DAYTONA STATE COLLEGE MAGAZINE
BUSINESS CAREERS
BOOMING -
Vol. 4 • No. 1 • SPRING/SUMMER 2018
FROM FINANCE TO SOLE PROPRIETORS On the cover, Zina Grau, Brown & Brown Insurance
BIKE WEEK STUDENT PROJECT HELPS CITY
Vol. 4 • No. 1 • SPRING/SUMMER 2018
CONTENTS
LEAVING A LEGACY
16
36
Cover Story
Business is abuzz for alumni, from physicist/inventor to finance officers
4
Foundation Update
Daytona State College Foundation Heritage Endowment Society - Endowed scholarships list
6
8
Students in Motion
Learning Scene
What’s Happening
Gardening for nutrition; career shift from designing jewelry to kitchens
Passion for music helps overcome all odds for new grad
12
15
30
Community Partnerships
Meet the Faculty
Arts and Culture
32
34
Falcon Spotlight
Daytona State Lifestyle
45
Packing in the wheels for city revenue - BAS project
Not your ‘run of the mill’: DSC X-country update
New accounting professor has diverse interests, unique business
Pioneering program reflects culture of student success
2 | DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE • SPRING/SUMMER 2018
Events, shining moments, special DSC community members
Beloved artist’s retrospective benefits her endowed scholarship
Alumni Class Notes Send your updates, catch up with fellow grads
PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE Dr. Thomas LoBasso
Business - a strategic fit for many alumni Paths to fulfilling careers and rewarding incomes often require strategic navigation, many turning into the world of business with pertinent education acquired along the way. Our alumni highlighted in this issue share their career paths, revealing varied goals, decisive shifts and reinventions. What they all have in common, along with some of our featured students and faculty, is success with business careers, hand-in-hand with local employers or clients who value and support their business savvy.
DAYTONA STATE COLLEGE MAGAZINE PRESIDENT Dr. Thomas LoBasso DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES Forough B. Hosseini, Chair Stanley Escudero, Vice-Chair Bob Davis Sarah Dougherty Lloyd J. Freckleton Mary Ann Haas Betty J. Holness Garry Lubi Anne Patterson ___________________________________
You’ll also read about a unique opportunity for business students who helped the city of Daytona Beach with a project during Bike Week. They applied business skills to help maximize parking revenues. What a great way to learn, by becoming a valuable resource and partner in community-service projects that help a city’s revenue and taxpayers’ budgets.
DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE STAFF
Having the right resources at any stage of life and business is critical. Daytona State works to ensure that our students, local industry and community have the resources needed for success. To that end, we constantly look for long-term opportunities through our business community, including what’s on the horizon for jobs. We’re launching a new associate of science degree and certificate program in Optician Technology. Optician dispensing is among the fastest-growing occupations in Volusia and Flagler counties, with a projected annual growth of nearly 10 percent through 2021. In addition, our vision is to meet the ever-growing need for trained healthcare professionals by building a state-of-the-art, multidisciplinary facility on our Deltona Campus that will help expand our nursing and other healthcarerelated programs.
Editor, Senior Writer Harry Russo
At Daytona State College, we’re grateful that our business and community partners continue to value and support our mission. On behalf of the faculty and staff, we pledge our continued commitment to the region. The stories you read will make you proud of the impact our students and alumni make in our communities. Thank you, and I hope to see you at our seasonal sporting events, our fall gala dinner and our 2018 Homecoming!
Managing Editor Laurie White Laurie.White@DaytonaState.edu
Guest Writer Prof. Elizabeth Barnes Art Director Lisa Deignan AS ’92 Graphic Design Lisa Deignan Photography Tim Bell AA ‘11 Aldrin Capulong AS ’08 Alicia Gautreaux AS ‘13 Nicole Guthrie AS ’11 Coordinator Alison Ryan Cover Design, Lisa Deignan Photo, Nicole Guthrie Daytona State College 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd. Daytona Beach, Florida 32114 (386) 506-3000 • DaytonaState.edu
t g Ce l ebratin
h t a P e h
t S to
e s c s c u S t n e d u
The 26th
Annual Gala benefiting the
Daytona State College Foundation
Save the Date
Wednesday, October 24, 2018 Hosseini Center - Daytona Beach Campus
Falcons flying high
Bobby Thigpen DSC Foundation Board Chair
It’s truly a great day to be a Falcon! Activity and excitement are everywhere at DSC, from construction of the new Student Center to new equipment at the ATC to the president’s office, where plans are underway for new degree and certificate programs and the expansion of the Deltona Campus. And I have to mention the athletic success of men’s baseball, women’s softball and volleyball, and the start of the new cross country program. As I said and continue to say, Daytona State College is the best investment for Volusia and Flagler communities. As president of the DSC Foundation, I’m proud to read of the successes of our graduates. Each day we learn more of what our graduates are accomplishing both at home in our communities and on the national scene. We are proud Falcons! As with any public institution, funding from state and federal sources only meets half the need. So, I say “thank you” to the individuals, businesses and organizations that have helped us grow support for DSC students. At the Foundation, we offer many ways for interested supporters to join us in this mission. Please read the inspiring story of Elizabeth “Sissie” Barr whose love of art has sustained her passion for living and her motivation to encourage the next generation through her art scholarship, or the stories of generous memorial scholarships established by DSC’s retired administrator Roger Rowan and the daughter of community leader Bernice Fishpaw. These gifts are valuable and so is yours! We want to talk to you about establishing a legacy at Daytona State and we have many ways to recognize your generosity. Please call our Foundation team to plan your gift and be recognized with a naming opportunity in our new Student Center, on our athletic fields or in one of our existing campus locations. Frankly, we need your support and, if I know this community, you will respond to our call.
FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS Bobby Thigpen, Chair 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 EMERITUS BOARD Sally Gillespie Dirinda Maddy Cherie Keemar EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS Lorene King, Vice President of Advancement/ Foundation Executive Director
Isalene Montgomery, Senior Vice President/Chief Business Officer
I hope to see you soon in the stands at our athletic events, and at the 2018 Gala on Oct. 24!
Support the Foundation Donate.DaytonaState.edu (386) 506-3110
STUDENTS IN MOTION
A sample of Wendy’s jewelry designs.
Photo by Nicole Guthrie
CHANGING CAREERS: EXPLORING CREATIVITY Interior Design student Wendy Foreman, jewelry designer As a teenager, Wendy Foreman thought less about boys and fashion and more about bending metal to her whim. Those high school days in metalsmithing class, making goblets and vessels, launched a lifelong exploration of her diverse design talents. “I’ve always loved being hands-on and doing anything creative,” says the jewelry artist who went out on her own in 2006, specializing in Argentium silver, after 25 years working for jewelry stores. Along the way she has renovated houses and earned kudos for re-doing relatives’ and friends’ home interiors. “It was time for a change,” she explains about her move into interior design through DSC’s kitchen and bath certificate and associate degree in architecture and design. It may be a change in how she makes a living, but not in how she relies on her rich art and design talents. Noting that she finds inspiration in nature and her surroundings, Wendy also credits family traits. “My sister is so creative; she sews and refinishes furniture. And my dad is a writer.
“But I think we all have innate gifts in us. Some people start young, and sometimes talent arises out of a trigger that moves you to take a chance and develop creativity,” Wendy says. While she still loves jewelry design, the urge to expand her creativity into interior design pushed her to seek formal training.
“. . . I think we all have innate gifts in us. Some people start young, and sometimes talent arises out of a trigger that pushes you to take a chance and develop creativity.”
- Wendy Foreman
She chose DSC’s program from an online search, pleased to see interning and hands-on design with 3D computer rendering all part of the process.
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A Connecticut native who chose a specialized Boston college after high school to earn her two-year certificate in jewelry design and repair, Wendy knows what helps her learn. It’s important to encourage students to embrace the computer as a tool, she says. “Designers are visual people; it’s powerful to see how different cabinets, counters and floors all work together.” Prof. Deborah Kirkland, who manages the interior design program, lauds Wendy and students like her who recognize the impact of technology on their field. “I started in my career with talent, but no formal training in computers and other design processes,” she explains. “Over time I realized college was possible for me, even as a first-generation student in my family. It’s great to see others take the chance and change their future with education.” With her next career step almost at hand, Wendy offers simple words of support for others considering change: “Life’s just too short - follow your heart.”
Putting lessons to work - Students dig in for community nutrition Students in a DSC nutrition class brought their studies to life this school year by starting a vegetable garden that benefits the community. With an eye to promoting healthy eating, they built planters and laid in small crops, showing that you don’t have to be a gourmand or expert gardener to plan healthful menus and produce nutritious vegetables. Like the Farm to Table movement, Daytona State’s Community Garden on the DeLand Campus points to living well with locally grown fresh foods. The service project was started by a small team of students in the new Healthy Roots Nutrition Club. Many of the students who stepped up to launch the project are on paths to healthcare careers. They know healthy eating lays the foundation for well-being. “The club’s goal each season is to work with the pantries, find out what food they need and then choose what we can plant in square-foot plots,” says club member Jerelynn Bush, a student in DSC’s nursing program. “We’re gardening in very small spaces to grow as wide a variety as possible, and to teach how easily it can be done.” Part of the starting garden team, Jerelynn recalls, “We were given the reins to decide on design, plant choice and harvest disbursement. Through collaboration, planning and physical activity over 13 weeks, a beautiful campus garden emerged.”
This growing season has a range of herbs, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, kale and butter lettuce popping up in four, 4- by 8-foot beds and one deeper, 4- by 4-foot bed, using a total of 124 square feet.
“Over time I can see Healthy Roots with a large membership and a staple in the college and local community. Being healthy is a lot easier with a community to hold you accountable to your goals, as well as help and support you.”
