“Your University” December 2023

Editor’s Note: Last fall, I launched a monthly column in The Naples Press called "Your University." It looks at the connections between FGCU and Collier County. Here’s my column from December.

I don’t know about you, but when the holiday favorite “White Christmas” plays this time of year, I cannot help but smile. Like many of you, I have seen my fair share of chilly winters and have many snow-filled memories. But here in Southwest Florida, the idea of a winter wonderland is warm, sunny and filled with powdery beach sand.

And those treetops that are glistening? Palm trees along 5th Avenue in Naples, of course!

This spot is among my family’s favorite holiday traditions. We enjoy walking around the shops, where music fills the air and the foliage is aglow for the season. A 20-foot tree is always decked out for the holidays, and it is here that we meet with friends and celebrate with family.

My family and I also make it a point to visit the Naples Botanical Garden. Each year, the staff does an incredible job lighting the plants, trees and water features. Nothing encapsulates the holidays quite like a December night walk through the garden. It’s a fantastic sight and something that is uniquely Florida. With the exception of a few nights, the lights can be seen through Jan. 2.

I’ve written in this column about the marvelous partnership between the garden and Florida Gulf Coast University. Many of our alumni work there and help sustain this vegetal wonder. Our facility, the Kapnick Center, is part of the garden’s campus. It houses labs for The Water School and is where the seed bank the garden created has flourished. The addition of the lights to the garden for the holidays is just another incredible aspect of this Collier County treasure.

Another is the annual “Joyful & Triumphant” concert at Moorings Presbyterian Church. The evening was filled with carols and traditional songs of the season as performed by the University, Chamber and Women’s choirs, as well as the Symphony Orchestra from FGCU’s Bower School of Music & the Arts. I’m incredibly impressed by the talent our students displayed that night.

If you couldn’t make the show, you’re in luck. WGCU-TV, a member-supported service of FGCU, captured the entire concert. It will be available to watch through the station’s website the week of Christmas. If you cannot wait to see what it’s all about, I encourage you to visit WGCU.org to watch the 2022 concert.

I would be remiss if I didn’t highlight my favorite feature of Collier County during the holidays. Each year on Christmas morning, my husband, Mete, and our children, Efehan and Alara, wake up and open presents. Then, we head out on a walk, either at the beach or in our neighborhood. It is, without a doubt, the most rewarding experience to enjoy our beautiful hometown.

Whether it’s one of the holiday adventures I’ve mentioned or something different, I hope you take the time to enjoy what Collier County has to offer this season.

On behalf of my colleagues at FGCU, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year. I look forward to seeing you in 2024.

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This column appeared in the Friday, Dec. 15, 2023, edition of The Naples Press. Copyright 2023 by The Naples Press. Used with permission.