DSC Foundation Board Chair

Zina Grau

At Daytona State’s Commencement ceremonies on May 16, I was honored to represent the Board of Directors of the Foundation as did Vice Chair, Rufus Johnson, in another of the ceremonies.

Commencement celebrates the newly minted graduates’ accomplishments, while encouraging new alumni to look forward to what they are preparing to do with their certificate or degree. In fact, the term “commencement” means to start, initiate or, simply, begin.

From the platform, the sea of faces beaming with pride and joy at their accomplishments, together with family and friends surrounding them in the Ocean Center – like fans cheering on their favorite team – induced me to recall the sense of accomplishment I felt at upon graduation, now 20 years ago.

And I was reminded that receiving my Associate of Arts degree was not something I did alone. There were many, including family, friends, professors and others at the College, who were cheering for me along the way.

In his remarks at this year’s ceremonies, Faculty Senate Chair and Senior Professor of Mathematics Paul Capps “quizzed” graduates asking them, among other things, if they would agree that parents, family members, friends, and others made possible what they were celebrating as they completed their degree or certificate. A resounding “Yes!” rang out throughout the vast hall.

Capps went on to ask them if they had said “thank you,” which was followed by a collective, similarly resounding, “Thank You!”

The Daytona State College Foundation, now in its 50th year serving students by providing scholarships and faculty with support for programs outside of the College’s budget, plays an important part in getting students to the finish line – graduation – even as we support them as they “commence” to what’s next for them in their chosen field.

We are proud to say ‘thank you’ to all who give generously to make this possible. And we invite you – perhaps a new alumni or someone who appreciates that students have needs that are beyond their capacity – to join us in supporting students with your financial contributions to the DSC Foundation.

Thank you, in advance, for your support.

Board of Directors Officers

Zina Grau, Chair

Rufus Johnson, Vice Chair

Bill Lenssen, Secretary

Mary Boyd, Treasurer

Denis Shelley, Immediate Past Chair

Bobby Thigpen, Chair, Investment Committee

Jeff Abbott

Randy Dye

Dan Francati

Kim Fulcher

Michele Goeb-Burkett

John Hodgson

Nina Hosseini

Thomas LoBasso

Beverly McMurtry-Grissom

David Sacks

Lou Seno Gregory Snell

Greg Sullivan

Maggie Thompson

Emeriti

Sally Gillespie

Cherie Keemar

Dirinda Maddy

Support the Foundation Donate.DaytonaState.edu (386) 506-3407

Timothy A. Norton Vice President of Advancement Executive Director, Daytona State College Foundation

Zina Grau ‘03