Nine students started the project last fall with three more teaming up to plan the garden lay-out, its design and materials. “They were excited to pursue a hands-on project with useful end results,” says Prof. Emily Moore, who advises the club and introduced the garden idea.
Ashley Ruiz, an AA student from Deltona also planning to be a dietitian, says helping people to enjoy eating healthy hits close to home. “I’m interested in nutrition partly because I battle weight issues. The club allows me to learn more about healthy eating and gardening. And most of all, I wanted to be a part of something at school and know that I contributed to its growth.”
“We were thrilled when Campus Director Neil Clemons said we had the green light for the garden,” says student Joseph Mantle from Orange City, enrolled in the DirectConnect to UCF program with plans to become a pediatrician. “It’s a great idea, to get students and staff involved in the garden,” he adds. “Since I want to be a doctor, I’m all for nutrition, which is so important for a healthy lifestyle. And, in the end we get to donate the food.” The club held a “build day” on Dec. 7 to construct the planters and a “planting day” on Feb. 15, inviting anyone to join in who wanted to help. “Healthy Roots has helped me learn some of the basics and inspired me to keep learning about gardening,” explains Jessica Jones, a club leader who plans to become a registered dietitian and counselor.
Prof. Moore envisions that a handful from her nutrition class and the club will maintain the garden each year, noting the class falls under the general education requirement for natural sciences. Other students involved in the planning/building group are: Natalie Housley, Carson Kirkland, Dana-Marie Mohan, Dylan Alexander, Ellisa Bryan, Elizabeth Teresi, Eryn Hagan and Madyson Tapia. Citing the reward of growing nutritious vegetables to help people in need, Jerelynn says. “There’s nothing like making a plan and putting all the steps together; we’re applying what we learn and doing a good thing, too.”
“Through collaboration, planning and physical activity over 13 weeks, a beautiful campus garden emerged.” - Jerelynn Bush, nursing student
Photo by Nicole Guthrie
Prof. Emily Moore helps students Ashley Ruiz, Joseph Mantle and Jessica Jones at work in the Community Garden on the DeLand Campus.
DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE • SPRING/SUMMER 2018 | 5
LEARNING SCENE
Preparing future stars in the music world When students enroll in the Music Production Technology program at Daytona State, they become part of a kinship as diverse as a capella harmonized singers, all drawn together by a love of music and sound. A tour of the college’s News-Journal Center reveals not only cutting-edge technical setups, but also intensely motivated and enthusiastic students. Self-starters, creative, technically oriented - they’re there before class, after class, practicing on their instruments, working on studio setups, experimenting with sound mixers, preparing for live performances and learning the intricacies of finding success in the music industry. Take Ysa Fernandez, for instance. On a recent sunny, spring morning, Ysa picks up her Taylor GS Mini acoustic guitar and launches into one of her own songs with blended tones of Etta James, Amy Winehouse and singer/songwriter Regina Spector, which combined become unmistakably all Ysa. The 21-year-old mezzo-soprano from New Smyrna Beach had no idea Daytona State offered a Music Production Technology program when she first enrolled to pursue her associate of arts degree. A love of music is a trait she inherited from her parents, both musicians. She learned to play piano by watching YouTube videos,
and began writing jingles, bits and pieces of lyrical ideas and melodies at 11 years old. Ysa wanted to try acting first, though. She had some experience acting in plays while a student at New Smyrna Beach High School, so she auditioned for theatre programs at New York and Pace universities when she graduated. “I had a lot of fun,” she recalled, “but those programs are so competitive, and I didn’t get into any of them, so I came back and decided to go to DSC.”
“I saw the music production and recording studios, and it was like eye candy. So I immediately switched majors . . . this program was made for me.”
- Ysa Fernandez
While pursuing her AA degree, Ysa enrolled in a Survey of Music Business course. “I thought it would be a cool elective,” she said. “It’s how I discovered there was this amazing program. I saw the music production and recording studios, and it was like eye candy, so I immediately switched majors because it just seemed like this program was made for me.”
6 | DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE • SPRING/SUMMER 2018
Now completing her final semester in the program, Ysa has blossomed as an artist and creative technician. Her song, Cold, which she wrote, produced and made into a video with a high school friend, is available on iTunes and Spotify. Other music releases are soon to follow, she says. She performs regularly at DSC’s News-Journal Center and at area coffee shops in Daytona Beach and Port Orange. She also has helped raise money for hurricane victims by organizing local concerts with fellow students as a past president of DSC’s Music Industry Club. “Ysa is truly one of our star students who is very much dedicated to her craft,” said Jake Niceley, head of the Music Production Technology program. “She approaches her work with passion and has demonstrated leadership skills and maturity beyond her years.” That personal growth has not come easy, though. The summer of her eighth-grade year, Ysa was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer called Astroblastoma. Surgeons removed a tumor the size of an egg from the right frontal lobe of her brain. Three months later she was declared cancer free. But that good news was blunted days later when her father, Frederick, a popular New Smyrna Beach teacher and avid surfer, died in a surfing accident at age 55.
“Music made things manageable,” Ysa said of the whole ordeal. “It was a time when I couldn’t really be active. I had to skip out on a lot of things that normal 14-yearold kids get to do. So I focused on music because it let me express how I was feeling, which helped me heal. Music was very much an outlet, and I think that’s when my lyrical content started improving because I had something real to talk about.” Ysa said her DSC experience has helped her adopt a holistic perspective on her career. “Being in front and playing is really fun, but it’s also fun to get into Pro Tools (industrystandard audio production software) and make the music. I want to get into all the action, while knowing all the technical aspects and learning how to produce music,” she said. “A lot of singer songwriters go and find producers for their music. But I’m here doing it now.”
Music-industry expertise enriches student experience DSC’s Music Production Technology boasts faculty artists second to none. Each faculty member is a veteran of the industry, with multiple Grammy Awards or nominations, as well as Recording Industry Association of America gold and platinum records, and other top industry recognition. While they are outstanding professors and instructors, they are more than academics. They are practitioners, often taking time out to work on their own recording industry projects. Most recently, Assistant Program Chair Jake Niceley began working on a new documentary series, Freelancers with Bill Gentile, which explores how independent journalists are filling the void left by mainstream news outlets that have cut staff and closed bureaus around the world. He serves as sound designer and musical score composer. An award-winning audio engineer and sound designer, Niceley co-owned and operated studios in Branson, Peoria and Nashville before joining DSC in 2008. He holds over two dozen gold and platinum records for his sound-engineering work.
Ysa will earn her AS degree in May, but plans to continue at DSC this summer to also complete her AA degree. One day she hopes to be working in Nashville, New York or Los Angeles. “I just want to be in a hub of music and, honestly, I don’t care if I’m writing or engineering or producing for me or for somebody else. As long as I’m doing any one of those things, I think I will be happy.” She credits her teachers for her growth as a musician and technician, though she’s reluctant to point to any single influence. “Honestly, all of them have left a mark on me,” she said. “You go through the whole program starting with Scott Velazco. You get the foundation and then you move through the program. Every professor has their own interesting quirks that help you move to the next level and the next. With the caliber of talent and educators we have here, I am so lucky, and anyone who is in this program should feel lucky, too.” For more about Ysa, follow her on YouTube and Facebook.
Photos by Nicole Guthrie
Assistant Professor Scott Velazco recently earned a gold record for sound engineering on country star Brett Eldredge’s Bring You Back album. Since 2004, Velazco has engineered for top artists including Terri Clark, Sara Evans, ZZ Top, Montgomery Gentry, Steven Curtis Chapman, Amy Grant and Peter Cetera. While house engineer of Music Row’s Vibe 56 studio, he recorded 2010’s Year-End No. 1 Billboard Country Song: Lee Brice’s record-breaking hit Love Like Crazy. Assistant Professor Aaron Swihart began his career in Nashville, where he worked as a recording engineer. Among artists he has worked with are Jennifer Paige, Korn, Natalie Imbruglia, Little Big Town, Steven Curtis Chapman, Peter Frampton, Faith Hill, Keith Urban, Mark Knopfler, the Spice Girls and Amy Grant. He also has been a recording engineer on major movie soundtracks, including How Stella Got Her Groove Back, The Horse Whisperer and the Prince of Egypt. His Grammy awards include a nod for his work on the Audio Adrenaline album, Until My Heart Caves In, and Frampton’s Fingerprints collection. Assistant Professor Daniel Mixer has had a long career designing and building small-scale commercial recording facilities on Music Row, as well as maintaining recording equipment and facilities for professionals throughout the Nashville music community. He has produced, recorded, mixed and mastered projects for a number of independent artists, including Mosaic, Jessica Roadcap, High Road and Erin Manning. Mixer also is co-author and editor of a textbook, Concepts in Audio Engineering. Instructor Randy Guidry is an attorney, songwriter, musician, public relations, marketing and entertainment-management professional who teaches business-related courses for the program. In the early 1980s, he formed Randy Guidry Music Publishing. As an attorney, he is an expert in intellectual property, as well as evaluating and assessing artists’ careers and catalogs for litigation purposes. He also taught copyright law and music business in the prestigious Belmont University’s School of Business. DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE • SPRING/SUMMER 2018 | 7
WHAT’S HAPPENING
SPRING JOB FAIR Hundreds of job seekers swarmed DSC’s annual Spring Job Fair, boasting over 80 employers.
