Daytona State College Magazine, #3

Dayt na state

COLLEGE MAGAZINE

HEALING + HANDS

HEALING HANDS

DSC’s army of healthcare alumni serve the region

Vol. 2 • No. 1 • SPRING 2016

THE SOLAR HOUSE TEAM Designing for sun power vying to win global contest

FOUNDATION UPDATE Honoring alum, music star Brian Kelley

SPOTLIGHT ON SOCCER Cover photo: Erika Rech

Meet the coaches

Vol. 2 • No. 1 • Spring 2016

CONTENTS

12

32

HEALING HANDS

THE SOLAR HOUSE TEAM

DSC’s army of healthcare alumni serve the region

4

Designing for sun power - vying to win global contest

6

11

LEARNING SCENE

STUDENTS IN MOTION

MEET THE FACULTY

26

30

34

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

A GIVING LIFESTYLE

SPOTLIGHT ON SOCCER

36

44

45

FOUNDATION UPDATE

CAMPUS LIFE IN PHOTOS

ALUMNI UPDATES

“It’s a boy!” Simulators train students

Hands-on practice: Hospitals, clinics, dental offices

Gala to honor baseball alum, music star Brian Kelley

From bones to public service

From animal rescue to helping the homeless

Linda Vail Moss Medical records go digital

Meet the coaches

Alumni share their news

pRESIDENT’S Perspective Dr. Thomas LoBasso

Healthy Achievements, Big Impact Welcome to our spring magazine with a focus on healthcare. It was an easy theme to choose, with thousands of Daytona State alumni applying their healing touch across the region. While we feature a handful of practitioners within these pages, they represent the integrity, compassion and excellent care taught throughout our 22 health-profession offerings.

Each year, many of our students succeed in challenging health programs thanks to designated scholarships and hands-on clinicals that immerse them in the field. Those key success factors come from partnerships with organizations like Halifax Health, Florida Hospital, numerous clinics and the Bert Fish Foundation, along with generous individuals. They realize the huge need for quality healthcare providers and the benefits of supporting each rising class at DSC. Speaking of rising, you’ll see in our news pages that DSC is among the top 15 percent of community colleges chosen to compete for the prestigious national Aspen Award. It’s based on performance criteria critical to student success.

Another benchmark for student support: our long-awaited Student Center/ Workforce Transition building is now fully funded; we expect to complete the design and break ground within 14 months. It will become a landmark along International Speedway Boulevard and a prominent facility in our new master plan for the next decade.

As you peruse our student profiles and see exciting projects like the Solar House Decathlon in partnership with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, I hope you’ll be inspired. Their stories embody our mission of service in education to the region – and the future.

Daytona state COLLEGE MAGAZINE

PRESIDENT Dr. Thomas LoBasso DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES Forough B. Hosseini, Chair Stanley Escudero, Vice-Chair Bob Davis Lloyd J. Freckleton Brad S. Giles Mary Ann Haas Betty J. Holness Garry Lubi Anne Patterson

___________________________________ DAYTONA STATE MAGAZINE STAFF Managing Editor Laurie White Editor, Senior Writer Harry Russo Art Director Lisa Deignan AS ‘92 Photography Aldrin Capulong AS ‘08 Hannah Glogower AS ‘13 Nicole Guthrie AS ‘11 Ivon Neville AS ‘13 Erika Rech AS ‘12 Coordinator Alison Ryan Guest Writer Christopher Gebhardt Editorial Contributors Kay Burniston, Judy Haydt Daytona State College 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd.

Daytona Beach, Florida 32114 (386) 506-3000 • DaytonaState.edu

DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016 | 1

Brian Kelley of

Florida Georgia Line

Celebrating

Homegrown Talent 2016 Annual Gala as we honor

Brian Kelley

Join us for the

Our half of the top country music duo Florida Georgia Line, and former baseball standout at Daytona State College.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016, 6-9 p.m.

