Alumni of the Year - CARLY MEEK She graduated from DSC in 2002 with honors and went on to attend the University of Central Florida where she earned a BS in Criminal Justice. After earning her Juris Doctor from Florida Coastal School of Law in 2006 (where she made the Dean’s List), Carly worked as a staff attorney for the Seventh Judicial Circuit, and later served as Assistant Attorney for the City of Ormond Beach, and Assistant Attorney for the City of Daytona Beach. Attorney, model and philanthropist, Carly Meek began with a dream to be a lawyer. Because she had to work full-time, “Daytona State was the absolute perfect fit for me because it offered flexibility in my schedule. I am forever proud to be a Falcon!”
Carly’s modeling work has taken her to fashion shows in New York and includes spreads in COPA Style and Gladys Magazine.
She was the Mrs. Maryland United States in 2018, and now holds the title of Mrs. Florida United States for 2019. Serving the local community has always been very important to her and since 2011, she has been involved with the Healthy Start Coalition, a state initiative dedicated to optimizing healthy outcomes for mothers and babies. She has served in various leadership positions within that organization, including two terms as president, and in 2015 she was honored with the Mayor Blaine O’Neal Community Service Award.
Distinguished Faculty/Staff Award - GINA STAFFORD a million dollars a year in funding, but students are her primary focus. “My mom always taught me about service and what I’ve learned since I’ve been here at Daytona State College, is that we are here to serve our students, so every capacity that I’ve been in, that’s what I have done,” she said.
Gina Stafford is Associate Director for the Office of Academic Affairs and is also a 1999 graduate of the College. She earned a bachelor’s in Psychology from UCF and master’s in Counseling from Webster. Gina now manages several grant programs that provide the College with more than
During her time as coordinator with the DSC Women’s Center, Gina’s leadership resulted in the expansion of childcare services from the Flagler/Palm Coast Campus to a college-wide program. In 2006, Gina launched the DSC Resource Fair, which allows students, staff and faculty to familiarize themselves with all the services available on the Daytona Beach Campus.
Each summer, she also coordinates career exploration camps that are free of charge to Volusia and Flagler County high school students. Gina is a well-known face in her community and enjoys serving on several committees and boards in various capacities such as the Martin Luther King Celebration Committee, Mid-Town Community Development Corp., and Soroptimist International of the Greater Daytona Beach area. She also works alongside her mother as an advocate for WITNEST, a residential shelter in Daytona Beach that provides shelter and other services to women at risk.
Young Alumni Excellence Award - BRIAN BROOKER But even with his professional accomplishments growing at an accelerated rate, he’s never forgotten where he got his start. “Daytona State was the launchpad into my life,” he remarked.
Brian Brooker graduated from Daytona State College in 2016 with a 4.0 GPA before continuing his education at Rollins College. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management, graduating cum laude, and is now pursuing his MBA at Rollins.
Brian’s work to improve the environment spans two continents. While traveling in Western Europe, he helped cultivate and manage farms in Germany, and worked to improve student housing for the underprivileged in Portugal.
Through his work in “Grow Orlando” that dealt with gentrification in the Parramore neighborhood, Brian has helped local communities with urban farming, which provides a source of fresh and sustainable food for those less fortunate. While at Daytona State, Brian played for the Falcon baseball team and was the 2016 Scholar Athlete-of-the-Year. He also played baseball for two years at Rollins, where he was a two-year starter batting .284 with 14 home runs and 67 RBI. He was also a two-time member of the Sunshine State Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
Here in the United States, Brian has volunteered for “Clean the World,” an organization founded in Orlando that addresses global health issues by using discarded hygiene supplies from the hospitality industry. DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE • FALL/WINTER 2019 | 23