Photos by Nicole Guthrie
BAS CLUB TAX PREP Students in the BAS Business Club, enrolled in DSC’s bachelor of applied science (BAS) in supervision and management program, volunteered their expertise to help people prepare tax returns this season. Photo by Tim Bell
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH LUNCHEON DSC’s Center for Women and Men’s annual luncheon featured student speakers and panelists Dixie Morgese and Maritza Avila-Vazquez addressing a theme of Nevertheless, She Persisted. Coordinated by CfWM Director Erin LeDuc with involvement by advisory board members including Chair Victoria Ehmen, the lunch was sold-out. All proceeds benefit the center, which serves hundreds of students each year. Photo by Cece Cvercko
STUDENT CENTER - SOARING STRUCTURE DSC’s dramatic 84,000 square-foot, three-story Student Center takes shape, with cement floors poured and steel infrastructure girded for enclosure. Plans continue for a spring 2019 opening. View the progress on DSC’s webcam, DaytonaState.edu/web_cam/.
Photos by Nicole Guthrie
TIPS FOR PARALEGALS Attorney Greg Snell recently met with DSC’s Student Paralegal Association to share his insights on the justice system and the paralegal’s role in civil and criminal law. A business law attorney for nearly 30 years, Snell spoke about the types of legal work performed in his law practice, as well as his expectations and experiences with hiring paralegals. He emphasized the importance of paralegals having strong soft skills in communication, teamwork and networking, not only in a job search, but also in career preservation and advancement. A longtime supporter of DSC, Snell sits on the college’s Paralegal Studies Advisory Board as well as the DSC Foundation Board of Directors.
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Students having fun at DSC’s Safe Spring Break Event Photo by Nicole Guthrie Photo by Tim Bell
Photo by Tim Bell
This February, DSC’s Daytona Beach Campus hosted part of the Florida Dept. of Transportation’s 2018 “Not So Noisy” Bike Week with a bicycle-safety event. The week featured a 6.5-mile ride roundtrip from Bethune-Cookman to Embry Riddle to DSC. Zachary Cordell, a faculty member in DSC’s School of Health and Wellness who regularly rides his bike to work, coordinated DSC’s participation and hopes it will grow each year.
Bicycle Safety Event
WHAT’S HAPPENING WHAT’S HAPPENING Photo by Aldrin Capulong
SOUTHEAST MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY VETERANS ART PROJECT Art in Action provided a series of 10 workshops and five open-studio sessions as an artistic outlet for veterans, bringing their stories and artwork to a wider audience. Participants, some accomplished artists, others newly emerging, drew from personal and collective experiences to inform the public narrative regarding military service, the effects of engagement and pathways to healing and reintegration.
WELCOME BACK STUDENTS
Photos by Alicia Gautreaux Photos by Tim Bell
“SWEET TREATS” STUDENT TV PRODUCTION Starring Chef Costa Magoulas, WDSC showcased a culinary hour each week this semester, managed by TV Production students.
L. GALE LEMERAND ENTREPRENEURIAL SPEAKER SERIES
Photography student David Apodaca, right, was chosen for a $1,000 scholarship, awarded during the L. Gale Lemerand Entrepreneurial Speaker Series. Mr. Lemerand, center, presented it with President Tom LoBasso, left. David plans to start a photography business, specializing in weddings.
Guest speaker and co-founder of Angel’s Envy distillery Wes Henderson told the nearly 200 attendees that failures are opportunities, especially for entrepreneurs.
Photos by Nicole Guthrie
Photo by Tim Bell
BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT WITH DAYTONA BEACH MAYOR DERRICK HENRY DSC Co-Curricular Activities Department hosted Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry and performers to honor Black History in the U.S.
NATIONAL EDUCATION CONSORTIUM AWARDS DSC FACULTY/STAFF FOR EXCELLENCE Six Daytona State faculty and administrators have earned prestigious awards of excellence from the National Institute of Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD), a consortium of over 500 community and technical colleges that promotes excellence in teaching, learning and leadership. Faculty members Dr. Richard Rogers/psychology, Leslie Fehl/dental assisting and Jeff Conklin/culinary arts; Carri Hudgins, registrar, director of Records and Registration; Kristen Bales, assistant director of the DSC-UCF Writing Center; and Frank Snyder, director of Workforce Programs, were honored for their commitment and contributions to their students and colleagues. “Each of these educators and administrators has shown extraordinary commitment and dedication to teaching and learning, to the college and especially to our students,” said DSC Provost Amy Locklear. “We are fortunate to have them as part of the college community and are grateful for their efforts.” DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE • SPRING/SUMMER 2018 | 11
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS 12 | DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE • SPRING/SUMMER 2018
Photo by Nicole Guthrie
Partnering with a city to bolster event proceeds Students help grow Daytona Beach event-parking revenue Students in DSC’s Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Supervision and Management program and its new Advanced Technical Certificate in Project Management were on the Bike Week scene this spring helping the city of Daytona Beach’s Cultural Leisure Services Dept. maximize its event-parking revenue. Top row, l-r, Arnold Martinez, student; Marty Meeks, Daytona Beach event supervisor; Grady Meeks, DSC faculty; TJ Quillen, BAS/ PM graduate, DSC administrative assistant; 2nd row, Harshid Trivedi, student; Christine Moss, Daytona Beach finance business analyst; CJ Walls, Daytona Beach event project manager; students Stacey Robinson, Rose Gibson, Nicholas Carlstrom; 3rd row, students Phaleisa Canidate, Maria Bautista.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Partnering continued
Photos by Nicole Guthrie
The students from nine classes worked together on a parking profit/loss review and business-process improvement analysis. They conducted quality control studies, and examined how to streamline operations and increase profitability during the area’s two major annual motorcycle events. “The Peabody costs anywhere from $250,000 to $300,000 in maintenance every year, and it is an enterprise fund, so they rely on events like this and concerts to offset those costs,” said DSC Associate Professor Grady Meeks, who is leading the students’ community service project. “Parking during Bike Week and Biketoberfest is a major part of that effort, typically raising more than half of what is needed.” During last fall’s Biketoberfest, the students measured a series of the city’s core-area parking lots to maximize the number of motorcycles that could be accommodated safely and securely. “We did a recommendation for each lot, and implemented that plan during Bike Week,” Meeks said. “In one lot, we were able to reconfigure how the bikes could be parked and increased capacity by 65 bikes.” CJ Walls, who coordinates special events for the city, said working with the students is mutually beneficial. “Each time we have the students work with us it’s a win-win situation,” he said. “It helps them see what we are trying to accomplish and helps us with continuous improvement through
their ideas and what is often a fresh way of seeing things.”
He plans to pursue an MBA degree at Stetson University.
The community initiative began with students enrolled in DSC’s Project Management Capstone class and has since expanded to include students enrolled in other courses such as Selected Topics in Management and Applied Project Management, taught by Dr. Jo-Ann Halloran, Quality Management, Scheduling and Logistics, Risk Management, Applied Project Management and Management Information Systems.
The advanced certificate in project management is a credential highly prized by employers seeking skilled managers in a wide range of industries. The 25-credit-hour program can be taken as part of the BAS degree or as a stand-alone certificate for anyone who has already earned a two-year degree.
“Each class has a different set of things they’re doing for this project,” Meeks said. “For instance, one class is developing documentation that will address quality control. Another is working to resolve some of the issues we have with training and communication. Another class is creating a schedule, it’s a living thing that changes every day, that we will analyze and see how we can do better from a human resources perspective. Other students are interviewing workers, helping with marketing and improving signage. We also have a class that will look at risk management, and our capstone class will tie it all together.” Logan Macmurdo, who completes his BAS along with his Project Management certificate in May, said the experience “has provided me with excellent insight and hands-on application of project-management concepts, as well as the knowledge to properly execute them. This was an opportunity that will be everlasting.”
14 | DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE • SPRING/SUMMER 2018
Students who earn the certificate also can sit for eight additional certification exams administered by the Project Management Institute (PMI), the world’s leading not-forprofit professional membership association for the project management profession. Credentialed project managers can work in any country, any industry, for any company and on any project and be successful. DSC’s project management certificate brings the theory to life with applied best practices and lessons learned through community-based service-learning and certification exam preparation. In March, DSC launched its own satellite chapter of PMI-Central Florida. During its kickoff event, internationally known project-management expert Tony Johnson spoke about the value of project management as a profession. The event brought together students, faculty and members of the area business community interested in hiring and training project-management talent in Volusia and Flagler counties.
An accountant with a creative side She’s a numbers lady with a creative side and a flair for fashion, a certified public accountant, entrepreneur, realtor and former flight attendant. But the one thing Dr. Renee Forbes Williams is most passionate about, these days, is helping students reach their potential through education.
The entrepreneurial educator holds a bachelor’s in accounting from Tennessee State University, an MBA from Clark Atlanta University, a doctorate in accounting from Argosy University and has done postdoctoral studies in entrepreneurial and small business operations at the University of Central Florida.
As Daytona State’s newest associate professor in the School of Applied Business, joining DSC early this year, Renee hopes to continue working with students enrolled in her accounting and business courses. Likewise, she continues to operate her Design House of Colour, an Orlando-based fashion design and embellishment school she established three years ago. It doubles as a retail showcase for underprivileged and underserved students seeking a pathway into the fashion industry.
Prior to joining DSC, Renee taught accounting and business courses at Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens, and at Bethune-Cookman University, where she also was an associate dean.
“I understand the importance of community involvement and giving back,” she said recently. “I believe I am being called to inspire and support others. That’s why I am so committed to continue mentoring both students and entrepreneurs.”
MEET THE FACULTY
Dr. Renee Forbes Williams
As an educator and mentor, she suggests that the best advice she can give her students is to never give up. “Always learn from your mistakes,” she said, adding, “I am energized and motivated by challenges, problems and the opportunity to participate in just about anything creative.”
