For members of Beacon’s Class of 2022, it is the best of times, but the most unsettling of times, as they reach the milestone of graduation and look ahead to entering the “real world.” Still, Beacon’s newest graduates are well-equipped to face those crosscurrents, having persevered through the pandemic adversity; the Class of 2022 navigated an unprecedented moment in U.S. higher education, shouldering responsibilities few classes have faced in history. READ MORE
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Beacon job seekers didn’t have to venture far. Nearly a dozen Central Florida employers last month attended the college’s 2022 Job Fair. Students chatted with recruiters, submitted resumes, and walked away with a better understanding of what companies need in its next batch of employees. Employers included: Area Agency on Aging of Central Florida, Inc.; Career Source of Central Florida; Career Source of Lake County; Children Episcopal Services; Citizens First Bank; City of Eustis; City of Leesburg; City of Mount Dora; Easterseals; Infotrack; and UF Health Central Florida.
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Last year, as Beacon College’s spring semester neared a close, James Humphrey realized what was coming: students packing for home would leave behind leftovers from care packages they received from home. Next stop: the trashcan. Not on Humphrey's watch. READ MORE
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Beacon anthrozoology students in late March attended a “Meet the Vet” event staged by the Equestrian Club. Dr. David Burba, a Lake County vet since 1987 who’s famous for making house calls, tested two dogs for heartworm and demonstrated how to check horses' heartbeats. Anthrozoology students included: Kathleen (Kat) Schech; Samantha (Sam) Wiedrick; Kristen Behrens; Naim Moustahssine. Equestrian Club members included: Jen Castilloveitia (advisor); Andrew Neuburger; Katelyn Wallen; Anne DeMarco; Maurice Harary; and Alyssa Perez.
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Denzel Washington watch your back. Here comes Tracey Hendley. The Beacon student enjoyed his first experience on celluloid in the new Netflix film, “Senior Year.” He recently signed with an Atlanta agency seeking extras. “Senior Year,” starring Rebel Wilson, involves a failed cheerleading stunt that left Wilson in a 20-year coma. Now 37, she’s out of her coma and laser-locked on achieving her high school dream: becoming prom queen.
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The Green Team sponsored and aided several clean-up events in April to mark Earth Day by removing trash from local ecosystems. Led by Beacon anthrozoology instructor Bryan Cushing, the team completed two clean-ups at Venetian Gardens in Leesburg, Florida. In all, the team removed 44 pounds of trash. The Green Team partnered with the Lake County Water Authority, which provided the team with kayaks and canoes. Later, Dr. Brian Ogle, associate professor of anthrozoology, and his team took to the beach and scooped up 18 pounds of trash. The Green Team gathers faculty and student representatives from different student campus organizations to reduce Beacon’s environmental impact, increase our sustainability as a campus community, and boost awareness of "green" actions through immersive educational experiences.
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Helen Chinn first took up the violin when she was six years old. Last month, she took up her instrument during the final event of the 2021-2022 Beacon Salon Speaker Series and put on a rousing performance as the prelude to the headliner, The String Queens. Chinn, a sophomore majoring in business management/hospitality performed “Concerto for the Violin by F. Mendelssohn Op. 64, First movement, and the more contemporary, “Stronger,” by Kelly Clarkson to thunderous applause.
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When The Christ School in Orlando, Florida requested a Beacon student to speak to its dyslexic students about the college's anthrozoology program and learning differences, Alex Rhodes answered the bell. And then some. He gave a presentation via zoom that was part show-and-tell about the college's critter menagerie and part pep talk about soaring with learning differences. The verdict: “You [Alex] totally inspired them and many said it was amazing — they all want to do something with animals now,” said Alissa Plaisance, director of The Bridge and Student Support at The Christ School.
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Great minds were on display in April at the Spring 2022 Beacon College Research & Technology Fair. This year’s fair received 65 submissions and featured 105 student presenters.
One example was the “Anti Vaxx” project by Leo Lin. Lin is focused on information technology but took a course on conspiracy theories. He particularly was Intrigued that the origin of the “Vaccines cause Autism” movement in 1998 later was discovered to be authored by someone on the payroll of a law firm and debunked — yet the mythology persists. You can view most of the projects and photos HERE.
