DSC Magazine Fall/Winter 2017

Mark Swanson, ’08, ’11 Deputy Director Volusia County Dept. of Public Protection

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

Alumni dedicated to safety, well being

As we celebrate our 60th anniversary and approach a new year, it’s the perfect time to consider what makes this college great: Our many alumni making a difference in our communities, our generous benefactors who support students on their paths, and our own faculty and staff who give their best each day.

This issue of our magazine spotlights alumni in careers that allow us peace of mind, focusing on public safety and survival in times of crisis and need. Their dedication and service adds value to our communities and showcases a region well-prepared for the common good – important factors to industry and businesses on the move.

Speaking of industry, we’re moving forward with our plans for a building on our Deltona Campus that will support surging healthcare and manufacturing workforce needs. It will build on the synergy of Deltona high schools’ career academies and contribute to economic prosperity in west Volusia.

We are also focusing on launching programs for high-growth fields to increase the region’s talent pool. Based on an analysis of local workforce trends and insights from our advisory committees, we foresee a need for optician technologists, mechatronics technicians and database managers. Stay tuned for new paths in those fields, some as early as next fall.

Already launching, as many of you know, is our Hospitality Beverage Science Academy, designed to serve the microbrewery market, as well as a new concentration in hospitality management in our bachelor’s degree in supervision and management.

I’m proud of Daytona State’s momentum. I’m grateful for the collaboration and partnerships throughout our community that fuel DSC’s advances, expansion and student success. From opening our state-of-the-art soccer stadium to building a one-of-a-kind 84,000 square-foot student center, this college is on the move, thanks to many of you.

Best wishes for an amazing new year. Let’s advance together in 2018!

Dr.

LoBasso

Thomas LoBasso

Our Community’s Best Investment

What an honor it is to represent the Daytona State College Foundation Board of Directors as chairman for a second term. I’ve always had a passion for education and truly believe that Daytona State is our community’s best investment. It is the future, the beginning of a future for our students. A future that touches our entire community with a trained and educated workforce made possible in a location that is accessible and affordable for our citizens.

As a parent, I also see the future through the eyes of my children. My son is a sophomore at DSC and is on the baseball team; what a valuable impact the college is bringing to his life. I applaud and embrace the vision of creating a campus experience that links to the community. We’re building connections and momentum with our new soccer stadium and strong emphasis on our athletic programs. And we’re looking forward to opening the first student center on our campus in the spring of 2019, an iconic facility providing comprehensive services to our students.

In addition, we are bringing more events and activities to our campuses. We thank President LoBasso for bringing back Homecoming. Our 2017 Homecoming offered four days of activities and athletic events that paired students with alumni and gave them an opportunity to see the success of those who walked before them. We hope that you, too, are inspired as you read the stories of our DSC alumni throughout this magazine – students who began their educational journey at Daytona State and who are making an impact in our communities today.

It is also my privilege to thank everyone who has supported our students. Many of our students rely on scholarships and financial aid to start or continue their education. As we close another year, we send our grateful appreciation for the financial support that allows the Foundation to deliver more than $1 million each year directly for student scholarships and program support of the college. May each of you be motivated to help our future shining stars achieve their dreams.

FOUNDATION

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Denis Shelley, Vice Chair

Debora Thomas, Secretary

Bill Lenssen, Treasurer

Jeff Abbott Zach Bass

William Chanfrau, Jr.

Michael J. Duranceau

Zina Grau

Beverly Grissom

Mary Ann Haas

Mary Hall

John Hodgson

Kelli Jebbia

Rufus Johnson

Frank Molnar

David Sacks

Gregory D. Snell Greg Sullivan Maggie Thompson

Sally Gillespie Dirinda Maddy Cherie Keemar

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS

Bobby Thigpen, Chair

EMERITUS BOARD

Bobby Thigpen

DSC Foundation Board Chair

STUDENTS IN MOTION

For Mr. DSC, Serving Others is a Way of Life

For Mark Poole, entering Daytona State’s Mr. & Ms. DSC Pageant during October’s Homecoming festivities was a way to network and become more familiar with the college.

“I saw it as an opportunity to get to know more about the school and my fellow students, to kind of put myself out there,” said Mark, who is completing the pre-requisites he needs at the Flagler/Palm Coast Campus before applying to DSC’s Associate of Science in Nursing program.

Nursing, it seems, is a natural fit for this 48-year-old veteran and father of three autistic children. For Mark, the yearlong commitment to public service he will make as Mr. DSC simply continues a lifestyle dedicated to helping others.

Despite he and his wife needing to care for their own special children, Mark enjoys working with underprivileged youth. He travels to the Bahamas each year with his church group to participate in summer camps for Bahamian and Haitian children,

“kids who otherwise couldn’t afford any kind of summer camp experience, so we find the money and make it happen for them.”

It’s the kind of perseverance Mark says is necessary for success in school and in life. “Even when things get hard, you have to push through,” he believes. “Just do it, and if it doesn’t work out the first time, keep trying.” Those are wise words coming from a Persian Gulf War veteran who has struggled to find work and has experienced homelessness.

After a stint in the U.S. Army from 1988 to 1991 during Operation Desert Storm, Mark enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard, where he served as a medic for 10 years.

The Great Recession was particularly hard on him, so the Baltimore native moved his family to Palm Coast at the encouragement of his sister. Mark enrolled at DSC in fall 2015 under the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Vocational Rehabilitation program and has not looked back.

He is a member of the college’s Multicultural Club and Veterans Club, and is taking full advantage of his college experience.

“I absolutely love the Flagler Campus,” he said. “We are like family here. The support you receive from your teachers, the staff and fellow students, both inside and outside the classroom, is incredible. We support each other to make our dreams happen.”

While his immediate focus after graduating from the nursing program will be to get a job, Mark’s long-range career goal is to work with adults suffering from mental health issues, especially veterans.

“Mental health is always seen with a stigma and judgement,” he noted, “and a lot of the time, people just need a little bit of love and understanding along with the psychological care they are receiving. That’s what I like so much about nursing, the palliative care you give that supports patients and their families. There’s nothing more valuable than that.”

Photo by Erika Grace Photography

Ms. DSC Dreams of Broadway, Proud to Launch from Hometown College

Imani Severin wasn’t sure what path she wanted to take in life when she graduated from Matanzas High School in 2016. So she decided to stay close to home and enroll at Daytona State, earn her associate of arts degree and then transfer to a university for whatever bachelor’s program seemed a good fit.

But a funny thing happened along the way. The 19-year-old who was crowned Ms. DSC this fall fell in love with the school and a new path she discovered.

“Enrolling here was one of the best choices I’ve ever made,” she said.

At DSC, Imani has discovered that acting is the path she wants to pursue, and she was a featured performer in DSC’s musical production of A Christmas Carol Dec. 7-9 at the News-Journal Center, her first feature performance as a Music Theatre major.

She said she entered October’s Mr. & Ms. DSC Pageant at the suggestion of her theatre arts professor, Samantha Stern,

who believed the experience would help her overcome stage fright. “She has taught me so much about acting techniques, and works with students on a personal level. She’s just outstanding.”

Likewise, Prof. Stern is confident in the young performer’s future. “Imani is a lovely young woman with a lot of potential,” she said. “She has wonderful stage presence and an angelic voice. It is a pleasure working with her.”

In November, Imani was one of eight DSC students to attend the Florida Theatre Conference in Gainesville. There, she auditioned for admission to over 40 local and national colleges and universities.

“Many schools were interested in her and I have no doubt she will be successful when she transfers to a four-year program in theatre,” said Stern.

Imani expects to graduate from DSC next May. Taking seven classes this fall semester, she has little time for outside activities, but still manages to volunteer

with her church, including participating in a summer children’s camp.

With her AA degree in hand, she hopes to be accepted into Malloy College’s prestigious Cap 21 Theatre Arts program in New York City. That would be her first choice, Imani noted, but she’s willing to be flexible, just as she is with her career dreams and aspirations.

“Every musical theatre major dreams of being on Broadway,” she said, “but I know it’s never guaranteed. Nevertheless, DSC’s program is a great one that can help you land a wonderful job like being an acting teacher in a high school or doing community theatre.”

As one of the world’s greatest playwrights, William Shakespeare, once said, “We are such stuff as dreams are made of.”

Imani Severin has found such stuff right here at DSC, saying, “Everyone has their own dreams and goals, and this is a school where you can explore and discover what they are and pursue them.”

Photo by Nicole Guthrie

LEARNING SCENE

Faculty Projects Focus on Student Veterans

Daytona State faculty kicked off two separate projects this fall in service to student veterans who saw active duty.

Ceramics Instructor Trent Berning teamed up with the Veteran’s Art Project (VetArt.org) to provide free classes in pottery hand building and wheel throwing to veterans and their families. Berning’s Veterans Initiative in Ceramics and Art is awarding up to 20 scholarships to qualified students, thanks to a nearly $8,500 VetArt.org grant.

“I find supporting our military veterans to be an important role as a proud citizen,” he noted.

“The therapeutic qualities of clay allow individuals to express themselves in ways that can often be difficult to do verbally. Ceramics is an art form that can improve your focus, allow you to escape the worries of life, relax the mind and increase an optimistic outlook.”

Founded in 2009, the national Veteran’s Art Project has a mission to connect veterans, their families and advocates with each other through bronze casting and ceramic arts. Classes are intended to teach art-making skills and to connect veterans with each other.

“We look at the production as a way for veterans to communicate their military experience to civilians,” said Breitenbach. “We hope that audiences will have a greater appreciation for veterans and what military service has done for them personally and professionally.”

The film is airing on WDSC and has run during various on-campus events and lectures. It also is available for viewing online through DSC Library InfoGuides under “veterans,” library.

DaytonaState.edu/infoguides.

Another project involves professors Eric Breitenbach (Photography) and Bronwen Llewellyn (English), who produced a documentary called Warrior that features the stories of DSC student veterans. They shared their military experiences, as well as their transitions back to lives as civilians and students.

Berning said offering the expansive Daytona Beach Campus ceramics studio to the VetArt.org project was a natural fit.

The DSC courses will resume during spring semester, which begins Jan. 16, and will be offered during daytime and evening hours. Scholarships will cover the cost of the classes, all lab fees and tools. For details, contact Berning, (386) 506-3347 or Trent.Berning@DaytonaState.edu.

Breitenbach’s and Llewellyn’s production features seven student veterans who came forward to tell their stories. They speak about why they joined, why they chose the military branch in which they served, what active duty was like and challenges they experienced upon returning to civilian life.

Daytona State’s Veterans Center assisted with the film project. The center typically serves over 1,000 veterans annually, helping them start new missions as DSC students by providing assistance with everything from filing for GI Bill benefits and other student services to receiving referrals for further academic and personal assistance both inside and outside the college.

Daytona State has been designated a Military Friendly School for three consecutive years by veteran-owned Victory Media, which ranks colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace America’s service members and veterans as students.

Also for the past three years, U.S. News & World Report has ranked DSC among its Top Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans.

“We look at the production as a way for veterans to communicate their military expience to civilians.”

- Prof. Eric Breitenbach

Photo by Nicole Guthrie

STUDENT CENTER RISES - STEEL SETS THE STAGE

Steel beams rise against a sunset sky in November from the dramatic footprint of the college’s highly anticipated Student Center. The 84,000 square-foot three-story facility is destined to become an iconic structure on International Speedway Boulevard and the Daytona Beach Campus.

“Students will gravitate to this building,” says President Tom LoBasso. “It will be a center for student engagement with peers, faculty and college personnel, which research shows is key to academic success and degree completion.”

It’s on track for a spring 2019 opening; follow the construction on DSC’s webcam: DaytonaState.edu/web_cam/.

BARBERING opens for daytime classes on the Daytona Beach Campus starting spring semester, Jan. 16, with evening classes continuing.