Renee is an active CPA in Florida and North Carolina. She has over 25 years of experience in advising, mentoring and counseling students on how to make life decisions that not only impact their careers, but their financial and social lives as well. She also has a wealth of successful entrepreneurial experience as an owner of numerous successful businesses over the years. “Dr. Williams is a great addition to School of Applied Business faculty,” said Dr. Kim Grippa, the school’s chairperson. “She not only has the academic credentials and classroom presence essential to being an effective educator, but also a track record that includes years of experience in private practice that is such a valuable asset when working with our students.”
Photo by Nicole Guthrie
DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE • SPRING/SUMMER 2018 | 15
BUSINESS CAREERS BOOMING COVER STORY
- FROM FINANCE TO SOLE PROPRIETORS
DSC Business Certificate and/or Degree Graduates 2017-18 DSC candidates for graduation: 266 Past 10 years business graduates: 3,568 Plus 1000s of AA alumni with business tracks
Whether you want to run a company or build a career at a finance firm serving diverse businesses, the national and Florida economies appear rich with opportunities. Last year alone, Florida showed a solid employment growth in financial jobs, as well as in professional and business services. The U.S. Dept. of Labor specifically cites demand for workers in careers such as accounting, financial analysis, risk management and general business management projected to increase well over 20 percent in Florida through 2024. Alumni featured in this issue reflect the strength of business careers, especially with a focused college education in hand. Consider the bevy of Daytona State graduates working for accounting firm James Moore & Co., some who are now certified public accountants (CPAs) with advanced degrees. Or Chris Hoch, who launched his career and company starting with DSC’s Broadcast TV
Production certificate in the School of Business Administration. And Lisa Vogl, who came to the college with a bachelor’s in hand, seeking photography and business skills to change careers, launch a company and market her unique clothing line. At the same time, many DSC Associate of Arts (AA) students choose a track or classes in business to prepare for bachelor’s and advanced degrees, as well as expert credentials. Zina Grau ’03 AA began her career in banking, moving on to personal insurance at Brown & Brown. While Ron Jaszczak ’62 AA found DSC as his first step on a path to earning medical patents and starting a business. So, we ask, what underlies their success? Our alumni sampling told us, in so many words: Education, motivation, persistence and networking, as well as supportive employers and work environments that encourage talent and growth.
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COVER STORY
“I’ve always been quite good with numbers and I enjoy working with people to solve problems. That led me to advising individuals and business clients to help manage and protect their assets.”
- Zina Grau, personal insurance advisor, Brown & Brown
ZINA GRAU ’03
Zina Grau ’03 AA and Brown & Brown colleague Katie Palmer ’06 AA have worked together for 12 years.
A full life: Guiding and protecting clients, supporting community A dancer since the age of three who speaks Russian, Ukrainian and English, Zina Grau ’03 AA, first thought she wanted to be a librarian. While a childhood spent in dance school, practicing six hours daily, taught her the rigorous art form, it also prepared her for careers that require problem solving, self-discipline and keen time-management skills. Perfect preparation to run a library, she thought. That first career plan came naturally from growing up in a family that revered education. Where everyone gave books as gifts suitable for all occasions. “Education was a huge part of my upbringing in Ukraine,” says Zina, a personal insurance advisor at Brown & Brown Insurance. “My parents are engineers; my sister is a pediatric cardiologist. We all knew college was a given.” However, Zina found another career after studying business during her AA degree path at then Daytona Beach Community College, followed by her bachelor’s in International Business at Stetson University.
Photos by Nicole Guthrie
“I’ve always been quite good with numbers and I enjoy working with people to solve problems,” she notes. “That led me to advising individuals and business clients to help manage their assets,” Zina explains. Her first job in the United States as a receptionist at a Halifax hospital doctor’s office increased her organizational skills, she believes. “I was handling inquiries, problems and schedules. And it was perfect for me to just walk across the street and go to class.” At age 20, Zina had left Ukraine with some college behind her, but had to start fresh at DSC. Brown & Brown colleague Katie Palmer ’06 AA, who worked with Zina in her first post at SunTrust Bank in Palm Coast, describes her friend as an “incredible teammate. I’ve had the privilege of working with her for 12 years . . . She’s always someone you can count on, always coming up with fresh ideas; ready to help others better themselves.” Noting Zina’s can-do attitude, Katie says she studied dictionaries before she came to the U.S. to enhance her language skills. “Zina’s definitely a scholar and very active in the community,” she adds. “We hope to utilize her talents as a trainer when B&B’s
new building on Beach Street is finished and training opportunities expand.” Brown & Brown, the sixth largest insurance brokerage in the world, with more than 8,500 employees in 300 offices, operates as a “meritocracy,” explains Zina. The company culture encourages individual initiative, persistence and teamwork. “It’s a great fit for me. I’m very proud to be part of the Brown & Brown family,” she says. Zina embraces life as a problem solver who vows that, “Being bored is not an option.” That zest for involvement, meeting challenges and contributing to community is evident in her personal life, as well. A Leadership Daytona and Leadership Stetson graduate, she volunteers with the Boy Scouts and Flagler Youth Orchestra, supporting her son’s interests, and serves on Daytona State’s Foundation Board and the Homecoming Committee. A strong advocate for college education, Zina encourages students to “always read,” to start their network early by seeking out mentors and to “build your personal brand from the get-go.”
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COVER STORY
Photo by Nicole Guthrie
Globalization, a growing economy and a complex tax and regulatory environment are expected to continue to lead to strong demand for accountants and auditors as well as market research analysts. -U.S. Dept. of Labor 20 | DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE • SPRING/SUMMER 2018
Reputation gives alumni a leg-up Accounting firm welcomes DSC grads “Stay local” means more than a slogan for many regional firms seeking top-notch college graduates. It can be a challenge to find job candidates with advanced degrees, especially in specialized fields like accounting and financial services. One firm, the Daytona Beach office of James Moore & Co., uses a proven strategy to beat the hiring odds: Seek two-year degree holders and follow them through their higher education path. “We go to job fairs with a goal of networking with Daytona State associate-degree graduates starting out in accounting,” says James Halloran, CPA and partner in James Moore & Co. (JMCo) Certified Public Accountants and Consultants. “We know they have a solid foundation; we stay in touch as they move on to bachelor’s and CPA completion.” The partners have hired DSC accounting alumni even before they finish their CPAs, adds James, noting, “It’s so important to mentor and retain accounting professionals for the Volusia and Flagler economy.” “Daytona State is a good starting point for our people,” he believes. “If we know they’ve gone to DSC, they have an interest in where we are. We say, hey, they know our Daytona Beach office and have a propensity to stay here if we hire them.”
DSC accounting professor Sarah Desormeaux ’94 AA confirms that theory, adding that an employer’s support helps achieve advanced education, as well as staying with a company. “I was one of those alumni who earned my CPA while working for JMCo, and the partners all congratulated me for it. Our alums have similar experiences there and with other firms,” she says, noting all of DSC’s accounting professors are practicing CPAs. Five alumni working at James Moore recently carved out time in the busy tax season to share their stories and career observations. Daytona Beach native Kacy McLendon ’99 AS ’00 AA, a senior accountant who focuses on not-for-profit taxation clients, at first resisted her career path. “My mom is an accountant, so of course I wanted to do something else and be my own person,” she says with a laugh. But when it came to choosing a major at then Daytona Beach Community College, accounting technology won out. The experience sparked her love of learning, inspiring her to also earn an AA and transfer to UCF for a bachelor’s in accounting. “The classes at DBCC were challenging and I enjoyed that,” Kacy adds. “Most importantly, it allowed me to stay local and focus on my volunteer ministry as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.”
At JMCo for over 15 years, she says, “I started my career as an intern with them while I was still in school and never looked back. They’ve been a great firm to work for; they strive for excellence but still like to have fun. And they offer flexible schedules, which has been really great for me.” The CPA life can attract unexpected future leaders. Webb Shephard ’97 AS ’09 BAS couldn’t wait to finish his AS in computer engineering after high school and be independent, ignoring a professor’s advice to get a bachelor’s degree before plunging into a career. Webb, ranked second in the nation for BMX racing in his youth, raced into a high-powered career that led to managing the operations for telecommunications companies around the country. But, after nearly a decade of constant travel and upward mobility, he left it all, returning home to go back to college. “I regretted not getting that bachelor’s all those years. One day I found myself in Pittsburgh, Pa., still without that degree. I was burned out with the travel required for that job, and Pittsburgh is no place for this Florida boy,” he explains. “So I decided to throw all caution to the wind, move back into mom’s house at 31 years old, and go back to school.”
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COVER STORY
Prof. Jerry Braun and former student Justyna Mueller ’05 AA discuss trends in the world of accounting.
“Our hires from DSC are exceptional. They get more hands-on, practical experience, which can help them progress faster in the workplace and with further education.” - James Halloran, partner, James Moore & Co. A ninth-generation Floridian, Webb embraced his homecoming and, to his surprise, realized he could enjoy a career in public accounting, ironically following in his father’s footsteps. Now with a master’s from Stetson and working as a CPA and consultant at JMCo, he has reclaimed his roots, active in the community as a member of the Construction Industry CPAs/ Consultants Association Emerging Leaders, Volusia League of Cities, and the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce. “The money was good in that old career, but my quality of life is exponentially better these days,” Webb says, smiling in his comfortable, sunny office. With his in-depth corporate experience, his work focuses primarily on construction firms, commercial businesses and governmental agencies.