Hosseini Center, Daytona State College _____________________________________________________________

Featuring foods from around the world prepared by Daytona State College students and award-winning chef instructors. _____________________________________________________________

Space is limited!

Purchase your sponsorship today!

Visit Foundation.DaytonaState.edu or call (386) 506-3407.

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STATE Magazine GALA • SpringPROCEEDS 2016 BENEFIT STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS. DaytonaState.edu/Foundation

Howard Holley DSC Foundation Board Chair

Donors: Our Helping Hands This issue of Daytona State College Magazine focuses on healing and helping hands.

FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS Howard Holley, Chair Bobby Thigpen, Vice Chair Denis Shelley, Secretary Bill Lenssen, Treasurer

What happens when a DSC student pursuing one of these degrees needs a financial helping hand? The Daytona State College Foundation extends its scholarship hand to help bridge monetary gaps. The Foundation has approximately 50 scholarships for health and public safety students. But there are far more students than we can help who need a hand.

Jeff Abbott William Chanfrau, Jr. Tom Dietz Michael J. Duranceau Beverly Grissom Mary Ann Haas John Hodgson Kelli Jebbia Cherie Keemar Kathleen Mathen Ken McCoy David Sacks Gregory D. Snell Greg Sullivan Debora Thomas Maggie Thompson

Donors can provide the next helping hand. This spring, a nursing alumna left a gift in her will to help nursing students.

This gift will allow a number of students to seek a nursing degree, who might not otherwise afford it.

EMERITUS BOARD Sally Gillespie Dirinda Maddy

We all want a helping hand when we’re in need, whether an emergency, medical or safety concern. DSC’s impressive range of certificate, associate and bachelor degree programs prepare students for certification in an array of health careers. You see people in these professions every day; many were trained at DSC. They provide a universal net for our community that helps keep us safe and healthy.

Think of how you can lend a hand and make a difference to a student, to our community and maybe, one day, to yourself – if you need a helping hand. Whether it’s a one-time donation, an endowed scholarship or continuing gift, you can make a difference.

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS Kay Burniston, Executive Director Dr. Thomas LoBasso, President Isalene Montgomery, Vice President of Finance & Chief Business Officer

Someone who has made a difference is, again, one of our graduates. Brian Kelley, of the acclaimed Florida Georgia Line, has become famous with his country music career.

Brian graduated in 2007 and was a valuable player on the DSC Baseball team.

He’s lending a hand by helping us establish the Brian Kelley Endowment Fund for DSC students.

On Sept. 13, the DSC Foundation will honor him at our 2016 Gala.

Support the Foundation Donate.DaytonaState.edu

It’s nice to know that our helping hands come back to help others.

DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016 | 3

THE LEARNING SCENE

PROMOTING EXCELLENCE IN AREA HEALTHCARE

On this day in the lab, the action is fast and urgent. Students are laser focused on a patient who’s being isolated to prevent a possible contagion from spreading.

Nursing student Amber Bryan comforts a very pregnant Victoria, whose labor contractions are becoming longer, stronger and closer together.

Another team is assessing a patient whose severe pain seems to stem from a kidney stone, and yet another sick and frightened patient is being gently reassured by his caregivers that everything will be alright.

Meanwhile, the first-semester Daytona State nursing student’s instructor, Kim Beechler, explains the potential birthing complications and necessary protocols that will become second nature by the time Amber graduates and begins work as a licensed registered nurse.

There’s room for mistakes here.

Victoria and her baby (named Hal) are actually two of more than a dozen high-tech human patient simulators taking up residence in Daytona State’s Patient Simulation Learning Outcomes Center. They are tools for a hands-on learning strategy that prepares more than 500 DSC healthcare students annually before they begin clinical practice on real patients as part of their degree programs.

The DSC lab, one of the region’s largest, also offers professional development opportunities for healthcare workers and first responders to learn new protocols and procedures.

Daytona State adopted its first human patient simulator in 1996, not long after the first iterations came on the market, and has increased its stable to 16.