Graduates from the program include at least two who have started their own shops, the Rusty Razor in DeLand and Wicked Cutz in Daytona.

“We’re pleased to now offer barbering fully in Daytona,” says Dee Gay, Cosmetology/ Barbering chair. The barber program boasts some 56 graduates.

MEETING WORKFORCE NEEDSNEW PROGRAMS/CHANGES

Designed to meet training needs of hospitality employers and microbreweries, the exciting Beverage Science Academy opens this spring, with the program fully available in fall. The gleaming new tanks and beverage lab are state-of-the-art, ready soon for students who sign up for the certificate.

Continuing its educational support of regional hospitality needs, DSC also launched this spring a concentration in Hospitality, part of the Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management.

“Our students wanted a path from their associate degree right through to their bachelor’s that prepares them for management work in the hospitality/culinary industry,” said Dean Costa Magoulas.

Dr. LoBasso inspecting the new beverage science equipment.

The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) has granted full approval of DSC’S SCHOOL OF EDUCATION’S READING ENDORSEMENT , teacher-education program. “This is an in-demand certification for current teachers, as well as teacher candidates,” says Dr. Amy Ringue, chair of DSC’s teacher education programs. The Reading Endorsement program prepares teachers for the rider certification.

Teachers who enroll will take three courses: Principles of Reading Diagnosis, Intervention in Reading and Reading Practicum. When teachers finish the program, they can receive a transcript showing completion of a state-approved program in the Reading Endorsement certification area.

School districts also will benefit from this program, given that FDOE has designated reading as a critical teacher-shortage area. Full implementation of the program will begin in fall 2018.

Photo by Nicole Guthrie

VETERANS DAY EVENTS DRAW VISITORS

DSC’s

WHAT’S HAPPENING

MARINE SCIENCE STUDENTS SHARE RESEARCH

Students in DSC’s Institute of Marine and Environmental Studies (IMES) presented projects and research findings during the third annual ShORE Symposium hosted by IMES, the Marine Discovery Center and the Atlantic Center for the Arts on Dec. 1.

In addition to building their portfolio, the students heard keynote speaker Dr. Wallace Nichols, a leading advocate for conservation, fisheries management and protecting aquatic ecosystems. He wrote the best-selling book, Blue Mind, and has published over 200 scientific papers.

Becoming well known in the environmental community, ShORE stands for Sharing Our Research with Everyone about the Indian River Lagoon. The group is dedicated to creating public awareness on how to protect the fragile ecosystem. The all-day symposium at the Brannon Civic Center in New Smyrna Beach also showcased high school seniors and undergraduates who presented their mentor-approved STEM research proposals or findings.

IMES professor Dr. Debra Woodall said, “The lagoon and its drainage basin are not only environmentally significant, they are economically important to our area,” she noted. “Our goal is to engage everyone with a vested interest in the lagoon because that’s what it’s going to take to save it.”

IMES offers an AS in environmental science technology with university transfer tracks in marine science, marine biology, environmental science and ocean engineering.

Pictured

Second

Keynote

INAUGURAL HEALTH EXPO WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS

An innovative project with partners Volusia County Schools, Halifax Hospital and DSC’s College of Health and Public Services brought 90 students from Mainland High for a first-ever Health Expo at the hospital and DSC on Nov. 16.

The teens, enrolled in Mainland’s health-career academies, spent half the morning in hands-on classes with DSC students in patient simulation and respiratory therapy labs. They spent the other half in clinicals, nursing and radiology sessions at Halifax Hospital. A police escort assured safe crossings on International Speedway Boulevard to and from the high school to the college and hospital.

campuses held observances of Veterans Day, with the Daytona Beach Campus hosting speakers, Mainland High School’s Air Force Junior ROTC Color Guard and comments from President Tom LoBasso on Nov. 10.

below, Dr. LoBasso, second from left, and DSC trustee Betty Holness, center, took part in festivities with speakers and SGA President Sofia Rivas, far right.

from right, veteran Bruce Russotto, president of Rolling Thunder Chapter 8, shared the Missing Soldier tradition, as fellow Rolling Thunder member Rich Malfitano, displayed the POW/MIA flag.

speaker Lt. Col. Neil Nipper, third from right, an Air Force Reserve officer and physician who commands the medical staff at Patrick Air Force Base, shared stories of veterans’ struggles, but also how community members often thank them in everyday life.

Photos by Nicole Guthrie

Photos by Nicole Guthrie

Soccer Stadium Debut

Daytona State marked a new era in Falcon and community sports on Oct. 10 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating completion of its new 800-seat soccer stadium on the Daytona Beach Campus.

“While this stadium is home to our men’s and women’s soccer teams, it is also about community,” said DSC President Tom LoBasso. The stadium, which boasts a high-tech video scoreboard, will become a hub for soccer clinics, prep and club sports, as well as for college activities.

The stadium also serves as a learning laboratory for the new Associate of Science in Television Production degree, meeting one of Team Volusia’s targeted industries. Students take part in live broadcasting of soccer matches on WDSC 15.

President LoBasso stands with Board chair Forough Hosseini, Foundation’s Judy Haydt and fan Michael Rumer.

Men’s team coach Bart Sasnett noted the exciting future of soccer at DSC and in the community.

Photo by Aldrin Capulong

WHAT’S HAPPENING

HOMECOMING 2017

Daytona State put a bow on its 60th anniversary celebration with a special homecoming offering a little something for everyone. The four-day extravaganza attracted some 2,000 Falcons of all ages to enjoy festivities that included a 5k fun run, car show, sporting events, tailgate party at the soccer stadium, a culinary boot camp, a Mr. and Ms. DSC pageant and much more.

Photos by Aldrin Capulong, Nicole Guthrie and Erika Grace Photography

Car Show winner, President’s Choice Award

Photos by Aldrin Capulong

Teaching and Learning Includes Volunteerism

Service learning is part of a holistic approach Daytona State’s Cosmetology and Barbering program Chair Dee Gay takes in training her students to become well-rounded professionals.

“I always tell the students that sometimes their careers are about more than standing behind the chair, that they have a skill they should share with others as a means to pay it forward,” she said.

Students in the programs regularly volunteer to lend their skills to various charitable causes throughout the community. They cut hair for the homeless and others in need as part of the Sanfordbased, non-profit Picnic Project.

Veteran and homeless DSC students also are confidentially referred to DSC’s Cosmetology Salon for free haircuts and shaves.

During October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month VIPink event hosted by Florida Hospital, students provided pink hair extensions to over 214 individuals and in

September, students gave shampoos and cuts to over 100 children at Turie T. Elementary School in Daytona Beach.

Gay, who regularly volunteers for the American Cancer Society’s Look Good, Feel Better program, which helps people with cancer deal with the appearance side effects of their treatment at no cost, says such community outreach can transform the students as well as those they are serving.

Often, the students go into their volunteer work with some reluctance because it must be done on their own time outside the classroom. They have busy lives, children, jobs, and often want to know the benefits for them. But, almost always, the students enjoy how their clients respond to them and start looking forward to the next event.

“They learn that you never know what life is going to bring,” said Gay. “And they realize that to the world, you’re just one person, but to one person you might be the world.”

Adult Education Reaches Underserved Families

DSC’s School of Adult Education has launched several new initiatives aimed at giving underserved families a leg up on their journey toward education and economic stability.

The school has joined with Food Brings Hope to bring a family literacy program to the rural Pierson farming community in western Volusia County.

Complementing Food Brings Hope’s nourishing meals, quality childcare and beneficial after-school tutoring in Pierson, DSC provides materials and instruction to over 30 adults who are learning English as a Second Language or studying Adult Basic Education.

“This partnership eliminates the need for these students to choose between feeding their families and going to school,” said DSC’s ESOL Manager Kathryn Clark. “It also allows the children to see the commitment their parents have to receiving an education.”

“This is a model partnership between many stakeholders,” notes Clark, “including the Mission San Jose, which lends us the space to host the program.”

The Florida Literacy Coalition and Florida Blue Foundation also awarded DSC a Health Literacy grant, which provides program participants with training in various aspects of health literacy, as well as First Aid kits, an essential item for rural residents.

Food Brings Hope, founded in 2007 by local businesswoman and DSC District Board of Trustees Chair Forough Hosseini, is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to providing collaborative solutions for families with children who experience hunger due to homelessness, poverty or unfamiliarity with community resources.

In a second collaboration, Adult Education has partnered with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, New Smryna Beach and Daytona Beach police departments on a community relations initiative dubbed

of charge, according to the school’s chair, Matthew Davids.

“It’s an opportunity for officers on the street; they know the communities, the families and the kids; to possibly change someone’s life, to have them say, wow, a deputy just sent me to school,” Matthew said, noting that each officer carries cards that allow recipients to receive the tuition waivers.

“It’s a win-win all around,” he noted, adding that at least 20 students have benefitted from the program so far this year. “DSC enrolls the student, law enforcement expands good will in the community, and the student gets the chance to improve their economic opportunities.”

DSC also is piloting a program that is reaching out to Title I schools called Creating a Culture of Learning, which provides adult education tuition waivers for the parents of kids attending these schools.

In Service to the Public

FFirst responders and social service agents - from police officers, EMTs and paramedics to IT techs and civil servants - work each day toward the common good, case by case. Some say it’s a calling; others simply want to serve, to make a difference, to help people in times of strife, to be prepared to save lives.

Among information technology/ computer science professionals safeguarding the public realm, nearly every city in Volusia and Flagler counties have brought in DSC student interns, with many hired after graduation. Nearly 3,000 students completed IT and related computer engineering programs in the past 10 years.

Careers in public service and safety abound, with a rising need for multi-credentialed professionals. In our cover story, we feature a diverse set of alumni who exemplify this extraordinary path in life.

A 10-year snapshot of graduates from Daytona State’s law enforcement, EMT, paramedic and firefighting certificate and degree programs shows more than 5,200 alumni credentialed to perform those jobs. It’s likely that DSC can claim the vast majority of first responders at work in our communities.

First responders and other public servants often advance in their careers with further education, as most of our cover story alumni can attest. DSC’s Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management fits the bill for many working alumni, in public service or otherwise. The 10-year total shows close to 2,300 BAS grads.

While public safety and social service professionals may find gratification through their work, Daytona State College salutes such unsung heroes, celebrating their service through stories of their alumni peers.

- Abraham Lincoln

Next to creating a life, the finest thing a man can do is save one.

A Lifelong Calling - Public Safety

Mark Swanson’s EMT path led to No. 2 safety job in Volusia

SServing with passion: firefighter . . . paramedic . . . law enforcement officer . . . public safety administrator . . . author.

First as a teenage volunteer firefighter, then as a paramedic on ambulances rushing to rescue thousands of people in his early years, Mark Swanson, ’08, ’11 found his calling.

“It was immediately rewarding, and at the same time it was exhausting and it pumped you up every day,” says Mark. From treating the injured to managing accident scenes, the young EMT began a path toward leadership in public safety.

Now in his 36th year of service, Mark is publishing a book, Mark My Words, with the intent of helping others who choose a public

servant path. “The book encompasses this amazing career I’ve had the opportunity to experience,” he explains.

DSC first caught up with Mark in 2013, realizing how the depth and breadth of his career could help future students considering careers. Then, newly named director of Beach Safety Ocean Rescue of Volusia County, he oversaw a highly trained team of safety officers, even working out with them each morning, running the beach.

While noting he was thrilled to have the “best job in the world – who wouldn’t want to run this team, to work every day on the World’s Most Famous Beach?” he attributes his college education to the opportunities offered him.

“I absolutely know these advances would not have come my way without the degrees and certificates I took at Daytona State,” says Mark.” He earned his associate of science, associate of arts and Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management degrees at DSC, along with his firefighter, emergency medical technician, paramedic and law enforcement certificates.