“I believe that companies need to better understand their processes and financial data, and I thoroughly enjoy helping them realize their full potential.” As a tax manager, Justyna Mueller ’05 AA finds her work has much to do with good communication. “Although accountants are known for being great with numbers, I think people skills are more important in my job. Public accounting is really about building strong relationships with coworkers and clients and to help them along the way,” she believes. “That’s what makes my job very satisfying. It’s also why DSC gave me the right foundation to get started.” Justyna’s AA program included a business management track, preparing her for a bachelor’s and master’s in accounting at Stetson University. It also gave her the know
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how to start her own business, Lazy Gator Gift Shop, now run by her husband. Never one to shirk hard work, she waited tables throughout college and took on bookkeeping jobs. “JMCo brought me in as an intern while I was at Stetson and I loved it,” notes the Poland native who came to Daytona Beach in 2004. She joined JMCo in 2012 and in 2013 earned the credential of Florida Certified Public Accountant, the gold seal of her industry. Responsible for planning and managing all phases of client projects, Justyna explains that she strives to be a trusted advisor to clients, not only a tax preparer. “I enjoy helping clients find solutions to their day-to-day problems and meet their financial goals.”
Jerry Pflueger ’04 AS lives and breathes accounting in terms of network systems at JMCo, where he has worked for 17 years. As a senior technology solutions consultant, he helps a range of agencies, nonprofits and businesses with information and network systems, from email to infrastructures. With fond memories of DSC computer science professors, especially Jack Chou, Jerry says, “He made learning about computer networks fun.”
Kacy McLendon ’99 AS ’00 AA
Typical of many DSC students, Jerry worked while in college. “DSC’s Networking Service Technology curriculum and class schedules allowed me to balance work and education. Teachers were very attentive to our needs. And I was so fortunate that the AS degree articulated into UCF’s Bachelor of Information Technology.” Starting with an associate degree should be a badge of honor, believes Jennifer Webster ’94 AS, who, thanks to a professor referral, started at JMCo while finishing up her accounting technology degree.
Webb Shephard ’97 AS ’09 BAS
“I was directly using what I went to school for, right away. And I advanced from there to other positions, now as office manager,” she says. “I would encourage anyone to attend Daytona State. I think it’s a myth that you have to go right to a four-year university. It’s completely fine to start out at DSC, figure out what you want to do and move on from there. My time at DBCC led to my career in a workplace I’ve been with for over 23 years.” James, the JMCo partner, agrees with Jennifer’s assertion. “Our hires from DSC are exceptional. They get more hands-on, practical experience, which can help them progress faster in the workplace and with further education.”
Jerry Pflueger ’04 AS
He anticipates a marked growth in his industry and subsequent high need for topnotch professionals. “Any time there’s regulatory change, our business increases as well. It’s definitely an opportunity to get into a challenging, changing career field where paper ledgers have gone away, everything’s electronic and we’re more able to work remotely across the country. Now’s the time to jump in.”
Jennifer Webster ’94 AS
Photos by Nicole Guthrie
DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE • SPRING/SUMMER 2018 | 23
COVER STORY
Ronald Jaszczak ’62 AA DBJC - major life influence for nuclear medicine pioneer, entrepreneur Ronald Jaszczak ’62 AA doesn’t remember the name of his physics professor from nearly 60 years ago when he attended Daytona Beach Junior College, but he does remember that the man changed his life. He said he didn’t have much guidance or self-esteem back then. He was just a curious kid living in Korona on the outskirts of Bunnell in Flagler County, helping his father maintain a small motel along U.S. 1. When his draft classification notice came, he decided to get a student deferment by enrolling at DBJC just as the Vietnam War was kicking into high gear. “I had never taken a college physics course before,” Ron recalled, “but after I took his class, my professor was so impressed, he told me I could teach it. He gave me confidence and I never looked back.” When he finished his associate of arts degree at DBJC he moved on to the University of Florida, where he earned bachelor’s and doctoral degrees.
“I was so scared when I transferred to UF because it was such a big place compared to DBJC,” he explained. “It wasn’t unusual to have 350 people in my classes, and I remember on my first test I scored 100 and the professor implied that I might have cheated. He said he had been teaching atomic physics for 10 years and no one had ever gotten 100 on his tests. Well, I said I didn’t cheat, I just studied.” Today, Dr. Ronald Jaszczak, 76, is a professor emeritus of radiology and medical physics at Duke University Medical Center and a pioneer in nuclear medicine. He designed and built one of the world’s first single photon emission computed tomography scanners and coined the term SPECT. These days, SPECT scanners are commonly used to detect heart disease, cancer and myriad other medical conditions. During his more than 50-year career, he has written over 300 peer-reviewed journal articles and holds over a dozen patents.
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He has served as a research fellow and physicist with the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, where he studied stellar nuclear synthesis; as a senior research scientist at some of the nation’s leading diagnostic equipment manufacturers; and has been associated with Duke University Medical Center since 1979. Among his long list of achievements, Ron is a life fellow of the 420,000-member Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and served as president of the organization’s Nuclear Plasma Science Society. In 1981, he founded Data Spectrum Corp., a leading manufacturer of quality assurance and research phantoms widely used in hospital nuclear medicine departments worldwide, which his children still run today. His Jaszczak Phantom, which he designed in his living room decades ago, tests SPECT scanners before they’re used on patients.
“I had never taken a college physics course before. But, after I took his class, my professor was so impressed, he told me I could teach it. He gave me confidence and I never looked back.”
- Ronald Jaszczak ’62 AA, nuclear medicine pioneer, entrepreneur
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“I figured if I sold 10 phantoms, I would break even,” he said. But, in 2009 the American College of Radiology chose his phantom as a test object that many U.S. hospitals use on their SPECT systems to become accredited and eligible for Medicare payments. “That was a big bump for us. We’ve sold thousands of phantoms since and they are still selling more than ever.” Ron recently established the Ronald J. Jaszczak Undergraduate Scholarship Fund at Daytona State to help DSC engineering technology students defray the cost of their education. He said he established the scholarship because his DBJC experience had a major influence on his life.
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“In fact,” he added, “it was possibly the major influence on my life, because if I didn’t go there, I would have wound up in Vietnam and may not even be here today.”
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Photo alum’s clothing line chosen by prestigious retailer COVER STORY
Lisa Vogl gives back, offers students rare opportunity Those in the know would say businesses succeed when they identify and meet a need. Lisa Vogl, who converted to Islam in her 20s, saw first-hand the lack of affordable, fashionable women’s clothing that meets religious guidelines. “At the beginning of my career and as a new Muslim building my wardrobe, I found it difficult to find affordable, modest clothing, which meant many other women must have been having the same difficulties,” explains Lisa, who grew up learning sewing and design skills. After college, she tried her hand at banking, but her artistic side soon won out, prompting pursuit of a career in event photography. While she already had a bachelor’s degree, Lisa realized she needed a topnotch photography foundation and chose DSC’s program to learn technique, lighting and composition. “The classes gave me the technical photography skills that allowed me to excel at my fashion photography career,” she notes. Realizing the need for modest women’s clothing, combined with her design and photography skills was the genesis of a business plan. “I started to source fabrics that worked with my garment designs, while I kept photography jobs,” she adds. “One item led to another and soon I had a line of clothing and opened a shop in Orlando.” In such a niche, underdeveloped market, Lisa’s business quickly garnered fashion acclaim and feature stories in the media. As she expanded her collection and sought a partnership with a renowned department store, an exciting opportunity came forward. Macy’s. “When they contacted me about offering my Verona Collection through their online store, it was an amazing moment,” she recalls. “It reinforces how hard work and sticking to it can pay off. How the risks and investments we took - it was all worth it. “Most importantly, it opens the door to women to have an easier time to find affordable, stylish and modest clothing.”
Lisa also opened doors to Daytona State photography students. In November, she conducted a studio lab session for students to apply their learning to a real fashion shoot. From that experience, she chose two second-year students to offer a unique resume-building opportunity photographing her Macy’s online collection. “I was so honored to work with Lisa, her team and models. I learned so much; what a very special and challenging opportunity,” says Connor Peters, a student from South Africa who chose DSC to prepare for a photography career. Currently living in DeLand, he plans to go on for his bachelor’s at UCF and then aim for commercial and artistic photography work.
Former photography student Lisa Vogl adjusts her model’s hijab during the Macy’s collection photo shoot.
Frank Colalella, a student from Ormond-bythe-Sea, describes his work with Lisa as “an amazing experience. Lisa was involved with everything for the shoot for Macy’s, even with the editing. “I would love to work with her on future projects,” he adds, noting his career goal to shoot for major magazines and brands for fashion editorials. Frank chose photography as a major because he “wanted to create art that makes people stop and think.” One of his first professors told him his photography was breaking boundaries, which has inspired him ever since.
Photography student Frank Colalella works with model Katie Boone for Lisa Vogl’s Macy’s.com photos.
Photography program chair Dan Biferie feels like a proud uncle, both for successful alumni like Lisa who come back to share with students, and for aspiring photographers like Connor and Frank. “The creative push-the-envelope environment our students find here is purposeful. “Whether they go on to become ground-breaking entrepreneurs like Lisa, or journalists or event photographers, we’re proud to give them the foundation to succeed.”
Lisa’s assistant prepares Verona Collection clothing for photographs.
Lisa agrees, adding her perspective on success: “Getting those critical skills is so important. But, then you have to be willing to go all in, work tirelessly toward your goals and simply never give up.”
