices.
The new aquatic center at Keiser University will be one of only four Olympic-sized pools in Palm Beach County and will support the County’s mission of bringing premier events to the Palm Beaches to enhance economic impact and stimulate bed tax revenues in the region. The Palm Beach County Sports Commission has signaled support of the project and members of the Commission were on hand to discuss the importance of developing such a venue in West Palm Beach.
“Keiser University is truly one of the great tourism partners making economic development an engine for this county; this institution has created a marriage between Palm Beach County and the NAIA,” said George Linley, Executive Director of the Palm Beach Sports Commission. “With this venue, there’s no doubt that we can add Olympic events in the Palm Beaches. From an economic development standpoint, from a community asset standpoint, such an aquatic facility would go a long way in continuing our great reputation as a one of Florida’s premier sports destinations.”
Keiser University hasn’t set a timeline for the campaign but hopes to raise $8 million for construction of their aquatic center. Fundraising for the Aquatic Center and Olympic Pool is well underway with a lead gift of $500,000 from Bill Kent, Chair of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, and member of the Keiser University Board of Trustees, who was instrumental in passing Every Child a Swimmer.
Keiser will host a fundraising campaign kickoff event on April 1, 2022, featuring Olympic Gold Medalists Dara Torres. For more information about the event and the fundraising campaign, visit: https://aquaticcenter.keiseruniversity.edu/.
About Keiser University:
Keiser University is a private, independent, non-profit university serving nearly 20,000 students at 21 Florida campuses, online, and two international sites. Co-founded in 1977 by Chancellor Arthur Keiser, Ph.D., and Evelyn Keiser, Keiser University currently offers more than 100 degrees from associates to the doctoral level. Keiser University is a member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and was ranked No. 11 in the U.S. in Social Mobility by U.S. News and World Reports in 2021. Keiser University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges as a level VI institution. For more information, visit www.keiseruniversity.edu.
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My instructors believed in me. They were more than instructors, they tried to get to know you as a person and tried to understand your goals so they could push you towards them. Student services helped me find a job before I even graduated. Everyone was dedicated to my overall success.
Going to Keiser University was one of the greatest experiences in my life. All of my deans, professors, and staff made me feel that I was a part of something very special, and I am. I would recommend for anyone to get their education at Keiser University.
The instructors at Keiser University impacted my life. They believed in my ability to become a great graphic designer, regardless of how I felt about my skills. KU helped to prepare me for the real world and got me to where I am today.
If not for my education at Keiser I probably would not be where I am today, in both life and career. It is because of going to Keiser and the instructors I had that I joined a club started by Mr. Williams, The Lakeland Shooters Photography Group, which allowed me to venture into an amazing and very creative field that I use to enhance all aspects of my life.
The Design program at Keiser University was filled with real world learning and hands on instruction… Based on the portfolio I created while a student at Keiser University, I landed a job in Graphic Design for a major online retailer immediately after graduation.
The year and a half I spent in the program better prepared me for attaining a job in the field…As a hands-on learner, the project-centered teaching was perfect for me.
Keiser University has given me the opportunity to embrace a career change… It has opened the door for a timely graduation and quick return to the work force…
Without the education I received at Keiser University, I would not be where I am today!
I not only received an excellent education but also encouragement and training that built my self-confidence every day.
I realize the amount of knowledge I gained and feel that the educational experiences have developed me in to a person who can move higher up the career ladder.
Keiser University’s MBA program has renewed my mind, changed the way I think, and given me a new sense of purpose. The professors transformed my attitude and behavior, gave me the self-confidence I was lacking, and restored my energy.
It has been great attending and graduating from Keiser University. Because of the small class sizes, I was able to build good relationships with classmates and professors. The PA professors care very much about the progress and success of the students and have been great advisors every step of the way through the program.
Attending Keiser University and getting my degree was the best decision I have ever made. The small class sizes and personalized attention helped me get my degree quickly. The hands-on experience and the education landed me a job at a neighboring law firm.
I chose Keiser because it had everything—small classes, caring professors, hands-on learning, and counselors that are really there for you. I feel like I’m part of a family here, not just a number.
After being denied for several promotions at my current employer, I decided that I needed to further my education. Since graduating from Keiser with my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, I have been promoted and I am able to obtain positions that weren’t available to me before.
Beyond the curriculum of the courses, the lessons the instructors have taught me have paid dividends in my real work experiences. How to respond to criticisms, project and time management, interview skills, the list goes on and on. At the end of the day, they not only showed me how to design, but they taught me how to be a professional.
Keiser helped change my life by getting my education at the right school! I had been going to another school before, I dropped out because I felt that I was not getting enough information. When I found out about Keiser, I was pleased because the instructors were great.
My decision to attend Keiser University has been one of the best decisions I’ve made. I chose to enroll in the Information Technology program… The one-class-a-month pace helped incredibly with my self-discipline.
The BA for Business Administration at Keiser has to be one of the best in the nation. Keiser takes the basics that are taught at the Associates level and uses them to strengthen your skills and knowledge.
I found that Keiser University’s Nuclear Medicine program of advanced studies and small class size was a perfect fit. I never came across a faculty member who wasn’t truly interested.