“Mark sets the perfect example of how to go after a career path and be ready for opportunities,” attests Louie Mercer, ’78, director of DSC’s School of Emergency Services. “While he continued to earn higher levels of education, he also urged his team members to get their next certificates or degrees.

Stand Up

“It’s gratifying to see graduates like Mark do so well over a long career in public service, and readily share experience and advice. At DSC we certainly take pride in his accomplishments and success in life.”

Mark began his career as a firefighter/ paramedic in Port Orange, then moved to field paramedic work in Volusia County. He next headed up the Clinical Services Department at EVAC Ambulance, creating and maintaining training programs for the EMTs and paramedics before becoming director of beach safety for Volusia.

His leadership path continued, the county promoting him in 2016 to his new job as deputy director of the Volusia County Department of Public Protectionthe No. 2 spot for citizen safety.

Mark explains that his new department consists of eight critical divisions: Animal Services, Beach Safety, Corrections, Emergency Management, Emergency Medical Services (EVAC Ambulance), Emergency Medical Administration, Fire Services and the Medical Examiner’s Office.

“I work with the department director to manage these divisions on a daily basis, with public protection the largest department within the county,” explains Mark.

“It’s also important that I maintain all of my certifications as a paramedic and police officer. My varied roles have certainly prepared me for my present work.”

He also stays connected to his career roots, maintaining part-time work as a law enforcement officer/paramedic for Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue.

“As I have stated often, I worked my entire career in public service to prepare me for my current position,” he says, adding, “I could never imagine a more rewarding and gratifying career than one of a true public servant.”

“I could never imagine a more rewarding and gratifying career than one of a true public servant.”

- Mark Swanson, ’ 08, ’ 11

Photo by Nicole Guthrie

“The (paralegal) program was a great fit for me, and the college really understands working students.”

- Patricia Girard, ’

Friendly Advice Inspired Career Path

Patricia Girard, Judicial Assistant, Fifth District Court of Appeal

CCareer opportunities can come along in surprising ways, as Patricia Girard, ’12, ’16 knows full well. And a desire to serve the public good helped her see a new path.

Years ago, as a single mom waiting tables at a local pizzeria, Patricia enjoyed conversations with customers. She never suspected one would dramatically change her future, build her confidence and open a new chapter in her life.

“At the time, I thought nursing might be a good career for me, and I was taking basic classes to get into DSC’s RN program,” she explains. That’s when advice from a regular customer intrigued her, prompting exploration of Daytona State’s paralegal program.

“I met Patty at Pagano’s Pizza in South Daytona,” says Linda Cupick, J.D., assistant chair of DSC’s Office Administration and Paralegal Studies. “My husband and I were regulars there. I used to talk to her about paralegals and our program at DSC. She was a nontraditional student, but I assured her that most of the students in our program are nontraditional and are returning to college after a hiatus.

“It was thrilling to see her start with us in 2010, become an excellent student and finish in 2012 with flying colors.”

That’s when doors opened, thanks to her stellar DSC record and help from Prof. Todd Richardson, who recommended her for a position that launched her progressive path at the Fifth District Court of Appeal in Daytona Beach. She worked in the clerk’s office as a deputy clerk until October 2014, when she was hand-picked by then Chief Judge Vincent G. Torpy Jr. as his judicial assistant, where she remains today.

In her position, Patricia assists the judge and law clerks with administrative support in the processing of appeals. “I provide organizational support for the judge’s caseload, monitor office activity for efficient work flow, track case files in and out of the office, maintain the judge’s calendar, schedule meetings, conference and telephone calls and make travel arrangements.

In addition, I set up case files; transcribe drafts and finalize opinions, orders and decisions; prepare summaries, proofread

and transmit opinions/decisions; and update and close out case files,” she notes. Her duties also include research and preparing correspondence, financial disclosure forms and memoranda.

Patricia, supported by her department, continued her education at Daytona State, enrolling in the Supervision and Management baccalaureate program in 2012.

She made the President’s or Dean’s list every semester and maintained a 3.52 GPA, graduating in May 2016 with her bachelor of applied science degrees.

Invited to join DSC’s Paralegal Studies Advisory Committee, she currently serves as secretary. “I do it to give back,” she says, noting the committee hopes to get more input from students and graduates to assess classes and how to improve/enhance the learning experience. “It would be great to give students early exposure to see if it’s the right path for them,” notes Patricia.

“The program was a great fit for me, and the college really understands working students,” she adds. A few words of advice for students: “You don’t have to take a full load every semester, but keep taking a few classes each time and chug along until graduation. It’s not a race. Many of us have to work, raise a family and go to school at the same time. And, don’t hesitate to ask your professors to write letters of recommendation for employment. Many of them are happy to do it.”

On employment, “I think most students think they have to work for a firm, but they should look at careers with the state or county. It’s a great work environment; I started at an entry level position and worked my way up,” she adds.

Stand Up

Public SafetyIT Teams Guard City Infrastructures

DSC alumni protect city data, public works

WWork devoted to public safety tends to elicit thoughts of first responders: police officers, firefighters, paramedics and the like. However, today’s reliance on digital communication, information stored in the ‘cloud’ and complex hardware/software infrastructure adds a new job track in public safety - information technology.

Daytona State graduates are on the front lines. “From the fringes of south Volusia and north to Palm Coast, DSC IT students have interned and been hired across the vast majority of Volusia and Flagler cities and utilities,” says Cheryl Miller, work experience coordinator for DSC’s schools of computer science.

John Clary, information technology manager for the city of Daytona Beach and a fourtime DSC graduate, affirms the need for well-prepared IT professionals. “There’s no agency, public or private, that can afford a casual approach to IT these days, especially regarding data security,” he attests. “Safeguarding users and information requires IT teams to consider security as job one, along with providing productivity tools for users.”

Somewhat typical of IT professionals, John moved into IT following other career choices. “I went from the wholesale grocery business to owning a small supermarket with my wife for five years in the early 1990s before closing it in the face of insurmountable competition. After closing the store, I earned an AS in computer engineering technology (electronics) and took a job as a traffic signal technician for the city.” Noting that might seem vastly different at first, he found his generalist abilities fit both paths, with ‘soft skills’ of great importance.

Education served him well; he turned to Daytona State at each career juncture, starting with accounting classes to help launch his store and continuing with his AS in 1999, opening the door to that first city job. John later added his AA, a bachelor’s in supervision and management and a certificate in TV studio production, all earned with high honors, as he worked his way up to IT manager.

“In my career, whenever I faced a major challenge, I was able to turn to DSC to solve the problem and help me accomplish my

John Clary,’99, ’12, ’13

goals. That’s absolutely true,” he says. “My classes and degrees paved the way. I’ve held every pay grade in IT; now I report to the CFO.” With the city for 17 years, John oversees an IT staff of 18, which supports a user population of 900.

He explains how far their work has come from data processing in the ’80s.”We control about 100 miles of fiber optic

DSC alumni comprise majority of Daytona Beach’s IT staff.

Photos by Aldrin Capulong

cabling; we build servers and manage dozens of applications. Our six functional areas range from administration, which is my job - to keep the lights on, bills paid and employees engaged - to telecommunications, data networking and software applications, helpdesk services, GIS and audio/video production.”

Daytona Beach is like a conglomerate of companies, from police and fire departments to public works and utilities, explains John. “We support everything, from the phone lines used to gather lift-station telemetry to the software city engineers use to design water distribution and sewage systems. I often say, We support anything with a bit, a byte or flashing light.”

Similarly, city of Port Orange data specialist Adissa Gibson points to a diversity of IT experience and job shadowing to build a career. While a DSC student she loved her semester of internship at Florida Hospital where she added ram, hard drives and software to computers. She shadowed employees and witnessed the criticality of IT work: “In one instance, I saw how the lead tech quickly fixed a computer problem when the customer was going into labor. It brought home the importance of my work.

“Everything is technology; everybody needs IT professionals. You don’t see many filing cabinets any more - it’s all stored in the cloud and on servers,” notes Adissa, who started her education in the Bahamas on an accounting track before realizing that wasn’t for her.

’

“I wanted to do something nontraditional,” she says, and shifted into IT before coming to Daytona. Enjoying “being different,” with few women in technology roles, she recalls DSC’s A+ class and her excitement learning to take apart and rebuild computers. Her skills led to IT and HelpDesk student employment while she earned her AS in networking services technology.

“That helped me get some work experience and learning opportunities outside the classroom,” she explains. With her DSC bachelor’s in information technology, she landed full-time work with the college as a data communication specialist in 2015 before moving on to work for Port Orange.

Adissa notes her continual interest in new technology, but her daily advice to city workers is, “If you don’t know what it is, don’t click it!”

While IT alumni number by the dozens in the region, other technology graduates also serve the public. For one, Ehab Hashem, ’15, recently promoted to plant technician for the city of Flagler Beach’s water utility, worked his way up over six years. Earning his AS in electrical engineering and nearing completion of his bachelor’s in engineering technology helped him on his path.

“You have to know what’s going on with the automation system, monitoring each step of the water filter process, diagnosing problems and troubleshooting 24/7,” he says. Noting how much he enjoys his work supporting the water system for over 5,000 residents, Ehab plans to progress in his chosen public safety field.

“Since I was self-taught in technology, there were concepts I gained a deeper understanding of with formal training,” she says. At DSC she earned her AS in computer programming/analysis and is pursuing a bachelor’s in information technology.

Rachel oversees the city’s phone system and troubleshoots dozens of applications across various platforms. Her work has included leading the implementation of a system for citizens to check and pay their water bills 24/7.

“Every day our team of IT staff and myself work to improve and maintain the technology used by our city,” explains Rachel, noting while she was hired as a utility billing technician, she moved into IT because of the opportunities management provided to learn and grow.

“There are many benefits to working for local government, including pension, insurance and stability,” she believes. “I enjoy working for the city, and I’m proud of the positive impact I have made here.”

An application systems analyst who oversees the city of Daytona Beach’s helpdesk, Mary McKinnon, ’03, ’10, a DSC graduate with an AS and bachelor’s, oversees interns, many who are DSC students. She serves on the computer schools’ advisory committee. “Over half of our IT staff has DSC degrees and/or certificates,” she says, noting some began as interns.

“We work with the students on a wide sampling of typical tasks,” she explains. They impart an increasing emphasis on cybersecurity and measures to safeguard critical data, as well as adhering to financial and government requirements, Mary adds.

Says John, “The data security requirements become more and more stringent each year. It’s critical to continually educate our users that security is everyone’s business. Critical thinking and soft skills are very important for my team, for everyone in IT these days.

“Part of my job is translating between senior management and the technicians, so management sees the value in what we do every day. We’re in it together, to safeguard the city’s dynamic infrastructure for some 65,000 people.”

Rachel Wheaton, ’15, applications administrator for the city of Deltona, finds her DSC education useful daily and for career advancement.

Adissa Gibson, ’12, ’14

Rachel Wheaton, ’15

“There’s no agency, public or private, that can afford a casual approach to IT these days, especially regarding data security.”

- John Clary, ’99,

12, ’13, IT Manager, Daytona Beach

Photo by Nicole Guthrie

Stand Up

“I could not have accomplished what I have without education, and I’m just one of many who have done the same or more.”

- Craig Capri, ’89, ’97

Photo by Aldrin Capulong

From the Academy to Police Chief

Craig Capri rises to top rank

FFor Daytona Beach Police Chief Craig Capri, ’89, ’97, advances in technology provide powerful crime-solving tools; however, the simple things are what make the biggest difference in successful law enforcement.

Daytona Beach’s newest police chief recalls starting out as a rookie patrolman 27 years ago, fresh out of Daytona State’s Law Enforcement Academy, when cell phones were big, bulky contraptions mostly owned by the wealthy, when there was no such thing as text messaging, body cameras or computers in patrol cars.