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Photos by Tim Bell
“Getting those critical skills is so important. But, then you have to be willing to go all in, work tirelessly toward your goals and simply never give up.�
- Lisa Vogl, founder of Verona Collection
“The ability to actually work on a live production or something that was broadcast on the college’s television station (WDSC 15) was the biggest draw for me.” COVER STORY
- Chris Hoch, owner of King’s Eye Productions
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TV production alumnus finds his niche From IT to TV Production When Chris Hoch moved to the area from south Georgia in 2004, where he worked as an information technology professional, he was looking to reinvent himself, but wasn’t quite sure what path to take. “I had a friend who was a producer for a Saturday night wrestling show out of Atlanta, and I got to hang out with him and see what he did on the production end,” he recalled, “and that’s how I became interested in possibly making it a career.” Chris enrolled in Daytona State’s digital media and TV production program and has been on a pathway to success ever since. As the founder of King’s Eye Productions, a Daytona Beach video production company, Chris has been providing comprehensive video services for nearly a decade, working on a wide scope of projects ranging from local promotions and event coverage to national broadcasts and international webcasts. “We also are often called upon for various crew positions when production companies from around the globe travel to our area and are in need of extra crew, gear, etc.,” Chris notes. “We’re very passionate about what we do, and are the perfect fit for any organization whose video production needs have grown beyond their immediate capabilities.” He recalls fondly his Daytona State experience - the quality instructional facilities and faculty. “The ability to actually work on a live production or something that was broadcast on the college’s television station (WDSC 15) was the biggest draw for me,” Chris said. His former TV production professor Anita Bevins remembers him as a mature student driven to succeed. “Chris came to class with an already established maturity and work ethic,” she said.
Photos by Nicole Guthrie
“He committed himself to learn as much as he could and to take full advantage of the opportunities we could offer him in terms of the hands-on training we provide through WDSC’s studio and live-production capabilities.” Chris said he volunteered as often as he could while enrolled at DSC, something he recommends all students who want to break into the industry consider. “I probably set the record for volunteer hours at the college,” he quipped. “Live music, pledge drives, commercials. It all gave me a chance to be exposed to things that I may not have been able to experience otherwise, and I’m able to draw from those experiences still today.” After completing his program at DSC, Chris spent a few years freelancing, including contract work with the NFL network. Then in 2012, he decided to start King’s Eye Productions. Among his steady clients are Fox Mattress Co. and Bethune Cookman University’s Athletics Dept., where he produces 13 Wildcat football shows and five basketball shows annually for Fox Sports Florida. For the past two years, Chris also has done promotional work for the Florida Citrus Classic college bowl game.
Chris Hoch sets up for his weekly sports broadcast from the Bethune-Cookman University Wildcats gymnasium.
Chris urges those who want to break into the industry to keep up with new technology and new ways of approaching work.
He advises aspiring media professionals to never stop learning. “This is not a static industry,” he said. “It’s a technology business that is always changing. It’s not for someone who wants to do things the way they’ve always been done. It just doesn’t work that way, so make a commitment to always educate yourself to stay on top of new technology and new ways of approaching your work.”
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ARTS AND CULTURE
Foundation donor inspires others to live creatively Photo by Alicia Gautreaux
Elizabeth “Sissie” Barr gave a coy wink and said she was more interested in boys than painting some 70 years ago when she was attending the University of Georgia, earning her bachelor’s degree in economics. It wasn’t until she graduated and landed a job in 1950 with the U.S. Department of State in Cairo, Egypt, that the art spark hit her. There, an artist friend invited Sissie to her studio to try her hand with painting to see if she liked it. “On my first day in that studio, I knew this is what I wanted to do,” she recalled. “It all started then and is still going strong in me to paint as well as I can and have fun with it for as long as I can.” At 91 years old, the Orlando native and longtime New Smyrna Beach resident who now resides close to her son in Winter Park has enjoyed a career that’s brought her acclaim, demand for her work and, most of all, joy. She recently was featured in Winter Park and Growing Bolder magazines, and a retrospective of her past and current work featured in an exhibition at Daytona State received wide acclaim.
Barr’s impressionist oil-on-canvas works reveal the beauty of French gardens, Egypt’s Nile River and her beloved state of Florida - a grassy dune brushed with sunlight, a grove of towering cedars draped in Spanish moss, a cluster of azaleas dazzling under the pines. “One of the great things about Sissie is that she has gone through subject matter changes over the years, but her technique continues to improve,” said New Smyrna Beach artist Bryce Hammond, who curated the Barr exhibition at Daytona State. “And while her style has rooted itself in impressionism, she has these other side styles that are post-impressionist. “Of course, a lot of people paint palm trees and landscapes and sand dunes in Florida, but her paintings are different,” he explained. “They not only reveal a time and place, but also a feeling that something just happened, such as some kind of interaction with humans or wildlife. Her paintings are really striking that way because of the dialogue they have with the viewer.”
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For over three decades, Barr has supported aspiring art students at Daytona State by way of a scholarship fund she and her late husband, Graham, established through the DSC Foundation. Over the years, more than 30 students interested in pursuing degrees in the arts have benefitted from the Elizabeth Barr Studio Arts Scholarship. Just as with her namesake scholarship, this matriarch of the area’s arts community hopes to influence others in a positive way through her work. “I find that there is something about the creative process that is very helpful in maturing,” she said. “I believe there are certain things in life that you have to get right within yourself, and the creative process makes you work at that. It makes me complete. It’s the process of trying something new, of looking for something unique within yourself. It’s why I paint and why I wanted to make it easier for some others to paint by establishing this scholarship. I keep thinking that if I somehow can influence another’s life, how wonderful would that be.”
Discover more about Sissie’s work at elizabethsissiebarr.com.
“I find that there is something about the creative process that is very helpful in maturing. It’s the process of trying something new, of looking for something unique within yourself. It’s why I paint and why I wanted to make it easier for some others to paint by establishing this scholarship.”
Photo by Alicia Gautreaux
Well-known local artist Elizabeth Barr shares some of her favorite work as part of her exhibit, Sissie’s Art in Retrospect & Current, curated by Bryce Hammond. The works were displayed at DSC’s News-Journal Center Fine Art Gallery Feb. 26-March 23.
- Elizabeth Barr
Photo by Tim Bell
Arts advocate Elizabeth Barr met her scholarship recipient, student Grace Roberts of Port Orange, during a visit to the Studio Arts facility. Grace, an AA student, hopes to become an artist, and enjoys drawing and painting.
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FALCON SPOTLIGHT
Cross country in high gear for inaugural season The newest Falcon sport, cross country, is gaining traction, with Coach Judy Wilson out recruiting and signing up talented runners, well on her way to full rosters. Noting others have followed to sign with the Falcons, Coach Wilson reports the first signees for the men’s and women’s teams, respectively, are Lake Nona High School senior David Phillips, Moriya Patsch, a 2017 grad from Seabreeze High School, and Janie Davidson, a 2017 grad from Spruce Creek High School, who signed almost simultaneously. Both are current DSC students excited to pursue the sport. “Students will report for practice in early August, and we will run a time-trial meet in late August,” says Wilson. The teams head out for their first road trip meet on Sept. 6 at the University of North Florida and will run their inaugural local meet on Sept. 15. Visit the Falcon website, DSCFalcons.com, for schedules and team rosters in August.
Nancy Rowan
Former chair establishes scholarship in memory of his wife Nancy Rowan was an avid runner, dedicated mother of two and a loving wife of 35 years when she passed away suddenly in December 2016. She was 58. Her husband, Roger, who retired last May after serving Daytona State for 20 years as an associate professor of manufacturing technology and chair of Workforce Careers, has established a lasting legacy in the form of a memorial scholarship through the DSC Foundation. “Nancy was a runner practically all her life, it seems,” Roger said. “We wanted to do something that would acknowledge her passion, so the kids (Rhianon and Rory) and I got together and decided that establishing the scholarship in her memory would be a good thing.” The Nancy Rowan “Runningal” Memorial Scholarship will award up to $1,200 each spring and fall semester to a member of DSC’s newly established Women’s Cross Country team, which will kick off its inaugural season this fall. Photo by Nicole Guthrie
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DAYTONA STATE LIFESTYLE
A team from the Florida College Access Network (FCAN) filmed DSC students and faculty talking about the English Studio. The visit was for a series on innovative developmental education considered to be best practices and/or promising practices supported by existing research and showing positive outcomes. DSC’s English Studio stands out among new ways to better support students through gateway courses.
Photos by Nicole Guthrie
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The English Studio: DSC innovation guides students through English by Elizabeth Barnes, English professor and chair of Academic Support The English Studio is a great example of the kind of innovation that puts students first, providing the support they need, when they need it, at just the right time.
The co-requisite workshop structure gives students the practice and confidence they need to become advocates for their own academic success.
For Donetta McFarlane, enrolling in the Paralegal Studies program at Daytona State was long overdue, but the thought of tackling college-level coursework felt overwhelming after so many years out of the classroom. So, when her advisor suggested she take a developmental class, the English Studio, along with Introduction to Composition (ENC1101), she said yes. Donetta is happy she took the advice, “The Studio experience has been an awesome one.”
And the skills and confidence they get from the Studio are transferable to other courses and programs.
For decades, developmental (also known as remedial) courses in English and math designed to prepare students for collegelevel gateway courses have served as an essential on-ramp for open-enrollment institutions like Daytona State. Daytona State jumped on a new path cleared by the state where students take developmental and college-level courses concurrently. This co-requisite approach shortens the developmental pipeline to college-level coursework. It also gives students the opportunity for academic support they need while taking college courses. Faculty devised the English Studio, a one-credit, weekly, guided lab made up of a facilitator and a group of 12 student peers, also enrolled in various sections of ENC1101, DSC’s gateway English course. This group workshop helps students navigate course requirements, build critical thinking skills and complete complex writing and reading assignments.
get connected to additional resources on campus that can help them succeed in other classes as well.” Because most students are no longer required to take college-ready placement exams, it’s up to advisers to convince students they might need a little extra help.
