The Alfred B. Sr. and Agnes W. Watson Center
Al Watson and his wife, Agnes W. Watson, donated $3.84 million to Santa Fe College to build a campus in Keystone Heights and establish scholarships for high school graduates from the area. This donation established the third rural center for Santa Fe College, and the Watson Center opened in 2005. Considered one of the college’s largest benefactors, Al Watson received an honorary Associate in Arts degree at Santa Fe’s spring 2004 commencement. He was a forward-thinking leader in the Keystone Heights community and pushed college officials to bring educational opportunities to the Lake Region area. Watson sought to develop a lasting legacy both in the physical gift to the community and the opportunity of learning experiences to the students it could serve.
One year after the first building was opened, a second building was opened with 7600 square feet of classroom space including a state-of-the-art science center and six additional classrooms, one of which is a second instructional computer lab. Watson loved the community of Keystone Heights and also donated millions in order to give high school graduates in the area an increased access to a college education through foundation scholarships. These gifts have increased the enrollment of college students at the Watson Center, the second Bradford County center.
The largest enrollment gain comes from the relationship with Clay County School District’s Keystone Heights High School and the dual enrollment program. For the past four years, at least 20 high school students have earned enough college credit to be awarded an associate in arts degree before graduating from high school. The high school students explore rigorous coursework at the Watson Center as they adjust to an independent learning style.