“Certainly, advances in technology have made for huge achievements in law enforcement, and we are very focused on bringing policing in our area into the 21st century,” he noted. “Still, nothing beats good old-fashioned community policing, where you get out and interact with people face-to-face.”

In January 2017 Chief Capri was sworn in, leading a force of some 450 full- and part-time police officers and civilian employees. Over nearly three decades, he worked his way through DBPD ranks, moving into leadership positions in Narcotics, Rapid Response, SWAT and Criminal Investigations, to name a few. He also served several years as deputy chief of police under former chief and now Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood.

He said becoming a law enforcement officer has been his dream since he was a kid.

“I’ve always felt that I have the greatest job in the world,” he said. “Even when we’ve been through tough times here, there have always been personal rewards. You learn from your own experiences as well as from others’, and at the end of the day you come out a better person.”

DSC Campus Safety Director Bill Tillard recalls his first encounter with Craig. Bill was a sergeant with the DBPD at the time and Craig was a part-time special events officer fresh out of the DSC academy.

“It was at the corner of Seabreeze and Atlantic after long Race Weeks,” Bill recalled. “Craig was a young kid from Jersey, where I’m from, too, and I told him, come see me and we will put you to work part time with the Police Athletic League for the summer. He worked there with the kids and the rest is history. He turned out to be a good officer and he’s had a sparkling career.”

Craig said his early law-enforcement experiences and role models, including Tillard, a former DBPD officer, current director of DSC’s School of Emergency Services Louie Mercer and the late Joe Muffoletto, who served 46 years in local law enforcement, helped to shape his career and work ethic. “These are men who taught me a great deal and made me a better police officer,” he noted.

Being police chief requires a 100 percent commitment, Craig believes. “While we are small in population, Daytona Beach is a dynamic city, not your average city. We are event driven and wide open 24/7. That being the case, we face many of the issues the larger cities deal with, so we have to be progressive in how we approach law enforcement,” he noted, pointing out that the department was among the first in Florida to make body cameras a standard practice for patrols.

Under Craig’s leadership, DBPD this fall launched a new Advanced Technology and Cybercrimes Unit (ATAC) that targets sex crimes and the growing variety of white-collar criminal activity such as identity theft now perpetuated on the Internet.

“This is the new front in fighting crime,” Craig said, “so, we are ramping up the ATAC unit, combining cyberforensics and investigative capabilities, and building a platform that allows for future growth.

Cybercrime is here and will only increase in the future as criminals become more sophisticated. You now have drug dealers doing income tax fraud because there’s more money in it and less penalties if they get caught.”

The chief also is starting up an Unmanned Aerial Systems unit. The department plans to purchase two drones, primarily for search-and-rescue operations.

Craig holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal justice from the University of Central Florida. He also is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute.

A strong proponent of higher education, he encourages his officers to consider college. “I could not have accomplished what I have without education, and I’m just one of many who have done the same or more,” he said.

Craig is active in the community, working with high schools and neighborhood watch programs and continuing his relationship with the Police Athletic League.

It’s all part of the relationship-building side of policing that Chief Capri emphasizes is so important.

“Stick to the simple things. No egos,” he said. “Transparency, communication, treating people right and building strong community relationships are key to being successful, whether you are a veteran police officer or a rookie just out of the academy.”

He added, “I’m here to serve. I love this town, and it is an honor to be its police chief.”

Social Worker Focuses on Veterans

Finding reward through service

FFor Daytona’ State alumnus Larry Cameron, ’06, ’10, success is not about the amount of wealth he accumulates but, rather, how his work makes life better for others.

As a social work associate for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Daytona Beach, the 34-year-old is gathering an immeasurable amount of riches in serving struggling veterans transitioning out of homelessness into stable housing. On any given day, Larry will be checking in with clients at their apartments, taking them to medical appointments, visiting food banks or guiding them toward additional VA services.

Getting to know each client on a personal level by listening and acknowledging their life story is critical to making a difference in his clients’ lives, he believes.

“I want my clients to know above all else that I am here to help them,” says Larry. “I want to understand who they are, what their goals are and what they want to do long-term. This is key to helping people make incremental changes. If we can work on achieving one goal at a time, we are making progress.”

That one-small-step-at-a-time philosophy is a common thread that marks Larry’s own career path since his discharge from the US. Army in 2004, where he served in South Korea and Japan. In 2006, he enlisted in the Florida Army National Guard to continue serving.

He has racked up a string of accomplishments that have helped shape the depth and breadth of his experience, his dedication to service and his compassion for others. Larry asserts that the key to understanding and finding solutions is to withhold judgement.

“When we see a homeless person, it’s easy to say they are lazy, that they need to get a job, to lessen them, to dehumanize them, to take for granted our own feelings and just walk on by,” he said. “But to do that, we have to shut down part of ourselves and we become what researchers call part of a shared suffering that perpetuates the cycle. There is a subtle blaming the victim rather than assessing ways to improve the system that is treating them.”

Up

Taking advantage of his GI Bill benefits, Larry earned his associate of arts degree from DSC in 2006 and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management in 2010.

“I learned a lot from my professors at DSC,” he recalled. “In my BAS program, I learned to think critically, to examine problems and find solutions, and those skills helped carry me forward in my academic studies and research. Daytona State, for me, was the right place to start. It’s a great place to figure out who you want to be.”

Larry’s studies didn’t stop at DSC. After starting an MBA and deciding it wasn’t the right fit for him, he switched to earn a master’s in social work in 2013 from the University of Central Florida, and last summer earned his Ph.D. in social work from Walden University - all while working full time in various helping professions.

One of those jobs was a career specialist for Career Source Volusia Flagler, where he struck up a friendship with Dean Howe, who now heads DSC’s Career Services Department. Said Dean, “Larry has a true empathetic spirit for those looking to improve themselves and seeking opportunity. He does what he does for all the right reasons.”

Throughout his career, Larry has tried to see the world from the perspective of those he is trying to help, from the young family seeking a way out of poverty, parentless children served by the Guardian Ad Litem program and homeless veterans with multiple sets of challenges ranging from mental health, physical limitations and addictive disorders. The incremental positive changes he sees when working with his clients become the riches Larry most values in his own life.

“Seeing those little milestones add up, seeing someone transitioning out of difficult situations and using that strength to successfully move forward. It’s gratifying to be a part of that. It’s the most rewarding part of what I do,” he said.

He suggests to others interested in dedicating their lives to social work to volunteer first within their community.

“Volunteer with community-based programs that help those needing supportive services. This will give you an opportunity to explore if it’s something you truly want to do,” he said, “because when you volunteer, you begin to see a diversity of people needing help. You are going to see individuals and families affected by a wide array of life circumstances that will look to your guidance.”

“When we see a homeless person, it’s easy to say they are lazy, that they need to get a job, to lessen them, to dehumanize them, to take for granted our own feelings and just walk on by.”

Photo by Nicole Guthrie

From Homeless to Head of Housing Authority

Stand Up

TTeresa Pope knows well the many faces of homelessness and housing insecurity. In 1999, she fled a broken marriage in Pennsylvania and headed for Florida with $400 in her pocket, two changes of clothes and her two young daughters in tow.

She stayed with her parents for a little while upon arriving in the area, then applied for low-income housing through the Housing Authority of New Smyrna Beach. There, she one day noticed a flier for the Fresh Start program offered by Daytona State.

“That’s when everything changed for me,” she recalled. “Fresh Start was the biggest turning point in my life. It gave me hope. I learned that I wasn’t the only one having difficult life circumstances. Everyone in the class was going through something that was affecting their lives in a major way.”

Today, the woman who arrived in Florida homeless, and raised her children in public housing while attending Fresh Start, now oversees the very housing agency that helped her get back on her feet nearly 20 years ago. She was named CEO of the Housing Authority in May this year, and in October also began serving a dual role as executive director of the New Smyrna Beach Housing Development Corp.

Through Fresh Start, Teresa realized for the first time that going to college was

possible. “Prior to that, I did not know that college was an option for me,” she said. “I grew up in a small farming community in Pennsylvania and college was never brought up in my house. The way we were raised, you graduated from high school, got a job and moved on with your life.”

Through Pell grants, scholarships, working part time at her church and occasionally cleaning houses, Teresa, at 35 years old, was able to start on her Associate of Science in Accounting Technology, then DSC’s Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management program, which she completed in 2010.

Soon after starting college, she landed a job as an administrative assistant with the Housing Authority and worked her way up the ranks.

She said DSC’s faculty and staff inspired her to keep moving forward with her studies, and noted that taking most of her BAS degree online during a time when the college began offering 8-week A and B semesters helped tremendously.

“The 8-week semesters allowed me to attend school full time because I was able to take classes online while working part time and raising my children. It made life much more manageable.”

Provost Amy Locklear praises students and alumni like Teresa. “We’re constantly rewarded by the success of students who make the most of the college’s services and flexible programs,” she says. “Teresa is a remarkable example of inner strength and smart decisions to change her life.”

Teresa also is a longtime volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. In 2003, she was handed the keys to the 40th Habitat home built in Southeast Volusia County, a place that she herself helped build and where she still resides.

Looking back, she notes it was her faith in God that gave her the strength to carry on during that most difficult period of her life, and she is dedicated to paying her good fortune forward.

“We have a great need for affordable housing in New Smyrna Beach,” she said, “especially senior housing, and I want to be a part of that transformation.”

She added, “We have so many organizations in our community that can help people. So many of them, along with Daytona State College, were instrumental in creating positive change for me. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.”

“Fresh Start was the biggest turning point in my life. It gave me hope.”

- Teresa Pope, ’06, ’10

Photo by Aldrin Capulong

New Coach Hits the Ground Running

Judith “Judy” Wilson can’t stop running. Despite having broken the finish-line string on a number of careers, she keeps going the distance.

She brings that attitude-determines-altitude mentality to the latest addition to the Daytona State sports lineup. As new Cross Country coach, she is building from the ground up women and men’s teams that, starting fall 2018, will compete against other Region 8 schools such as Florida State University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Florida State College at Jacksonville.

“I am absolutely thrilled about the job,” says Wilson. “It’s amazing. I had just helped with DeLand High School’s cross country meet and came home and said how I really missed coaching. Then I saw the ad and thought, ‘I’m going to apply and see if I can get back into it.’”

She considers the position a perfect mesh between her academic and athletic careers. Figuratively and literally, she’s come full circle as she embarks on her new DSC job.

“We’re excited about Judy coming on board and getting the new cross country program started. She brings with her a wealth of experience, having coached for over 25 years. Judy understands the personal balance needed for students to be successful in a highly competitive college sports program. The addition of cross country will further diversify our sports program offerings for students, and will meet an unmet need for high school students in our serving district,” says DSC’s Director of Athletics Will Dunne.

After almost 10 years as head coach for the distance and cross country teams at her alma mater, Indiana University at Bloomington, Wilson transferred her athletic skills to the private sector. There, she worked as a fitness coach, an injury prevention consultant and a DeLand YMCA wellness coordinator. Indiana born and bred, she moved to Volusia County four years ago when her husband was hired as rowing coach for Stetson University.

Along the way, she kept her hand in higher education as an adjunct instructor, before earning an MBA this year from Stetson University.

For the past nine months, she’s run her own business, The Rowing Room in DeLand, the first and only indoor rowing training center in the region.

Much to the dismay of her clients, she acknowledges she will have to put her business on hold as she goes about the business of recruiting team members and training them, as well as finding suitable terrain for practice cross country runs and upcoming competitions. In addition, she is studying to teach a DSC class in Managing Student Success.

“At the high school level, cross country is the number one participation sport. People think of it as an individual sport, but it becomes a team sport because you have to be selfless in terms of going to bed early and eating right,” she says, adding, “I’ve been running since I was 10. It’s a lifelong sport. You can do it for the rest of your life, on through your 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s.”

She also practices what she preaches, since she has qualified and plans to run in the Boston Marathon this April.