Over the last 20 years, the machines have dramatically evolved with advancements in technology. Gone are the large control stations and tethers that once inhibited the realistic effect of the training.

Today’s patient simulators feature wireless technology and heavy automation.

They breathe, blink, bleed, excrete bodily fluids and can go into cardiac arrest. They can converse with the students (with the help of monitors who work from a discrete control room), and even, like Victoria, give birth.

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STATE Magazine • Spring 2016

Here, Beechler, who manages the lab, and her fellow DSC College of Health and Public Services faculty can create patient situations in a safe environment, using a simulator that responds to the learners’ decisions and actions.

“It gives students a chance to perform assessments, apply theoretical concepts, make decisions and practice skills without fear of patient harm,” she said. “What’s more, students who are engaged with the patient simulators, who are applying what they learned in the classroom, are more likely to retain the information and ultimately are more likely to complete their program. If they can practice it here, they will remember it forever.”

But the simulators offer more than a chance to apply classroom learning.

Because of their interactive nature, where simulators can converse with students via volunteers in the control room, the students learn the importance of effectively communicating with patients.

“For example,” said Beechler, “how do you communicate that something is abnormal to a patient who is in the bed feeling ill? Here, we learn about elimination concepts. How do you teach a patient suffering from a kidney stone how to clean catch their urine, or how do you tell a person that you’re about to empty their colostomy bag for the first time? These are situations that can be very traumatic for patients, so how do you talk to the patient about that? The simulators help us add this element to the learning experience before the students ever touch a real patient.”

For a good nurse, procedures and protocols have to be second nature, Beechler explains. “What comes from the heart is what makes a good nurse an excellent nurse, and the simulators we have can add that element to the learning experience.”

“It’s

a boy!”

Students learn with patient simulations

Photo Credit: Nicole Guthrie

DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016 | 5

STUDENTS IN MOTION

Traumatic event leads to career choice ALEXANDRA RODRIGUEZ A bad car accident brought unnerving back pain and months of recuperation into Alexandra Rodriguez’ young life. But it also opened her eyes to a career in musculoskeletal treatment – chiropractic – to ease the pain of others.

“I had an interest in massage for quite a while, but when a chiropractic doctor began to work with me to recover from the accident, I thought, wow, this is fascinating,” said Alex. With that career in mind, she finished her dual-enrolled classes at Daytona State, earning an Associate of Arts degree the same time she finished high school. In the next breath, Alex, 18, started her bachelor’s this spring at DSC – en route to Palmer College for a Ph.D. to become a chiropractic doctor and open her own treatment center one day.

Might seem like big goals for someone so young, but it’s second nature for Alex to envision the road ahead. Her parents, who came to Florida from Puerto Rico when she was five, raised her to believe in the American dream, where the sky’s the limit with hard work, education and planning.

“My mom and dad want us to have goals and stick to them. They didn’t get a college education or a chance to prepare for careers, so they’re making sure we do.”

Her younger sister, who’s 16, also takes DSC classes as a dual-enrolled student at Pine Ridge High School in Deltona, with plans to become a nurse. And her brother, in middle-school, firmly believes he’ll pursue a military career.

Admissions counselor Kendra Loughry spotted the determined backbone in young Alexandra from their first meeting. “I see hundreds of students a month – and Alex stood out right away as someone on a mission. She hasn’t missed a beat with her schedule and balancing so much – she’ll reach her goals and then some, I have no doubt.”

As Alex works toward her DSC Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management, in partnership with Palmer, she sees her path clearly and welcomes each step, saying, “I’ll get business training and anatomy at the same time; how great is that?”

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STATE Magazine • Spring 2016

Photo Credit: Nicole Guthrie

Photo Credit: Nicole Guthrie

While his career is priority No. 1 right now, Austin Albro looks forward to “family and puppies” in his future, and helping lead his community.

