Cleared For Success

by Charlotte Skipper

The phrase better late than never rings true for Shelly Allen. 

As director of communications for the Orlando-Sanford International Airport, Shelly oversees strategy, media and community relations, crisis communication, and everything in between.  

Growing up, however, Shelly didn’t envision herself with a career like that. During high school, earning a college degree didn’t seem like a viable choice.

“I wasn’t the best high-school student, and life took me on a different journey – one where I wasn’t committed to school,” says Shelly. “I was fiercely independent, went directly into the workforce while supporting myself from an early age, and never really considered higher education as an option for me.”

Consider All Your Options

In 2006, Shelly landed a job with Orlando Health, where she eventually worked in the community relations and external affairs department. 

As Shelly’s career began to blossom, she realized not having a college degree would prevent her from continuing to move forward. Despite the responsibilities of having a full-time job and a family, Shelly took the plunge and registered for online classes at Seminole State College when she was 31.

“I always knew what I was really good at, and I’ve always been intrigued with learning. I just didn’t know how to apply that to a career,” says Shelly. “Once I started at Seminole State, I was finally able to fall in love with learning.”

Setting out on a new path felt intimidating, but she held on to her dream because Seminole State gave her the opportunity to tailor her education to her career. 

For Shelly, going to college was about much more than earning a diploma and moving up a corporate ladder. It was about fine-tuning her strengths and overcoming her weaknesses at a pace that would help Shelly become an expert in her field. After graduating from Seminole State with an associate’s degree, she went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida.

Pace Yourself

“When you work in a career like community relations, you have a lot of nights and weekend hours on top of your regular business day,” says Shelly, who has also worked as a development officer at the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens. “I had to take it at a pace that was not overwhelming for me and my life, and at a pace that I would actually be successful.”

Now, Shelly also applies her communications expertise to a project that’s near and dear to her heart. In 2017, she joined forces with Nancy Sepulveda, Shana Gorondy, and Kim Waters to create one of Central Florida’s most beloved events – Sanford Porchfest. Annually, music lovers from Seminole County and beyond flock to the residential streets of historic downtown Sanford to celebrate live music and community, all while raising funds for performing and fine arts programs. 

In its ninth year, the grassroots music festival has given more than $280,000 to local arts programs for students in elementary school through college, including Seminole State’s arts program. 

“No matter who you are, the arts have touched you in some capacity,” says Shelly. “Even though it is such a crucial component of a child’s growth and exploration, it’s the first to be cut. But it matters the most for so many kids.”

Although the leaders of Sanford Porchfest made the difficult decision to pause the event this year, Shelly says the festival is coming back better than ever in 2027. This year the organizers wanted to fine-tune and perfect the event, just as Shelly has done with her career and pursuit of                       higher education.

“It doesn’t matter what your age is; today is a starting point,” she says. “Just do it at your pace and do it for you, because education is something that no one can ever take from you.”