By Elena Jarvis

Photo by Nicole Guthrie

DAYTONA STATE LIFESTYLE

DSC LIBRARY LAUNCHES PUBLIC SEED BANK

That old library card catalog that once served as a register of bibliographic items was for generations an essential tool. Patrons relied on it to locate their books until online cataloging technology effectively replaced it. But Daytona State College librarian Max Hackman has found a new use for the old blonde oak cabinets. Their rows of index card-sized drawers make perfect repositories for seeds that library patrons can use to start their own gardens.

Enter the new DSC Seed Library. “The aim of our seed library is to open up gardening opportunities for all students, staff, faculty and the local community,” said Hackman. “We aim to help everyone from novice gardeners to experts by providing seeds and useful information that can help them create a positive gardening experience.”

To use the seed library, patrons simply enter their choices in a tracking log and take two to three seeds for every plant they intend to grow. Seed donations of flowers, herbs, vegetables and other non-invasive species, properly labeled, are welcome.

More information on the seed library, as well as a welter of gardening tips and other botanical resources can be found in a new guide published online by library staff - library.daytonastate.edu/seeds.

MUSIC INDUSTRY CLUB ROCKS BEACH STREET

Music Industry Club students staged a free concert this fall outside DSC’s News-Journal Center to attract business traffic back to Beach Street merchants affected by Hurricane Irma flooding.

The event drew large crowds and featured lots of rock ‘n’ roll, as well as elaborate and professional stage lighting and effects produced entirely by the students, most of whom are enrolled in the college’s Music Production and Recording Technology programs, as well as other programs tied to DSC’s Mike Curb College of Music, Entertainment and Art.

The Music Industry Club will perform again on Dec. 14 in the grand lobby of the News-Journal Center, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

SPIRIT OF GIVING

THANKSGIVING BASKET BRIGADE HOSTED BY DSC

Daytona State once again served as the central drop-off for businesses, schools and families throughout Volusia County to deliver hundreds of baskets for needy people to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner.

DSC students, staff and faculty joined in, preparing dozens of baskets for the annual brigade, which organizers say has served an estimated 5,000 people each year.

Early reporting has 1,900 baskets collected and delivered for the Thanksgiving Basket Brigade, with everything needed for a festive meal, including a turkey gift card.

Student ambassador Tansi Obi demonstrates seed library.

Photo by Aldrin Capulong

FALCON GIVING TREE

Each year, the Center for Women and Men hosts a giving project for nominated DSC students and their families. Generous faculty and staff step up by selecting a Falcon from the tree and donating wish-list items.

“We’re so proud of our college community that helps dozens of our students each holiday season,” says Rabecka Collins, a coordinator for the center.

FIVE-FOUR-THREE-TWO-ONE-BLAST OFF!

SHOEBOXES OF CARING

Paralegal and other business students take up a collection each holiday season of small toys and personal-care items to pack into shoeboxes for the Children’s Home Society.

“Our Student Paralegal Association got involved with CHS because some of our students act as Volunteer Guardian Ad Litems and assist foster kids in the legal system; it seemed like the perfect community involvement for our club,” said Linda Cupick, who heads the paralegal program. CHS serves the foster children of Volusia, Flagler and Putnam counties.

PITCHING IN FOR PUERTO RICAN IRMA SURVIVORS

NO BUTTS - BE HEALTHY

Photos by Aldrin Capulong

The Daytona State College Foundation proudly recognizes the many sponsors, employees, alumni, parents, students and friends of the college who have made gifts between Nov. 1, 2016, and Nov. 1, 2017. Every gift to the Foundation makes a difference in the lives of our students. The President’s Circle honors donors who have made annual contributions of $1,000 or more. The Ambassadors Circle honors donors who have made gifts up to $1,000.

Bronze - $1,000 to $4,999

A M Weigel Construction, Inc. A31, Inc.

Jeffrey H. and Donna Abbott

American Association of University Women

Daytona Beach

Ameris Bank

Association of Florida Colleges, DSC Chapter Bahama House

Elizabeth Bell

Best Western Aku Tiki Inn

Bethune-Cookman University Brown & Brown, Inc.

Captain James Ormond DAR CenterState Bank of Florida

Checkered Flag Committee

Michael Cirino - Wealth Management of Jacksonville, LLC City of Daytona Beach

Job B. and Mercedes Clement

Daytona Beach News-Journal Corporation

Daytona International Speedway

Michael J. and Liz DiFranco

DLR Group

DSC Career Employee Association

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University eSponsor Now, Inc.

Financial Educators Federal Credit Union

Flagler Beach Photography Club

Flash-Rite, Inc.

Florida Health Care Plans

FPL

Florida Professional Photographers, Inc.

The Garden Club of Halifax Country GDAF Investments

Giles Electric Co., Inc.

Dr. Beverly McMurtry Grissom

David and Mary Ann Haas

Hotel & Lodging Association of Volusia County

Nick and Kelli F. Jebbia

William and Mary Lenssen

Lincoln Financial Foundation, Inc.

Dante Leon

Dr. Thomas and Karen LoBasso

Keith Altizer & Co.

Renee M. Keller

Mainstreet Community Bank

Mandrake Daytona Corporation

Frank and Barbara Molnar

Rory O. Murphy

NASCAR Marcella Hintz O’Steen-Rohling

Susan T. Pate

Peninsula Woman’s Club

PFM Asset Management LLC

Radiology Associates Imaging Reames Employee Benefits Solutions

Rotary Club of Debary-Deltona-Orange City

Rotary Club of Flagler County Foundation, Inc.

Elizabeth M. Rottgers

Janice Russak

Harry and Tara Russo

Mario Scarabino

Benjamin Shaver

Denis and Edith Shelley

Barbara Sipe

Snell Legal - Gregory D. and Jori Snell

Greg and Vonda Sullivan

Bobby and Lee Thigpen

Debora Thomas

Helen Thomas

Tietjen Technologies, Inc.

Tillandsia Garden Club

Tom Gibbs Chevrolet, Inc.

Nelle G. Tyrrell

Volusia County Association for Responsible Development

Volusia County Council

Bonnie Wheatley

Joanna Zinsli

THE PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE

Platinum - $25,000 or more

Coca-Cola Bottling Company

Curb Family Foundation

Duane Lockhart Trust

Florida College System Foundation

Follett Higher Education Group

The John and Lynda Hodgson Family

Paul B. Hunter and Constance D. Hunter

Charitable Foundation

Brian Kelley

Charlotte A. Minor Dorothy C. Minor

Gold - $10,000 to $24,999

Hyatt and Cici Brown

Joseph A. and Bernice Comella

Florida Hospital North Region

Larry and Andrea Frank Jason Hailey

ICI Homes Rowan Family

Silver - $5,000 to $9,999

Analog Devices, Inc.

Daytona Auto Mall

Daytona Beach Kiwanis Foundation, Inc. Halifax Health

Hammock Dunes Club

ikon.5 architects

Jon Hall Chevrolet Robert D. Lenholt

OCI Associates, Inc.

Ormond Beach Soccer Club

Perry-McCall Construction, Inc.

Prosser, Inc.

Ritchey Automotive Group

Maggie G. Thompson Wilma A. Wagner

ROLL OF DONORS

HONOR ROLL OF DONORS

CIRCLE - UP TO $1,000

$500 - $999

Abbott Fund

Marcella Achilles

Wayne Allred

Allstate Insurance Company

Matching Gift

American Association of University Women/Flagler

Joseph M. Bendix

Bergens Periodontics and Implant Dentistry

William G. Bexley

Jacqueline A. Calvert

John and Suzette Cameron

Ken Clark

Amanda Craig

Mary Beth E. Craig-Oatley

Michael J. Duranceau, CPA Eagle Property Management ETS

Jessica M. Ferrentino

Florida Theatre Conference Food Supply, Inc.David Sacks

Maryam Ghyabi

The Gordon Company

Tiffany Hahn

Jo-Ann Halloran

Laura Hobby

Indigo Dental, Inc.

Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company

Keith R. Kennedy

R. D. and Lorene King

Charlene Latimer

L. Gale Lemerand

Carl W. Lentz

Amy Locklear

Kathleen R. Mathen

Rolf Mattar

Joseph P. McGinn

Louie W. Mercer

Karen L. Miller

Isalene T. Montgomery Paul M. Moses

New Smyrna Beach Chevrolet

New Smyrna Chrysler Jeep Dodge

Charles and Margaret Overbey, Jr.

Brian Planz

Professional Council of DSC Todd C. Richardson

Pam S. Ridilla Root Company

Wunhild Ryschkewitsch

Mario Scarabino

Diana Simmons

The University Club of Volusia James E. Vermette

Vystar

The Walt Disney Company Foundation

Diane M. Yontz

$100 - $499

A.G. Pifer Construction Co., Inc.

Robin R. Abney

Accents Unlimited of Debary, Inc.

Roy Albert Barbara Alden

The Alternative American Association of University Women/ New Smyrna

John Anderson

Laura Anderson

Brooke Andrew

Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory LLC

Sandra C. Applegarth

Gerry T. and Patricia Appleton

Angela C. Ares

Trinity Armstrong Michaela Aronowitz

William Arrington

Hubert J. Baker

Cathleen C. Barber

Elizabeth Barnes

John D. Barnes

David M. and Robin Barr Janet R. Bass

Zachary J. Bass

Catherine J. Bauerle

Bruce C. Baumann

Michael S. Bazovich

Cassidi Beaver BEC Consulting

Mark Bell

Tom and Martina Bellomo

Michelle J. Betros

Georgiana Bevacqua

Dan and Kathryn Biferie

Christine Bisbee

Julie Bissell

John and Veronica Black

Erika Blanken

David W. Bly

Lara N. Boe

Kevin and Laura Booker

Bowman Painting Mary Boyle

Linda Bradley

Scot A. Bradley

Herbert C. and Joan Brattlof

Robert C. Breaks

Norris Brewer

Frank T. and Mary Bruno, Jr.

Bob Bryant

Kay M. Burniston

Christine C. Camacho

Jennifer F. Campbell

Misty M. Carlson

Jon Carrier

Brian Carroll

Skylar Carstairs

Charles Wayne Properties Inc.

Stephen D. Chase

Cherise’s Hair and Nail, Inc

Andra D. Chisholm

Dan Chisholm

Dan Cipolla

Robert Clayton Neil Clemons

Randy Cliver

Coast Title Insurance Agency

Janel Coffing

Complete Moving Storage

Karen Conigliaro

Frances Conlon

Bruce C. Cook

Raymond D. and Margaret Cornelius

Julie L. Cox

Shanae Croft

Ronda Crosby

Robert G. and Toni Cuff

Sean P. and Michelle

Cunningham

Linda Cupick

Matthew S. Davids

LeeAnn Davis

Teresa S. Davis

Daytona Electric Bikes

Franklyn A. and Anette Decker

Willis P. Denny

Michael Destaffino

Shana Deyo

Tatum Diaz

Kimberly DiBlasio

Eleanor Dick Alex and Lois J. Dickison

Lisa G. DiNicolo

DME Holdings, LLC

Jessica Dodge

Jil N. Doran

Marie T. Downey

Kelly Duffy

Jessica L. Dunbar

Dunkin Donuts

Alicia L. Dunn

Dupont Financial Services Inc

Ronald Eaglin

Alycia M. Ehlert

Victoria Ehmen

Eric Ellis

Paula Fabian

David R. and Christine Farmer

Jessica A. Ferrer

Julie Flajole

Tammy Flannery

Josh Fogarty

Alisha Foster

Lloyd J. and Deborah Freckleton

Jean Fry

Hallie Garcia

Pamela A. Garcia

Jessica Mack Gaumont

Patricia M. Gee

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General Electric Foundation

Kathleen M. Giambattista

Judith Gibbs

Dora L. Giddens

Andrea Gilbert

Jason Gilbert

Ray and Sally Eddy

Godfather Securities, Inc.