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Beacon seniors Anthony Manzano-Lee and Emily Marra last month showcased their painting and sculpting bona fides with a senior portfolio exhibition at the Kristin Michelle Mason Art Gallery. READ MORE
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Embracing the next chapter |
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All good things come to an end. And the end, like the beginning of Patricia R. Campbell’s six-year career at Beacon College, focused on the good that education brings to life for those who pursue scholarship with tenacity. The retiring professor looks back at her career and ahead to what comes next. READ MORE
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Assistant anthrozoology professor Dr. Michelle Szydlowski recently delivered her presentation "Embodied Empathy and Pachyderm Persons: Elephants in Nepalese Tourism” at the Emerging Voices: Animals in Tourism Conference. Beacon student Annabel DeSmet also presented at the conference, reflecting on her inaugural experience with fieldwork and animals in tourism in her presentation, “Reflections: an undergraduate's initial experiences researching animals in tourism."
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Szydlowski followed that with a poster presentation last month on Beacon College's Animal Shelter Operations and Management class at the Humane Society of the United States' “Animal Care Expo.” The Expo brings together shelters, veterinary staff, and researchers annually in Orlando. The poster highlighted Beacon's relationship with the Lake County Animal Shelter and other local shelters.
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In February, Beacon assistant professor of English and humanities Dr. Leigh Camacho Rourks served as the visiting critic for Critical Mass 10, an arts and literature celebration in Shreveport, LA. In addition to other duties, she served on a panel exploring the place of collectors in the arts and judged the literature contest: https://www.artspaceshreveport.com/cm10
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In March, she served on two panels at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference:
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When Women Break Bad: Writing Unladylike Rage.” The panel featured Rourks, Sharon Harrigan, Nikki Dolson, and Alison Pelegrin) and examined the dissonance and chauvinism that comes with the profound cultural discomfort around women's anger, especially women's rage, that when it is depicted, it is generally either sublimated or fetishized.
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Hospitality and tourism instructor Teri Hunter shared her presentation “Integrative Pedagogy using a Business Plan Project” recently at the 7th annual International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education (iCHRIE)-Southeast, Central, and South American Federation (SECSA) Conference for hospitality and tourism educators. She focused on interactive teaching practices used in her Restaurant Management class.
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In May, George Amos III earned a new title: Beacon alum. But several months before that, the computer information systems major earned his stripes manning the video cameras and video switcher for the live stream broadcast at Frontier Church in Leesburg where he volunteered. According to Charlie Wright and Jeannette Lomberk, tech team leads at the church, his “ability to quickly learn and become proficient ... really helped us to improve our procedures and production quality.”
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On weekdays, Emily Abramson, ’19, stands at the side of preschool kids with learning issues whose emotions run the gamut from sadness to gladness. As an early childhood education professional, she pays back the compassion and understanding she received at Beacon to guide her efforts in helping students crack the code of their challenges and reach their potential. READ MORE
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Submit your Beacon College alumni updates, news, weddings, births, career changes, etc. for consideration in the next issue of the "Lighting the Path" newsletter. We look forward to hearing from you! EMAIL US
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Bolstering executive functioning |
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On this episode of “A World of Difference,” you’ll learn about executive function. Our expert panel provides a deeper understanding and actionable strategies for enhancing it. And you’ll meet our latest “Difference Maker,” once a struggling dyslexic who turned his Kryptonite into a secret weapon for inspiring kids with dyslexia — especially children of color. Click the image to watch.
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If you enjoy watching National Geographic specials where apex predators gorge on hapless knock-kneed prey, then you won't want to miss the latest annual Beacon faculty/staff vs. students kickball game. Students feasted on their older, wiser opponents, notching a predatory 26 to 5 win. Click the image to view.
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On this episode of “A World of Difference,” you’ll learn how families learn to thrive with dyslexia. Our expert panel advises how families can empower children who have dyslexia. And you’ll meet our latest “Difference Maker,” a Florida mother whose advocacy for her son with dyslexia morphed into a worldwide mission to equip parents and educators to decode dyslexia. Click the image to watch.
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Giant pandas have captured the hearts of people around the world and are a symbol of conservation. Yet, in this thought-provoking Beacon Salon Lecture Series offering, Beacon anthrozoologist Dr. Brian Ogle shows why pandas stir controversy in the scientific community, caused zoologists to scratch their heads, and present a challenge for zoos. Click the image to view.
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Limited copies of the Beacon College 30th Anniversary remain available. “Beacon College: The Unique History of a Singular Institution” features 100+ pages chronicling the college’s founding and evolution, its multimodal pedagogy and unique learning-specialist education model, the social fabric, and the college’s global-leaning advocacy and innovation through narrative and personal reflections. Appendices offer a roll call and class photos of Beacon graduates, terms of service of the Board of Trustees, a timeline, and a salute to the “Life Abundant.” ORDER YOURS TODAY
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Keep up with the latest COVID-19-related schedule and policy changes by monitoring the Beacon College COVID-19 Information Center. CLICK HERE
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“The high cost of greatness is better than the low cost of mediocrity.”
— Matshona Dhliwayo
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