R
oxanne Rachel Lavelle serves as the College’s Associate Director of Marketing/Web, where she brings imagination, strategy, and heart to everything she touches. Supporting Executive Director of Marketing and College Communications, Sheila Nichols, she helps shape the creative direction of the department, guiding projects alongside graphic artists and leading the Web Team in cultivating PSC’s ever-evolving digital landscape.
Pensacola State College is an integral facet of Roxanne’s life that brings her happiness and fulfillment. She was “basically raised at the College,” where her now-retired mother, Patrice Whitten, worked for 28 and one-half years. When it was time to choose a college, Roxanne found Pensacola State to be a natural choice. “As a Visual Arts student, I found my creative spark here, and now, having been an employee for over a decade, this college is part of who I am; it is my home,” affirms Roxanne.
During her time as a PSC student, Roxanne took advantage of the life-changing opportunities available through the College, such as the Robinson Honors Program, studying abroad in Italy to experience famous works of art, including the Sistine Chapel and the Statue of David. This instilled in Roxanne an appreciation for the incredible opportunities that PSC offers and guides her approach to the PSC initiatives that she oversees.
As a 2018 graduate of PSC’s President’s Leadership Institute, a program founded by Dr. Meadows in 2011, Roxanne gained key insight into the vital role the College plays in our area. “I’m passionate about championing PSC’s mission of education—a journey I see as synonymous with transformation. College is not just about mastering skills; it’s about uncovering who we are and learning to create—and embrace— a life filled with purpose and joy.”
Just as she nurtures ideas at work, she nurtures life at home. Roxanne is driven by a deep love for co-creating with nature and shapes her life around participating in its rhythms. Every hobby she pursues, whether shepherding chickens, nurturing bee hives, or tending to her garden, allows her to celebrate life.
With her trusted British Labrador, Lola by her side, Roxanne maintains a flock of 15 chickens, who all have names with personalities to match—like the curious CoocooChaloo, the sassy Jolene, or the eccentric Ducky. Roxanne spoils “her girls”, who enjoy free-ranging on organic chicken feed and nature’s gourmet offerings. Because of their high-quality diet, her flock lay lovely, nutritious eggs ranging in colors from blue, green, brown to white—no rooster required. Roxanne enjoys surprising friends and colleagues with the occasional half-dozen, especially these days with them being so eggspensive!
Lately, Roxanne’s world has been all a-buzz with beekeeping as her newest adventure, and with two healthy hives, she is learning quickly. “Watching the colonies’ intricate dance feels like stepping into the hive mind featured in Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game,” said Roxanne. “If luck is on my side, my apiary will thrive in its first year, growing strong enough to extract a little honey; I’ll be enjoying—and sharing— a sweet reward from my ‘bizzy’ friends by season’s end. And by the way, if you see a swarm, don’t spray poison on it or try to remove it yourself. Contact me, and I will get them safely relocated to protect our pollinators. ”
Spring is Roxanne’s favorite time of year, and she can’t help but get her hands into some soil to help things grow. She grows an organic food garden in raised beds using all-natural ingredients and daily nurturing. From spicy peppers and umami-rich tomatoes to crisp beans, juicy cantaloupe, and sweet potatoes, Roxanne grows enough for herself with an occasional surplus to share. “There is something truly magical about watching a seed grow into a fruit-bearing plant—all that information in such a tiny blueprint.”
Roxanne also likes to fill her world with beauty. “Roses are my delight, and their beautiful blooms perfume and cover my world in purples, pinks, reds, yellows, and stunning variegated hues,” she smiled. “I maintain an abundance of other pollinator magnets like Lantana and grow several varieties of milkweed for my special seasonal guests: Monarch butterflies.”
Roxanne can be contacted at rlavelle@pensacolastate.edu.