Alumni Profile: Business degrees, caring staff put alum on path to success

Jon Baucom has a mind for business and how to set himself up for success. He got started early and, as a high school student, participated in the College Reach Out Program (CROP), a statewide program run by the Department of Education that aims to help more students achieve postsecondary education. He continued his strategic approach to education by completing his Associate in Arts at Seminole State College of Florida in 2009 before transferring to the University of Central Florida. 

When Baucom decided to give himself another educational edge, he returned to Seminole State and completed his Bachelor of Science in Business and Information Management, along with two certificate specializations in finance operations. 

Yet his time at the College wasn’t just spent racking up degrees. Baucom proved himself as a leader by participating in a wide range of activities including Student Government Association, Leadership Challenge Team, African American Cultural Forum and the Florida African American Student Association. He says, “the financial security of earning an academic scholarship and removing the burden from my parents to finance my education” really played into his choice to come to Seminole State, but what cemented his decision was “the feeling of family and community from the professors and the staff. Everyone cares for your success and wants you to succeed at the College.” 

Baucom credits Diana Stuckey-Dillon, the former African American Cultural Forum club advisor, for seeing potential in him and pushing him to further his involvement and leadership. The lesson stayed with him, as he now joins as a newly appointed member of the Alumni Leadership Team where he creates awareness in the community and acts as a liaison between the Alumni Association and the College. 

“My time at the College also showed me the importance of networking and staying in contact with those networks,” says Baucom. “Through my involvement with campus activities, I was exposed to all types of people, personality types and ways to better work with them.” He utilizes these skills in his current job at Atlas Financial Partners LLC, as a client service associate for JurisPrudent Deferral Solutions. His time at the College meeting deadlines, working in teams and completing his capstone project all pushed him to develop the work ethic and implementation skills that he uses to this day.

For those looking to get involved in business and finance, Baucom advises, “Immerse yourself in the field as much as you can. Read articles, watch shows, learn the lingo and network with others in financial services.”

When he is not working, Baucom loves to spend time with his wife and three children. Otherwise he is growing businesses’ bottom lines at work or being a champion for the College. He says, “Seminole State has been a huge part of my life for many years, and I am very proud to be a Seminole State alumnus!”