Rosalynd E. Godfrey

Allan and Mary Goetteman

Martin and Michelle Goldys

Hector Gonzalez

Lloyd M. Gould

Ginna Greggo

Jason Grieve

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Daniel Haldi

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Adam Helms

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Julio W. and Betty Holness Jonelle J. Horsley

Elizabeth A. Houck

Sirena Houdyshell

Eric Houle

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Ryan Imhoff

Interstate Battery System of Coastal Daytona Intracoastal Bank

Seymour D. Israel

Amy E. Iverson

James J. Jabluszewski

Elena S. Jarvis

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Francis Jennings

JLS Data Services, Inc.

Lynne Johnston

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Valerie Jones

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Just Peachy Clean

Kaney & Olivari PL

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Pamela Kelley David King Connie Kisner

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Tracy Knox

Victoria A. Konieczny

Lisa Koogle

Elinor Kross

John L. and Patricia Ann La Belle

Ladies Professional Golf Association

Blaine S. Lansberry

Amanda D. Lasecki

Laurence and Rita Lee

P. J. Lehrer

The Levy Law Firm

A. Dale Lilyfors

Gregory A. Litz

William S. Lloyd

Roberto S. Lombardo

Kevin Lorden

Carole Luby

Melissa Q. Luedeke

Kristen Lutz

Jeffrey and Marilyn Macklin Mike Macomber

Mad Hatters Management

David J. Mahoney

Mainstreet Deland Assn., Inc. Petter Mandt

Stanley and Christine Manhart Betty A. Mantero

James Marindino

Tiffany Martin Stefanie Martineau

Mason Avenue Pawn

Ken J. Matthews

Donald May

Shannon S. May

Allison F. McAuliff

Cynthia McAvoy

Clarence F. McCloud, Jr. Richard E. McCloy

Kevin T. McCrary

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Sarah E. Meiselman

Frank and Lynn Mercer

Brenda V. Merritt

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Nancy Morgan Linda V. Moss Charles W. and Frances Murphy Jackson Musyimi Tina Myers Network for Good Nancy Neuser Sandra J. Northway Kimberly Oakes Michael P. Olivari

Casey Oravetz

Jim and Ellen O’Shaughnessy Outreach Community Care Network

Rita N. Owen

Paddleboard New Smyrna Beach LLC

Erick J. Palacios

Richard L. Pastor

Cindy A. Patterson

Jean Patton

Anna Peele

Roger C. and Lorraine Pellerin

Danny Perkins

Henry Phillips

Sabrina R. Pickens

Stewart and Evelyn Pinsof Ruthanna W. Pleterski

Politis & Matovina

Tatiana Potkull

Kristy L. Presswood

The Property Appraisers Assn of Florida, Inc.

Mark Prospect

Carlos Rebello

Adrienne R. Reed

Kristine Reed Scott D. Reed

Andrea Reilly

Hilary Reilly

Rhema Broadcasting, Inc.

Mary K. Rhodes

G. Elizabeth Rifenberg

Amy Ringue and Alan November

Evan H. Rivers

Kathleen Rodriguez Christina Ross Kyra Ross

Barbara B. Roth Meleah Row

Richard T. Rush

Harry and Tara Russo

Tracy Ruth

Makenna Sartain

Warren J. Selig, Sr.

Tristin Sigafoos

Nicole S. Silvas

Jill Simpkins Sandra Smith Stacy Smith

Lucinda Sniffen Ted Sofianos Jodi Sowinski

Spanos Motors

David Squires

Thomas and Bernice Stamford

Robert J. and Terry Stearns

Louis M. and Joy Steflik Randy and Laura Stegall

Suzanne Steiner Philip Stern

Marvin R. and Betty Jo Strickland Stumpbusters Styles 101 Linda A. Sullivan

Genie Sumney

Synergy Promo, LLC

Harian Thomas Jr. Monica A. Thomas

Shelif Thomas

Bruce Thornton

William J. and Elaine Tillard

Michelle Timperio

Tomoka Mushroom, LLC

Carrie Torres

Kristin Tougas

Sheri Trawick

Timothy Troian Sandra Tucci Kristen N. Turner

Catherine A. Twyman

Luis A. Vargas Volusia Top Gun Waste Pro

Dustin R. Weeks

Sherryl D. Weems

Wells Fargo Foundation Education Matching Gift Program

Billie Wheeler

Laurie S. White

Wit-Nest

David and Linda Woisard Joan Woodman

Amy Workowski

Laura Wright

Crystal Yeary

John J. Yocum

Jamie Zemball

Zev Cohen & Associates Gabriel and Frances Zinsli

Up to $100

Claudette Akarjalian

Linda J. Albert Austin L. Albro

Susan Alderson Alicia N. Alexander Robert Allen Carol S. Allison Wayne Alvarez Russ Anderson Denise Anderson

Xina Arab Helena G. Araujo

Atlantic Retirement Solutions, LLC Maria Augustine Lowell W. Austin Brooklynn Ayers Susan H. Bacs

Kristofer Bailey Ymani Bain Connie A. Baker Robert Balsamo Steve Barber Robert O. Barker

Paul Barnett

Donya Battiest

Scott Beaton

Joanne Beauregard Sirvart Bedrosian Judith R. Beebe

Kimberly S. Beechler

Jean R. Beeler

Nicholas Bellino Janet Bernstein

Alicia Betancourt Richard J. Bielot D. M. Billings

BJ’s Restaurants, Inc

Krissy Blackwelder Ana Blaine

Janet G. Blanken

Blue Ridge Country Club

Joan A. Bockmiller

Amanda T. Bolton

Dave F. Bon Fleur

Julio Bonilla Fred Bonnett

Gabi Booth

Jeffrey Boren

Tammy Bowles

David E. Bowling Liam Bowman Judith Brandon Jerold K. Braun Byron Bryson

Melanie Buccola

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Virginia Bunton

Denise Burgess

Michael F. Burke

Joy L. Burson

Donald E. Bush

Lori R. Byrd

Joshua Cady

Renate Calero

Barbara R. Cameron

Jacob Cameron

Robert M. Campbell

Isabel Candelas

Donald R. Carek

Charles L. Carrier

Noah Casasanta

Martin Cass

Catherine E. Casselberry

Mark J. Cerretani

Rudy Chamble

Krystle Cherry

City of Deltona

Elizabeth K. Clark

Karen Clay

Maria Clay-Emerson

Michael Clements

Winifred J. Clifton

Demetrios Coidakis

Victor M. Collazo

Charlene M. Collins

Rabecka Collins

John V. Connor

Loren Cooper

Richard Cordes

Judith Corn

Benjamin Corn

Maureen Coughlin

Adrian Covington

Lucilia Csihas

Patricia Dabney

Ann Dalton

Joyce Darcy

Lois Davino

Carrie Davis

Donna Davis Michael Davis

Robert C. Davis

DSC Alumni Association

John De Lanoy

Donald Deal

Tara L. DeBloom

Mary Decker

Mary Deininger

Stephen DeVito

Eugene Deyo

Joseph DiBlasio

Margaret Dibling

Donald P. Dietrich

Robert J. Dimmig

Judith Dobbins

Brittany N. Dombrowski

John Doria

Kathleen M. Douglas

Caleb Douglas

Ed Doyle

Alice Drish

Mary Carole Ducharme

Karen A. Duhlstine

Sean Duszny

Richard R. Eckert

Connie M. Eilbeck

P. W. Elliott

Burgess A. Ellis

Joe J. English

Mariluz Esposito de Vargas

Joan Farrell

John Fawcett

Claude L. Fennema, Jr. Joyce H. Ferrante

Jack Figueiredo

Susan R. Fillion

Mark Fish

Nanett Fisher

John Fitzgibbons

Flagler County Property Appraiser

Paul M. Flynn

Marga B. Foss

Desiree Fowler

Julie Fox

Alinda Free

Jerry Frey

Margery A. Frye

Kathryn Fulco

John Garcia Bonda Garrison

Dawn Gawlikoski

Dee Gay

Samantha Gedrin

Susan G. Gilead

Ken B. Gilleo

Jeffrey W. Gillis

Carol Gilmore

Marcia Gitelman

Shelby Glawson

Dorothy Gleason

Pauline L. Glisson

Alice Godbey

Dana Godek

Susan Goldberg

David and Janice Golden

Michiko C. Gosney

Lynn Gowan

Laura Grace

Betty Green

Ryan and Theresa Greenbaum

Laura Griffith

Kim A. Grippa

Maryann Gromoll

Bernard A. Gropper

Eugene Gross

Paul and Adrienne Grossman

Lisa Grubbs

Olga Grunsten

Leslie Guerry

Laronda Hall

Jackie Hanes

James N. Hansen

Hansen Fine Portraits

John P. Hardebeck

Patricia A. Harms

Harold Haycook Moving & Storage Corporation

Lori Harrison

Krystin Harrison

Daniel Hart

Ken Hawes

Roger Hayes

Helen W. Hebert

Patrick Henderson

Priscilla Henderson

Ronald N. Hendricks

Sharon Herbert Kami L. Herron

Diane S. Higelin

Patti M. Himes

Daniel Hodgins

Holly Hollins

Marcia Holman

Gladys B. Holton

Thomas E. Homn

Ida Hop

Andrea E. Horney

Margaret H. Housley Bill Howard

Rebecca Hritz

Mary R. Hurlbut

Judy Hutchinson

Sharon M. Ielfield

Patricia Isringhausen

Frank Italiano

David W. and Anne Jacobs

Susan R. Jahn

Joseph Jennings

Joe Jennings

Kaylee Johnson

Daniel Johnson

Danielle Johnson

Tommy C. Jones Jr.

Eileen Kabath

Heather Kadur Douglas Kaiser

John Kalemba

Stephanie M. Kauffman

Charlotte Keenen

Terry Kennedy

Angela S. Kennerly

Gail F. Kiff

Karen Kimberly Charles King Kelina Knecht

Sheia G. Knighton

Richard E. Knipple

Judith Koecheler

Jim Kofas

Cheryl Kohen

Robert and Elaine Kornspan

Wanda Kowitz

Marcia Kreeger

Scott Kreisler

Jerome and Esther Krueger

Joan Krueger

Edward Kufeldt

Laura Kurtze

Jeanne M. Lamontia

Erin K. Lane

Charles Lang

Roger Langdon

Michelle L. LaPlant

Donald Large

Lynda S. Lasseter

Donald and Jan Latford

Adella B. Latus

William and Beverly Lawrence

Erin LeDuc

Ann Leemkuil

Carolyn Lehmann

James A. Leitch

Robert Lemon

Vera Lenning

Andrea Leone-Witt

Morris and Sylvia Levy

Joy Lewis

Shirley R. Lieberman

Elaine H. Ling

Jessica Lipsey

Natalie Lipson

Barbara Littlefield

Cindy S. Llewellyn

Lt. Col. Lewis C. Long III

Brenda J. Loper

Vania Lopez

Matt and Kendra Loughry

Thomas Luke

Elizabeth J. Lyter

Shirley MacDonald

Robin M. MacDonald

Stephanie Magrich

Cheryl Majeski

Judy Makris

Laura Marco

Dustin Markland Judy O. Marshall

Tracy Martin

Henry Martin

Anita E. Maruco

Bruce Mathews

Anne Mathews

Martha H. McCarthy

Alan McCoy

Elizabeth McDermott

Melanie McDonough

Mike McEvoy

Patricia McGinnis

Barbara Ann McKenzie

Susan McLean

Mary E. McLoughlin

William A. McManus

Jim McVeigh

Nikki P. Meadow

Diane M. Meftah

Davinder Mehta

Robert and Kristie Menello

Josephine Mercado

Terry Mercer

Linda D. Miles

John E. and Barbara Miller

Cheryl Miller

Sandra Y. Miller

Patricia Miller

John F. Miseyko

David Mixon

Joyce Monaco

Moonlight Pizza & Italian Grill

Emily Moore

Deortha P. Moore

Richard Moore

Theresa A. Moore

Dominic L. and Dixie Morgese

Aileen Morrissey

Anne R. Moses

George M. Moss, Jr.

