'Born to Soar': Lakeland's First New Hospital in a Century Welcomes Its First Baby — With a Full College Scholarship Attached

A newborn named Liam became the first baby delivered at Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital late on Wednesday, July 8 — arriving just hours after the facility opened its doors as Lakeland's first new hospital in more than a century. Before his family left, Liam was handed something almost no newborn receives: a full scholarship to Polk State College.

Liam arrived at 11:44 p.m., weighing 7 pounds 1 ounce and measuring 20 inches, according to Polk State College and local media reports. The hospital had welcomed its first patients only that morning, opening at 9 a.m.

The scholarship — called the Born to Soar Scholarship — comes through a partnership between Orlando Health and the Polk State College Foundation. It covers full tuition, fees and required books for any degree program at the college when Liam is old enough to enroll and meets eligibility requirements.

A milestone for Lakeland families

For years, expectant parents in the Lakeland area have had to travel farther for maternity care. The new hospital changes that, and Liam's birth marked the very first delivery in its new labor and delivery unit.

His parents, Anaïs and Yassir — both 29, one a veterinarian and the other a project engineer, and residents of nearby Winter Haven — said they were honored to welcome their first child on the hospital's first day. In remarks shared by the college, Yassir thanked the care team for making the moment unforgettable and said the family would always share a unique connection with the hospital.

Hospital President Carlos Carrasco called a baby's arrival one of the most joyful moments at any hospital and said Liam's birth would be the first of many newborns taking their first breath there, according to statements released by the institutions.

How 'Born to Soar' works

The scholarship is funded entirely by donors to the Polk State College Foundation. Officials described it as a way to remove financial barriers before a child ever reaches college age.

Steve Warner, who leads the college's Foundation, said the program was built on the belief that a student's future should be shaped by talent and determination rather than the ability to pay. From the very beginning, he said, this child has a community that believes in his future.

Polk State President Anastasios Kamoutsas said the gift gives Liam a clear path to college and life-transforming opportunity from day one, and thanked Orlando Health for its continued partnership, according to the college.

A wider health-and-education partnership

The scholarship isn't the only link between the two institutions. Polk State is a Preferred Education Program partner of Orlando Health, an arrangement that lets Orlando Health team members pursue a degree or certificate at the college with no out-of-pocket costs.

The college also notes that its Health Sciences and Nursing programs have posted 100% licensure pass rates — a pipeline that helps staff hospitals like the new one now serving Polk County.

For the many families in the region who have waited for closer maternity and hospital care, the debut carries weight well beyond one headline-making birth. Officials have framed the hospital as a major long-term investment in the health of the county — and Liam's scholarship as a small, lasting symbol of that promise.

You can learn more about the college scholarship program directly through the Polk State College website.

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