Leading by engagement, teamwork AUSTIN ALBRO SGA President Austin Albro has rounded up one of the largest, most active groups of student leaders in DSC history. During his four years of earning two degrees at the college, he’s become a fixture at administrators’ meetings, paved new paths for involvement with college projects and planning, and attracted a bevy of students with pride in their school and a daily norm of interaction on-and-off campus.

“The level of student interest and involvement that Austin has fostered shows true leadership talent,” said DSC President Tom LoBasso. “We couldn’t be more proud to claim him as a DSC success.”

On top of campus efforts including “Talk About it Tuesday,” an informal weekly gathering for productive dialogues among students, Austin, 22, is a well-known volunteer for public service projects such as food and clothing drives, activities for veterans, working with Easter Seals, One Voice Volusia and For The Kids Foundation, as well as moderating a Student Homelessness Summit.

“He embraces diversity and views change as an opportunity for growth, contributing to one of the most active and inviting atmospheres the SGA has seen,” said Bruce Cook, assistant dean of co-curricular activities.

For his excellent leadership, Austin received an honorary plaque and certificate from District Board of Trustees Chair Forough Hosseini and President LoBasso, also commemorating his award as the first Florida College System Chancellor’s Clark Maxwell Jr. Scholar Student of the Month.

He’s also proud to have met his goal of graduating debt-free, with careful budgeting, roommates to share expenses and working whenever he can.

So, what’s his secret? Modest and wellspoken, Austin credits a mix of his home state of New Hampshire’s gumption with DSC’s progressive, inclusive environment.

“Whatever you decide to do at different points in life, you need to be a part of the picture,” he believes.

“Our student team wants to contribute and enrich the college experience to be even better for the next group.”

With plans for a public service career, Austin, the first in his family to go to college, hopes to one day return and work in his hometown of Warren, New Hampshire, where he and his three siblings grew up. “It’s a great small town; and I want to give back.

“My first hands-on with community service was in Warren at age 16,” he recalls. “I love baseball, but was in drivers ed and couldn’t play, so my buddy and I coached a Little League spring program.” They had such a great time playing ball and coaching the kids, it inspired them to run a summer program.

“I’m excited for the next possibilities to bring people together to make a difference,” he says. “It’s all about giving back and being a leader in the community; I get fired up over local government. It’s so important; it’s about good quality of life, where my kids will go to school one day.”

DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016 | 7

STUDENTS IN MOTION

Quanta-Honors students earn state recognition At two annual contests in 2015-16, DSC QuantaHonors students took significant awards, presented notable research and earned a prestigious scholarship, reports Maggie Reinfeld Karda, who chairs QuantaHonors College.

At the Florida Council of Honors Colleges conference in February, Sidney Preston Johnston won third place (for the second year) in the poetry writing competition.

And student teams, with teamwork a premise of QuantaHonors, presented three research projects. The students were: Greta Eitzen, James Langer, Danjha Leon, Tiana MacNichols, Justin Martens, Brent Stoughton and Alyssa Tedrick.

Also during the conference, Hawwah Santiago, a nontraditional student who overcame many obstacles to get to college, was awarded the Mary Jo Henderson scholarship from FCHC. In January, students Leon and Tedrick also presented a paper at the Florida Society of Geographers conference, coordinated by DSC faculty, and won the award for the best state-college undergraduate research paper.

They also presented at the Florida Political Science Association in April.

DSC Phi Theta Kappa chapter again earns five-star designation For the second straight year, the Mu Rho chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society at Daytona State has been named a Five-Star chapter by the national honor society, founded in 1918 to recognize and encourage scholarship and service among two-year college students.

Earning the five-star designation is the most exclusive status a chapter can achieve. The designation recognizes PTK chapters for student engagement on campus and in the community. As part of its work this year, Mu Rho hosted bowling and movie nights benefitting the Conklin Center for the Blind, participated in fundraisers for the American Heart Association and Multiple Sclerosis Foundation and helped sponsor blood drives on campus.