June G. Moss

Tamara E. Mottler

H. Bruce Mowrey

Anne-Marie Muldowney

Shannon Murdock

Carol Murphy

Museum of Arts and Sciences

Bill Nelson

Rebecca D. Newberry

Aphrodite P. Nichols

Leida Nieves

Rosa Noguera

Paul E. Nolan

Jay E. Nulph

Shawn O’Brien

Sharon S. Ohlson

Elizabeth A. Okane

Marlys OMalley

Brian and Judy Oppenheimer

Veronica Ordner

Carlos Ortiz

Sandra R. Ossinsky

Jacqueline A. Pappas

Elizabeth S. Pardee

Barbara L. Parounagian

Michael A. Patient

Demeteria Patterson

Beth Anne Payne

Kathleen D. Payne

Joyce E. Pazman

Frank R. Peburn

Lisa M. Perry

Elly Petersen

Sylvia Petrillo

William F. Phinney

Martha Pierce

Mark Pilon

Kathryn M. Pippin

Michael Plantier

Vivian N. Plantier

Marcia Polenz

Andrea Pomponio

Joshua Poniatowski

Derrick U. Porter

Anita Post

Brandon D. Pryce

Frank J. and Amy Quinn

Terry M. Quinn

Bernice Quiros

Jennifer Dawn Raines

Doreen Randall

Asenath M. Rasmussen

Nancy Raymond and Sam Lowry Jan Reeger

Yolanda B. Reilly

Ronald Rennard

Rachel Repyneck

Donna S. Reynolds

Tiffany A. Riggs

Sofia C. Rivas

Miguel Rivera

Mary A. Roberts

Debra Roe

Richard W. Rogers

Kimberly I. Rolfe

Jeannie Rose

Dave Rosenberg

Elaine Rosengarten

John Ross

Patricia A. Ross

Ross Enterprises of Daytona

John Rothenwander

Julia A. Rouse

Shirley Rozek

Laura Rumer

Alison J. Ryan

Evelyn Salter

David Saltzsieder

Karen M. Sanders

Harriet Sandler

Howard Sanford

Josephine Santiago Lillian G. Satterlee

Gail T. Savicki

Bea D. Schemer

Betty Scheonherr

Tracie A. Schibeci

Valerie A. Schimenti

Ralph Schoenherr

Lola Schott

Donald Schweitzer

JoAnn A. Scott

Tyler Scruggs

Luiz Sena

Julius Sessoms III

Rekha and Ray Shah

Ryan Shank

Linda and James O. Shannon

Lois J. Shannon

Roberta and Herbert Shauger

Emilie Shaw

Chris Shell

Rhonda Sherrer

Nancy and William E. Shevin

Dana Shiskin

Noah Sibley-Summers

Chloe Sills Emma Sills Mary A. Singer

Ashley A. Singh Nicole M. Slaughter

Michael Smisloff

David L. and Maria Smith

George and Kay Smith

Lisa R. Smith

Sam Smith Martin Smith Donald R. Snell

Mary Snyder

Cindy L. Somers

Charles Somers Thomas Sousa

Dan Spink

Nancy C. Srebernak

Michael P. and Mary Jane Stauffer

Mary L. Stelzer

Jennifer Stephens

John T. Sterling

Betty H. Stern

Glenn D. and Catherine R. Storch

John Stovall

Elizabeth G. Strickland

Sandra E. Summers

Aaron Sunday

Loretta Szulewski

James and Janice Tanner Becky M. Tate Ellen K. Tate

Stella Terry

Faith M. Testerman

Kristina E. Testor

Lonnie D. Thompson

Mary J. Thompson

Mary Thompson

Paul Thompson

Darryl Thornhill

Iris Threatt-Milton

Jeff M. and Bonnie Thurman

Sharon K. Tighe

Janice and Hugh Toles

Susan Torrant

Jacqueline L. Treadwell

Monica P. Tucker

Mary E. Tully

William D. Turner

Jean E. Turner

Cheryl D. Tweedy

David L. Tyree

United Way of Volusia-Flagler County

John C. Upchurch

Leora M. Usina

Candice L. Valle

Judith Valloze

Leon and Amber Van Varenberg

Judith H. VanHorn Kim Verbel

Janet E. Vodenicker

Jean-Marta Vogel Dan Vogel

Linda L. Vought

Glen T. and Margarita Walker

Michael J. and Polly Walsh Jr. Tyler Walton

Beverly Ward

Richard Ware

Bruce Warner

Dave Wasko

Richard Waters

Donna Weidinger

William D. and Sandra Wester

Lemy Wheeler

Rose White

Lorrie Whitfield

Chelsea Whitmore

Julie E. Wight

Constance D. Wilkerson

Brenda Wilkinson

R. F. and Diane Williams

Mary D. Wilson

Brad Winston

Jeaneen Witt

Michael and Barbara Wolfe

Bobbi Worthington

Martha V. Wright

Nancy L. Wright

Steven E. Wright

Brian G. Wright

Lee Wright

James Wulff

Charles Wyeger

Lowell H. Wynn

Pat O. Young

Pille Zieglar

Kristina A. Ziminski

Hollis J. and Holly Zwart-Duryea

FOUNDATION GALA

2017 GALA FOUNDATION

A celebration of the 25th year of galas and sponsors and the college’s 60th anniversary filled the Hosseini Center with over 300 guests.

David and Mary Ann Haas DSC Trustee and board member of DSC Foundation

College of Hospitality students volunteer to assist guests at the Gala.

President Tom LoBasso, far right, and Student Government President Sofia Rivas, far left, stand with alumni speakers Stephen Crowley, Melissa Diaz and Chief Craig Capri.

Photos by Taylor Erdman, Nicole Guthrie and Erika Grace Photography

Forough Hosseini Chair, DSC District Board of Trustees

DSC Trustee Betty Holness

Dr. LoBasso catches up with Paul and Shirley Clare, past honorees and long-time supporters of DSC.

Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland, left, with Nick and Kelli Jebbia, DSC Foundation Board of Directors

FOUNDATION GALA

Lee and Bobby Thigpen, chair of Foundation Board and past honoree

Dr. Tom LoBasso with children Tommy and Alexa and wife Karen

Amanda Craig and Dax Cagle

Dean Costa Magoulas with Andrea and Larry Frank

Julie and Bert Reames, past gala honoree

Barbara and Gary Lubi, DSC trustee, with Larry Jones and Margaret Sheehan-Jones

Tammy Graham, Lee Thigpen and Sheryl Cook

Dave and Donna Mixon and Maggie Thompson, DSC Foundation Board of Directors

DSC trustee Bob Davis and Pat Patterson

Instructor Kathy Douglas, faculty member of the Hospitality Management Program, adds final touches to the desserts.

Lonnie and Talera Thompson

Jim and Pat Judge

News-Journal publisher Bill Offill with wife Stephanie and, right, Jill Simpkins with L. Gale Lemerand

FOUNDATION GALA

DSC Board Chair Forough Hosseini accepts an award from DSC Foundation as a past honoree.

SGA President Sofia Rivas presents an award to Cici Brown, DSC Foundation supporter.

President LoBasso welcomes guests, supporters and honorees.

DSC trustee Lloyd Freckleton with Chef Costa Magoulas

Rob and Ilene Droge

Mary Margaret and Ed Kelley accept an award for past honoree and son, Brian Kelley.

Bobby Thigpen, chair of the Foundation, thanks the crowd for their continued support.

Standing: Shawn and Ed Noseworthy, Donald and Wendy Ottati Seated: Kelly and John Ferguson, Shannon and Cory Domayer (Florida Hospital)

Glenn Ritchey receives an award as a past honoree.

The DSC Jazz Singers, under the direction of Dr. Jean Hickman, entertain the crowd.

Frank and Susan Gummey

Connie and Glenn Ritchey, Pam and Robert Lysloff, Ted Terbousek and Amy Graham

Alumni Awardees Represent Stellar Graduates

Daytona State recognized the professional accomplishments and community achievements of four graduates in October during the Alumni & Friends Association’s inaugural awards breakfast.

“The quality of a Daytona State College education can be measured by how our graduates move forward in making better lives for themselves, their families and their communities,” said President Tom LoBasso in welcoming invited guests, held as part of the college’s annual Homecoming festivities. “This morning, we recognize alumni who continue to be shining reflections of the college’s mission and values.”

Alumni of the Year honors went to Dixie Morgese who started her DSC studies as a new mother looking for a new start. After completing the Center for Women and Men’s Fresh Start program, she earned her Associate of Science in Human Services degree in 1995, and went on to receive her bachelor’s degree Magna Cum Laude

from St. Leo University. Later, she added Certified Addictions Professional and International Drug and Alcohol Counselor designations to her portfolio.

Dixie served as a consultant for health and family service organizations throughout Florida before being named executive director of the Healthy Start Coalition of Flagler and Volusia. She also has served as an adjunct faculty for DSC’s Institute of Health Services.

“Throughout her career, Dixie has helped scores of people as a counselor and a leader who is still making a difference in our community that will last generations,” the president said.

The Distinguished Faculty/Staff Alumni Award went to Bill Tillard, a 1977 graduate of the institution’s Law Enforcement Academy. Prior to returning to the college in 1998 to serve as director of Campus Safety, Bill enjoyed a successful 25-year career with the Daytona Beach Police Department.

At DSC, he has spent nearly 20 years honing an effective Campus Safety unit that serves all college properties. He has helped to secure nearly $1 million in federal, state and local grants, and has led numerous campus safety initiatives, including installing security cameras at all campuses and partnering with law enforcement to have a police presence at all campuses.

“These are just a few of the initiatives Bill has taken on over the years,” LoBasso said in presenting the award. “Indeed, he has served the college community with distinction and honor, providing the safest environment possible through his leadership and mentorship to staff, faculty and students.”

Entrepreneur Chris Gilpin received the Young Alumni Excellence Award. Chris earned his associate of arts (AA) degree from Daytona State, then transferred to the University of Central Florida, where he majored in business.

“The quality of a Daytona State education can be measured by how our graduates move forward in making better lives for themselves, their families and their communities.”

- President Tom LoBasso

Left to right: Bill Tillard, ’77, Dr. Mikael Jones, ’98, Dixie Morgese, ’95, Chris Gilpin, ’02 and President Tom LoBasso

Photo by Erika Grace Photography

Today, he is the president of Signal Vault, a DeBary-based company that produces a card-like device that is designed to block hackers from remotely scanning the electronic chips embedded in today’s credit cards.

Signal Vault has enjoyed great success, which received a boost when Chris was featured on Shark Tank, where budding entrepreneurs get the chance to bring their business ideas to fruition. Today, over 500,000 of his devices have been sold worldwide. Last year, Chris was the featured presenter during the college’s L. Gale Lemerand Entrepreneurial Speaker Series event.

Dr. Mikael Jones was chosen for the prestigious Margaret Crumley Award for Distinguished Achievement in Science, which honors an alumnus who achieved an associate degree from DSC’s School of Biological and Physical Sciences and who has made significant contributions in their field. Recipients of this award are nominated and selected by science faculty. Dr. Jones earned his AA from the college in 1998. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Florida, and completed a Pharmacy Practice and Primary Care Pharmacy Practice Residency at the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center.

Today, he is the university’s Patient Care Laboratory director, as well as a course coordinator for UK’s Patient-Centered Care Experience course sequence. He also coordinates the Advanced Pharmacology course for the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at UK’s College of Nursing. Dr. Jones is a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist and practices in UK’s Center for the Advancement of Women’s Health.