“Our Studio program is the result of effective collaboration among several departments: the School of Humanities and Communication, Advising, the Academic Support Center (ASC), the Writing Center and our administration,” says Dana Davidson, associate director of the Academic Support Center. “The combined efforts of all these stakeholders, from planning to implementation, has been crucial to the success of this program.”
“The Studio is an excellent supplement to improve students’ success rate,” says Michelle Goldys, director of Academic Advising. “The conversation we have with students highlights the value of this one extra credit.”
In the five years since DSC began offering the Studio, student-success data has proven that students can be successful in ENC1101 without a semester of remediation beforehand. According to Dr. Evan Rivers, chair of the School of Humanities and Communication, “The Studio has done a great job of helping students succeed because they are given the engagement, support and connection they don’t usually have when they enter college for the first time.”
For students taking the Studio, the experience has been positive and empowering. Davinson Mera, a soccer player from Columbia explains, “The Studio is more individual and personal. It’s a nice class for anyone whose first language is not English - like me.”
Kristen Bales, associate director of the DSC-UCF Writing Center, concurs, “The Studio provides students with a learning community that promotes self-advocacy and an environment of encouragement. Students can receive individualized feedback from peers creating a core of support that keeps them accountable for attendance and participation. Since most of the Studios are facilitated by Writing Center and ASC staff, Studio students also
Since the Studio’s implementation, student success rates in DSC’s gateway English course have risen from a low of 58 percent to 67 percent, a remarkable achievement.
Timothy Johnson, who’s taking an online ENC1101 class says that, “Being an online student, the Studio gives me the opportunity to meet other students face-to-face, an experience I wouldn’t get otherwise.” For Alejandro Graham, “The Studio has been great. It helps you focus on the work you need to do in your ENC1101 class. I wish I could come more often.”
DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE • SPRING/SUMMER 2018 | 35
FOUNDATION UPDATE
Development, (386)-506-3110 or udy.Haydt@DaytonaState.edu.
HERITAGE ENDOWMENT SOCIETY Alsup Trust Endowment
Firefighters Education Endowment
Marianne P. Alvarez Scholarship Endowment Fund
Bert Fish Foundation Endowment
Artists’ Workshop of New Smyrna Beach, Inc. Scholarship Endowment
James Walter Fitts Memorial Endowment
Harry Leroi Baker Endowment
Florida Health Care Plans Auxiliary Scholarship Endowment
Louis Brooks Endowment
Follett Athletic Endowment Scholarship
John T. Brunson Endowment Scholarship
Bill France Endowment for Public Safety
Homer V. Bryans Memorial Scholarship
Friends of WDSC-TV Endowment
Amy Euliss Campbell Memorial Endowment Scholarship
Cheryl Ann Case Gannett Endowment
Herbert B. Cannon Endowment
Lorraine Genest Memorial Endowment
The Center For Women and Men Advisory Board Endowment Scholarship
David W. Goddard Scholarship Endowment
Bill Chappel Memorial Endowment Scholarship
Bill Gordon Automotive Scholarship Endowment
Frances Keeling Coe Endowment Scholarship
Gordon E. & Gladys Gresso Endowment
Charles E. Creal Memorial Endowment Scholarship
Robert Grim Memorial Scholarship Endowment
Thomas, Margaret & John Crumley Endowment Scholarship
Drs. Roberta and Bernard Gropper Endowment
Mike Curb College of Music and Arts Endowment
Gullet Family Endowment
Bill Davison Endowment Program Fund
Hammock Women’s Association Scholarship Endowment
Daytona Beach Builders Exchange Endowment
Hammock Dunes Club Scholarship Endowment Fund
The Joseph E. & Shirley P. Dennison Endowment
Kenneth Hawthorne Memorial Scholarship
Annie T. Dixon Endowment Scholarship
The John and Lynda Hodgson Family Endowment
June E. Drulard Memorial Endowment Scholarship
Norman Neill Johnson Scholarship & Grant Endowment
DSC Culinary Management Endowment Fund
Junior League Endowment Scholarship
Sheriff Edwin H. Duff II Endowment
Renee M. Keller Nursing Endowment Fund
East Coast Doll Collectors Guild Endowment Scholarship
Brian Kelley Endowment Scholarship
James Fentress Scholarship Endowment
Lesa France Kennedy Culinary Endowment Scholarship
36 | DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE • SPRING/SUMMER 2018
Daytona State is fortunate to be able to offer many scholarships all with the common purpose of giving the gift of education. Creating an endowed scholarship at Daytona State will make an impact for years to come for hundreds of students who otherwise could not afford to attend college.
$13.5M
------------------------------------As of December 31, 2017, DSC Foundation’s endowed scholarship funds totaled $13.5 million.
Endowed scholarship funds start with a minimum gift of $10,000 with the entire gift invested and scholarship awards made annually from interest earned. Endowed scholarships can serve as a lasting tribute in memory or in honor of an individual or can be used to begin a family or business legacy to support Daytona State College. We gratefully acknowledge those who have established endowed scholarship funds as listed below.
Kodak Professional Photography Endowment
Palm Coast Community Center Endowment
Walter Konak Endowment Scholarship
Charles H. Polk Endowment Scholarship
Alane Thomson LaMee Endowment Scholarship
Port Orange/South Daytona Rotary Club Scholarship Endowment
L. Gale Lemerand Endowment for Health & Wellness
Mathilda Preu Endowment Scholarship
L. Gale Lemerand Endowment for Entrepreneurial Program
Rachel M. Raab Endowment for Education Programs
Virginia M. Lipka Nursing Endowment Scholarship
Alan Robertson Memorial Endowment
Dr. Thomas and Karen LoBasso Athletic Endowment Scholarship
Nancy Rowan “Runningal” Memorial Endowment Scholarship
Evelyn Lynn Teacher Education Endowment Scholarship
Dr. John H. Staples Memorial Endowment Scholarship
Max & Anne Madorsky Memorial Endowment
David Stevens Culinary Management Endowment
Hal Marchman Endowment for Human Services
Eddie Lee Taylor Memorial Endowment Scholarship
Richard Miller Music Endowment Scholarship
Bobby Thigpen Endowment Scholarship
Wallace and Hanna Miller Endowment Scholarship
Dr. Nancy Thomas Memorial Health Information Technology
JP Miller Endowment Scholarship
Program Endowment
Norman N. Miller & Rotary Scholarship Endowment
George Thompson Memorial Endowment
Adelia C. Minor Math Education Endowment Scholarship
Dana Rodman Tiffany Endowment Scholarship
Hammond Felt Minor Endowment Scholarship
W.I.S.E. Endowment Scholarship
MOCI (Men of Character Initiative) Endowment Scholarship
Joan B. Waters Scholarship Endowment Fund
Martha Moore Practical Nursing Endowment Scholarship
Watts-Greenlee Music Scholarship Endowment
Carol Chabot Murphy Endowment Scholarship Fund
Stephen C. Way Memorial Endowment
Leonard T Murphy Endowment Scholarship Fund
Helen Wetzel Memorial Scholarship Endowment
Emily & Thomas Murphy Endowment
Robert Woisard Memorial Scholarship Endowment
New Smyrna Beach Business & Professional Women’s Club
Lendell Wade Wyatt Memorial Scholarship Endowment
Scholarship Endowment
Taz Zachos Memorial Endowment
George C. Nunamann Endowment Scholarship
Jonathan M.R. Zinsli Scholarship Endowment
For information on how you can make a difference in the lives of DSC students, please contact Judy Haydt, Director of Development, (386) 506-3110 or Judy.Haydt@DaytonaState.edu.
DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE • SPRING/SUMMER 2018 | 37
IN MEMORIAM
LEAVING A LEGACY Daytona State College is fortunate to have many passionate supporters. We benefit from their generosity, contributions, insight and work. We also share in the loss of such great community leaders and philanthropists. Through their kindness and foresight, the college and its students continue to benefit. We would enjoy working with you to create a lasting legacy at Daytona State that will help students achieve their dreams.
38 | DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE • SPRING/SUMMER 2018
BERNICE NEWTON FISHPAW
JAMES E. GARDNER
Bernice Newton Fishpaw, whose namesake scholarship has helped innumerable Daytona State students seeking careers in nursing, passed away on January 3, 2018. She was 97.
James E. Gardner’s involvement and commitment to Flagler County and the state of Florida are unparalleled. Jim moved to Palm Coast in 1978 after earning a degree in civil engineering and becoming a pilot in the Air Force. He was promoted to President and CEO of ITT Community Development Corporation and retired in 2000. Jim passed away May 5, 2017 at the age of 78.
Bernice spent her entire career as a nurse, starting at Mercy Hospital in Chicago in the early 1940s, then enlisting in the Army Nursing Corps shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In 1962, she and her husband, Eli, settled in DeLand, and Bernice worked at virtually every hospital in the Volusia County region until her retirement. She chaired the West Volusia Hospital Authority and oversaw the operations of West Volusia Memorial and Fish Memorial hospitals. To honor her mother, Bernice’s daughter, Virginia Comella, created the Bernice N. Fishpaw Nursing Scholarship with the DSC Foundation. “Especially with our aging population, there is a need for more nurses, as well as a need for people who may not have a lot of resources to advance themselves with additional nursing training,” Virginia noted. “This scholarship is a means to provide a pathway to upward mobility. At the same time, it helps improve the availability of nursing care in our community.”
Jim’s vision and work had an amazing influence on the growth of Flagler County, the region and its citizens. He played a key role in the land donation to Daytona Beach Community College that established the Flagler/Palm Coast Campus and the construction of the amphitheater that supports many non-profit and community events. Daytona State is honored to recognize his gifts with a naming opportunity on the Flagler/Palm Coast Campus, the James E. Gardner Student Services Center.
DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE • SPRING/SUMMER 2018 | 39
FOUNDATION UPDATE
SCHOLARSHIPS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE - EMPOWERING CAREERS, FUTURE LEADERS
Heartfelt Student Thank-You Notes I literally shed tears of joy when I received the Junior League Scholarship. I am now a step closer to achieving my goal of becoming a dental hygienist. With the scholarship, I am able to take all the classes I need for the spring semester and can finally have a moment of relief and focus on my studies even more! Thank you! - Marleny Arevalo Today I read with great emotion that I am the recipient of a scholarship from the American Association of University Women! Words cannot convey my gratitude for this generosity. I see a bright future ahead, one made possible because of support like this scholarship. One day I will be in a position to pay it forward to another struggling single parent who wears too many hats. Thank you! - Faith Grogan I am forever grateful to receive the Edmund R. & Victoria M. Wirths Scholarship which will allow me to graduate that a Bachelor of Science in Education. As an immigrant and mother of two, I can relate to the struggles of families seeking to better themselves without the financial means to succeed. I am grateful to show my children that hard work and commitment pay off. Thank you! - Marcia Tombley When I learned that I was the recipient of the June Drulard Scholarship, it was a tremendous financial relief for my family! To finish the teaching program, I quit my job to focus and complete my degree and become the first person in my family with a bachelor’s degree. I cannot fully express how much appreciation I have for the scholarships that are provided they really do help change the world one student at a time. - Christopher Collier I am grateful and honored to be this year’s recipient of the Society for Information Management Scholarship. I am a Computer Science major and on the way to specializing in Cyber Security. As a single mother, this scholarship will help me afford to attend college and has given me a new-found determination to reach my goal. Thank you! - Arlene Rosada
40 | DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE • SPRING/SUMMER 2018
FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP
DONOR APPRECIATION LUNCHEON 2018
Photos by Nicole Guthrie DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE • SPRING/SUMMER 2018 | 41
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Sundance award bodes well for screenwriting career Gary Wilkerson Jr. ’09 AA recently received a coveted Roger Ebert Fellowship at the Sundance Institute. The experience brought Gary opportunities to network with screenwriters, critics and filmmakers during January’s prestigious Sundance Film Festival. While earning a bachelor’s degree in English and a master of fine arts in screenwriting from Florida State University, Gary found a rewarding, unusual extracurricular activity: he joined the FSU Flying High Circus, one of only two collegiate circuses in the nation. The experience, he said, helped to build his self-confidence. “I went from being shy and feeling like I wasn’t good enough, to slightly less shy and feeling like I could do anything I told myself I could do.
It gave me a newfound confidence in myself and my abilities.” Among those abilities was a gift for writing, which his former DSC English professor, recently retired Dr. Joanne PinkstonMcDuffie, noted stood out among her other students. “Gary was in my Literature and Composition Class,” she recalled. “His first essay was such an inspirational, thoughtful read, and while I offered supportive insights to his writing, the real writer was already there. I always placed Gary’s paper at the bottom of the stack, saving him for last, because his ideas opened new avenues and took me on a journey.” After finishing at FSU in 2015, Gary decided to make a career with his love for writing, and moved to Los Angeles.
42 | DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE • SPRING/SUMMER 2018
He interned at Funny or Die, a comedy video website and film/television production company co-founded by Will Ferrell, and landed his first job as a writer’s assistant on HBO’s Any Given Wednesday with Bill Simmons. Gary recently wrapped as the showrunner’s assistant on the Netflix series Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. Now he’s writing his own comedy pilots and doing improv comedy while also working as a writing assistant for two established screenwriters. “I’m learning a lot about the business of screenwriting and the creative process,” he said, “especially how to help the writers with character development by reading the note behind the note, so to speak.” Ultimately, he said he hopes to create and star in his own TV show.
WDSC-TV asks for your support by becoming a member today. Your membership and charitable donation will generate revenue for your favorite WDSC-TV shows and ensure that WDSC continues to provide the highest quality programs and educational services for you, your family and for future generations. Please consider becoming a member of WDSC-TV 15. You can go online, call or mail in your donation. Online:
wdsctv.org
Telephone:
1 (800) 638-9238 or (386) 506-4415
WDSC Membership Dept., P.O. Box 9245, Daytona Beach, FL 32120-9245
Mail to:
For current members and those who have donated, we thank you for your loyal support!
DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE • SPRING/SUMMER 2018 | 43
The Falcon MasterCard has landed! OLLEGE DAYTONA STATE C
If you’re a member of the Financial Educators Federal Credit Union, you can now sign up for the Daytona State Falcon MasterCard. DSC alumni, employees, students and supporters are invited to join and apply for the free card. With every swipe of the card, a percentage goes to DSC scholarships, at no cost to you.
(386) 506-3040 Financialedufcu.com 44 | DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE • SPRING/SUMMER 2018
The bright blue card boldly showcases DSC’s brand and brings in scholarship dollars with every purchase you make. That means a painless and ongoing gift to DSC students. You can even request the new card to replace your old credit union card, keeping the same number.
DSC ALUMNI CLASS NOTES ’00s
’10s
THOMAS CAFFREY, 2000
GERARD WOOLYHAND, 2010
Recipient of a Daytona Beach NewsJournal Business Report’s 40 under 40 Award; selected for his achievements both professionally as well as volunteer efforts in the community. _____________________________________
TAMRA “TAMMY” KUHN, 2002 AS, Business Administration. In February 2018, opened Kuhn Tax Service in Parkersburg, VA. _____________________________________
LYNETTE GOOD, 2005 AS, Nursing. Published in Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare and welcomed to the International Nurses Association. _____________________________________
JANIECE FAZIO, 2006 AS, Nursing. Appointed to the American Health Council’s Nursing Board. _____________________________________
SHANNON STRENTH, 2008 AS, Photographic Technology. Received promotion to corporal in the city of Sebring Police Department, effective May 2018. _____________________________________
NICOLE A. GREBOSZ, 2008 Education Preparation Institute. In January 2018 received recognition as Volusia County School District’s 2019 Teacher of the Year.
AA. Transferred to University of Florida to enter the pharmacy program, receiving his PharmD in 2015. After obtaining Board Certified Pharmacy Specialist (BCPS) status in July 2017, he secured a pharmacist position with a well-respected hospital in the Jacksonville area. _____________________________________
RICHARD FORQUER, 2012 AS, Nursing. Honored in February 2017 by Halifax Health as winner of the community health system’s Daisy Award recipient, recognizing extraordinary nurses. _____________________________________
ANDRA CHISHOLM, 2013 AS, Culinary Management. Appeared on the Food Network’s “Dessert Games” and “Holiday Baking Championship,” and featured in the Daytona Beach NewsJournal with two recipes for Valentine’s Day desserts. _____________________________________
TATIANA FEDOTOVA, 2014 AA with High Honors. Making research breakthrough while earning her Ph.D. at the University of Central Florida, and has been published in an international chemistry journal.
DAVE WORMAN, 2015 BS, Engineering Technology (concentration in Electrical Engineering). Received a Master’s in Business Administration with a concentration in International Business from Florida Institute of Technology. Currently working for a subcontractor at NASA leading a team of designer engineers that monitor and control rocket fuel delivery systems. _____________________________________
MARYLAND PLUMEY, 2016 AS, Business Administration. Has started her own business for event planning and venue rental in Deltona. A graduate of the Center for Women & Men’s Fresh Start program. _____________________________________
MADELINE BERTELSON, 2016 AS, Photographic Technology. In February 2017, started her own photography company, focusing on real estate photography in Palm Beach County. _____________________________________
LAUREN COATES, 2016 BAS, Supervision & Management. In 2017, received Masters in Business Administration from Argosy University. Currently employed with Rice Law Firm.
Thanks to a generous vendor, you could win a 32-inch LED Insignia TV in a drawing from all class-note submissions for our next magazine. The winner will be drawn in summer 2018 - so send your news and contact information today!
Celebrate your milestone forever Commemorate your graduation with a personalized brick at Daytona State College.
SEND YOUR CLASS NOTES TO ALUMNI@DAYTONASTATE.EDU
Congratulations! You’ve reached another milestone. With this great achievement, we want to offer you a unique way to commemorate your place in Daytona State College’s history. Purchase a brick today to help support student scholarships and campus growth initiatives. This permanent tribute will be located in the main courtyard of the Daytona Beach Campus. Bricks are inscribed to reflect your name, year of attendance or any type of legacy. Special student graduation rates: $75 for a 4”x 8” brick and $125 for an 8”x 8” brick.
Alumni &Friends Alumni.DaytonaState.edu
Go to: Alumni.DaytonaState.edu for order form. For more information contact Suzette Cameron, (386) 506-4506, or Suzette_Cameron@DaytonaState.edu DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE • SPRING/SUMMER 2018 | 45
DAYTONA STATE
Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Daytona Beach, FL Permit No. 322
COLLEGE MAGAZINE 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd. Daytona Beach, Florida 32114
Save the Date!
HOMECOMING 2018
October 11-13 DAYTONA BEACH CAMPUS
Alumni &Friends Alumni.DaytonaState.edu
Join us for these exciting events: • Mr. & Ms. DSC Pageant
• Alumni Athletic Games, Student Activities
• Friday Night Movie and S’mores
• Tailgate Party and Free Cookout at the Soccer Stadium
• Men’s and Women’s Soccer Games
• Car & Truck Show, and much more! The News-Journal Center • 5k Walk/Run 221 N. Beach St. Daytona Beach www.DaytonaState.edu/Homecoming2018 DaytonState.edu/TheArts 386-226-1927
For more information, call the Alumni & Friends Association (386) 506-4506 or email: Alumni@DaytonaState.edu