Constantly in pursuit of innovative teaching strategies, in 2010 Dr. Jones received the American College of Clinical Pharmacy’s New Educator Award, an honor bestowed upon faculty who make an impact in healthcare education during their first six years of teaching.

“Sixty years ago, this college was established as part of the greatest expansion of higher education in our nation’s history,” noted Dr. LoBasso. “Whether you are an employee, attended our college decades ago or just recently graduated, you, too, are part of this great movement in higher learning that emphasizes access and opportunity to all who seek better lives through education.”

DSC sweepstakes winnergreat timing for busy alumni family

Winning DSC’s 60th anniversary sweepstakes couldn’t have come at a better time for 2006 nursing alumnus Evan Jones. The young father of two, with wife Stephanie expecting their third son, says they rarely have the time or extra funds to go out together.

The best part of the winning basket - two nights and dinner at the oceanside Bahama House - will give the couple a break after the newest Jones arrives. “This just couldn’t be a better gift for us right now,” Evan notes.

The family has rallied energies around keeping the household on track, with two pre-school boys and Evan’s intense work as a nurse anesthetist. He earned his master’s to move into his chosen career a few years ago. “It’s a special program only available at Barry University in Miami Shores,” explains Evan, who completed it while working. “I knew this career track was what I wanted years ago,” he says. “I love being able to calm patients’ fears and manage their anesthesia; I have about 30 seconds to gain their trust before they go into the operating room.”

Evan and Stephanie, also a DSC nursing graduate, recommend getting started at DSC. “We’re homegrown, from Port Orange, so we knew DSC was our choice. We saved a lot of money here, and the nursing program has a great reputation, though it was tough,” he notes. “You have to be on top of your game, but that prepared me for where I am now, without a huge debt. And we still know professors by name, seeing them around town.”

He met Stephanie in the nursing program. “I left a note on her car telling her how beautiful she was, and here we are still married 13 years later,” he says, smiling. After earning their degrees and RN certifications, she went directly into nursing obstetrics and Evan started in intensive care before going on for his BSN and master’s.

“We’re right where we want to be in life,” he believes, “and it’s a career I wouldn’t change.”

With oldest son Levi, Evan Jones, ’06, accepts his sweepstakes winnings from President Tom LoBasso.

Team Daytona Beach gets nod at Solar Decathlon

A week after Hurricane Irma ripped through the Sunshine State, a group of Daytona State interior design and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University engineering students scrambled to finish a 1,000 square-foot house they designed. Delayed by the storm and its aftermath, the team barely prepped the structure in time for shipment to Denver to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) prestigious Solar Decathlon 2017 held in October.

The scholars comprising Team Daytona Beach were among 11 collegiate squads from around the world vying for a share of over $2 million in DOE prize money. They spent over two years designing and building their energy-efficient BEACH House, blending design excellence and smart energy balance with innovative engineering.

“The BEACH House (BEACH stands for Building Efficient, Affordable and Comfortable Homes) is designed to allow a small family to live sustainably without sacrificing comfort,” said DSC interior

design professor Deborah Kincaid. “It features an open floor plan that provides the energy-saving ability of a high-technology house at an affordable price, and is engineered to perform in central Florida’s hot and humid climate.”

Despite difficulties stemming from transporting the BEACH house to Colorado in the wake of nearly two weeks of construction delays courtesy of Irma, Team Daytona Beach still managed to secure third-place honors in the contest’s Market Potential category, one of 10 measures in the competition. A Swiss team outshined the entire field and took top overall honors.

Just by participating in the DOE Solar Decathlon, however, Team Daytona Beach became part of a national movement to create awareness of the value and imperativeness of sustainable living. Nearly 1,000 American colleges and universities have pledged to “green” their operations and motivate students to seek

sustainable solutions to environmental, societal and economic challenges, and dedicate themselves to becoming thoughtful citizens of the planet, according to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

“The great thing about this house is that while it has a low footprint, it also has a high level of livability,” said Dr. Ron Eaglin, chair of DSC’s School of Engineering Technology, who helped the students disassemble the house for shipment to the Colorado decathlon competition. “It uses less power, so it costs less money to live in, and it also can be replicated and marketed on a mass scale.”

DSC interior design student Stephanie Kowalak noted that it was exciting to see her team’s scale model of the house come to life. “A great deal of thought and planning went into the design from the project’s inception,” she said. “Space utilization had to be carefully considered because it is a small house.”

Team partner, DSC interior design student Wally Peed added that the house was planned with lifelong sustainability in mind, noting the home’s wide doorways and corridors to accommodate wheelchairs. “We focused on the concept of aging in place from the very beginning,” he said. “We were thinking of empty nesters living here and planning on making it their forever home.”

Kincaid added that working with the ERAU students was a great opportunity for the DSC team members. “As a teaching and learning experience, when you have a project like this, especially when you have two teams working together, it can get logistically complicated. Communication is key. Throughout the process, we were able to learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and we were able to get the job done. This is exactly how a construction project is conducted, where you have people who work in specialized genres all coming together to complete something so large and complicated.”

“A great deal of thought and planning went into the design from the project’s inception. Space utilization had to be carefully considered because it is a small house.”

- Stephanie Kowalak, ’17

Judges review the DSC/ERAU solar house entry in October in Denver.

DSC members of Team Daytona Stephanie Kowalak and Wally Peed

The BEACH House made it to Denver with weather damage, but won third place for Market Potential.

MEET THE STAFF

Paying it ForwardASL Classes Expand Officer’s Outreach

Signing to deaf and hard-of-hearing students or campus visitors is a norm for Campus Safety Officer Charles Hinton, and a way he can give back for a life back on track.

Advances in digital technology detoured Charles’ 26-year career as a cartographer down a one-way street to obsolescence. Laid off and approaching middle age, he spent over a year looking for work, but lacking a high school diploma, his opportunities were limited.

Charles turned to Daytona State to earn his GED and discovered the college’s Fresh Start for Men program, a decision he looks back on today as one that transformed his life.

“It was tough being out of work for so long and looking for a career change at 51 years old with no high school diploma,” he recalled. “But my Fresh Start experience was awesome. There was lots of comradery among the group, and we learned important skills like resume building, computers and interviewing that helped me and the other men in our group.”

Charles graduated from the Fresh Start program and in only 10 weeks completed his GED. It was a special time, as he

remembers his mom also completed her GED at 51 when the college was still Daytona Beach Community College.

The week before earning his GED, Charles applied for a Campus Safety officer position, landed an interview and was hired upon completing his program.

Since transitioning from student to employee in 2011, Charles has been recognized for his ongoing contributions to the college community.

He was awarded the Customer Service Award by President Tom LoBasso, was recognized in 2014 as DSC’s Career Employee of the Semester and in 2015 was named Campus Safety Officer of the Quarter.

Campus Safety Director Bill Tillard, ’77, noted Charles’ dedication to the college and serving students. “Charles displays care and compassion daily,” he said. “He often chooses to park his golf cart and walk the campus, interacting with our staff and students in a friendly, helpful way. He is a true DSC Falcon ambassador.”

He has since become a fixture on the Daytona Beach Campus, regularly assisting students, patrolling the campus and doubling as an ambassador for the college as well as a safety officer.

Inspired by his late brother who was deaf, Charles took American Sign Language classes to better serve the college’s deaf or hard-of-hearing students and visitors. He completed all his courses with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

Charles continues to be an advocate and guest speaker for Fresh Start, noting that it’s a small way to give back to a program that helped him get his life back on course.

“Fresh Start was a turnaround for me,” he said. “Since being hired, working at Daytona State has been a most enjoyable experience. I truly have been lucky with how my career has transitioned.”

Charles signs with student Emma Sills.

Photo by Erika Grace Photography

’60s

COSTA MAGOULAS

Attended in 1960s and later. Dean of DSC’s College of Hospitality & Culinary Management, he was given the prestigious American Culinary Federation’s Chef Educator of the Year Award this July. A frequent presenter on hot topics in the hospitality industry, he also filmed a cooking segment for the Florida Department of Health for Volusia Magazine, which aired in October, to show proper sanitation techniques for holiday meals.

’00s

NAO TSURUMAKI, ’01

AA. In June 2017, he was named Executive Director of Winter Garden Theater.

GEORGE HRISTAKOPOULOS, ’05

Law Enforcement Academy. Nominated by Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, he was awarded the 2017 Greatest Save Law Enforcement Award from KinderVision, a national program that focuses on the prevention of child exploitation.

HAYDEN HADDOX, ’09, ’12

BAS and AAS, Culinary Management. Named new executive chef for Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort.

’70s

VICTOR COLLAZO, ’78

AA. He was designated Orange County’s District 4 Citizen of the Year at the 22nd Annual Orange County Government Community Conference held in July.

’90s

KAREN TORREY, ’92

AS, Nursing. In November 2017 she was named Director of Surgical Services at Florida Hospital New Smyrna Beach.

THOMAS BULL, ’97, ’01 Certificates in Paramedic and Firefighting. In October 2017 he was named Firefighter of the Year by the Flagler-Palm Coast Kiwanis Club.

’10s

AMY TAYLOR, ’10

AS, Radiography. In October 2017 she was selected to serve as Manager of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab, Florida Hospital New Smyrna Beach.

MEGHAN BAINBRIDGE, ’12

AA. In 2017 she was named Seabreeze High School Softball Coach, serving at her alma mater, where she was a four-year letter winner and earned All-Area Softball Honors as a Seabreeze senior in 2010.

KRYSTAL HAGI, ’14

AA. Opened a computer repair and IT store in August 2017 in the Marvin Gardens complex on State Road 100 in Bunnell.

DEBORAH RESHARD, ’14

AS, Culinary Management. She celebrated her second full year in October as owner of her own soul-food restaurant, Lil Mama’s Kitchen, on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Daytona Beach.

TIFFANY CHAN, ’15

AA. Recently made history as the first Hong Kong golfer to qualify for the LPGA Tour; she earned her Tour card at her first attempt at Qualifying School. A two-time, first-team National Junior College Athletic Association All-American (2014, 2015), Chan twice won the NJCAA Individual Women’s Golf Championship before graduating from DSC.

You shop. Amazon gives.

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2018 Arts Events

Theater/Music/Dance/Exhibitions/Guest Speakers

February 23-24, March 2-3

Songs for a New World Music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown 7:30 p.m.

February 25, March 3

Songs for a New World Music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown 2:30 p.m.

Gillespy Theater (TICKETED, GENERAL SEATING)

February 28

MPT Rocks! Mid-term Concert 7:30 pm Outdoors (FREE, NO TICKETS REQUIRED) Rain date: March 1

March 8

Instrumental Extravaganza 7:30 p.m. Davidson Theater (TICKETED, GENERAL SEATING)

April 5

Orchestra & Choral Concert 7:30 p.m. Davidson Theater (TICKETED, GENERAL SEATING)

April 12, 19

Improv Night 7 p.m.

Gillespy Theater (FREE, NO TICKETS REQUIRED)

April 19

Jazz Concert 7:30 p.m. Davidson Theater (TICKETED, GENERAL SEATING)

April 24

Flute Choir 7:30 p.m. Grand Lobby (FREE, NO TICKETS REQUIRED)

April 26

Symphonic Band 7:30 p.m. Davidson Theater (TICKETED, GENERAL SEATING)

April 26-28

Spring Awakening by Frank Wedekind 7:30 p.m.

April 28-29

Spring Awakening by Frank Wedekind 2:30 p.m. Gillespy Theater (TICKETED, GENERAL SEATING)

May 8

Guitar Ensemble 7:30 p.m. Grand Lobby (FREE, NO TICKETS REQUIRED)

May 9

Music Production Technology Rocks! 7:30 p.m. Outdoors (FREE, NO TICKETS REQUIRED) Rain date: May 10