The chapter also packaged 10,000 meals as part of the national Stop Hunger Now initiative, and launched an academic research project called Honors in Action, focusing on frontiers in astrobiology.

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STATE Magazine • Spring 2016

Spotlight: Lifelong Service Dr. James L. Greene

Ask Dr. James Greene what his proudest achievement was during his career at Daytona State and the newly-retired associate vice president of the College of Health and Public Services will deflect the focus away from himself.

“I would say, it has been working with an excellent group of people who make up our division,” he said. “I’m proud that all our faculty are licensed or certified in the areas they teach. It makes a big difference for our students when they learn from professionals in practice.”

James, who retired this spring after serving nearly 30 years, also credits his faculty for maintaining full accreditation and good standing for their programs.

His distinctive humility stands out at first acquaintance. But those who know him well understand there’s much more behind his unassuming, gentle demeanor. “There’s always a silent one in the family, the one whose actions speak louder than words,” said DSC President Tom LoBasso. “I’ve never met a person who hides his talents so well, and most people have no idea of the human contributions he’s made both inside and outside the college.”

In addition to his DSC administrative role, James is a licensed nurse, a physician’s assistant and one of only a handful of certified pediatric perfusionists (one who operates a heart-lung machine during various medical procedures) in the area. He’s an academician, a counselor and a brother in the Roman Catholic Church.

He considers a trip to impoverished Central American shanty towns to help deliver babies a great way to use his DSC vacation time.

He’s one who, after putting in a full work week at the college, volunteers his weekends to counsel and comfort others as a chaplain and FEMA-certified critical incident stress debriefer.

Serving others has been a calling for James since before he graduated from DeLand High School in 1973 and began his studies at what was then Daytona Beach Community College. He was already working in Halifax Medical Center’s Nursing Services Department by the time he earned his associate of arts and associate of science in nursing degrees from DBCC in 1976.

He joined the college as an adjunct faculty in 1984 and soon began coordinating all continuing education programs for health occupations. He has held his current position as associate vice president since 2004.

Along the way, James attended the University of Central Florida, where he earned a bachelor of science in nursing, a master of science in health sciences and post-graduate certification in healthcare quality management. He also holds a master of science in theology and doctor of divinity from St. Xavier Theological Seminary.

During his tenure at DSC, he has seen many changes in healthcare and how future professional caregivers are trained. Perhaps the most notable was how HIV-AIDS spurred industry-wide changes in infection-control practice.

Spotlight on Excellence

Photo Credit: Nicole Guthrie

“It forced us to be a little smarter, to be more cognizant of blood splatters, spills and blood-borne pathogens,” he noted.

“Infection control started to gain more momentum, and AIDS education became mandatory in healthcare education.”

The rapid changes in healthcare are what James says make the industry so exciting, whether students choose nursing, respiratory care, physical therapy, surgical technology or myriad other specializations available.

“Medicine changes all the time,” he noted.

“It’s hyper-turbulent, so it constantly evolves with new techniques, procedures and equipment. That’s why we try to maintain current industry standards for all our training equipment, and why we depend on our local physician partners and practitioners to serve on advisory committees and as guest lecturers. It’s also the reason why, no matter what specialization you choose, as a healthcare professional it is imperative to have a commitment to lifelong learning.”

He plans to have an active retirement, continuing his Vatican assignment of providing healthcare service, as well as curating one of the world’s largest collections of plainsong and chant, a form of church music dating back to the early Middle Ages, for Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. “I know my successor will come into the job with the support of an outstanding faculty,” he said. “Thanks to them, this division is very stable, and prepared to move forward in a natural progression.”

DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016 | 9

Give to the Dr. Nancy Thomas Memorial Health Information Technology Scholarship Dr. Nancy Thomas was assistant chair of Daytona State’s School of Health Careers and program manager for the Health Information Technology (HIT) program before her retirement in June 2014 after serving more than 33 years. She passed away unexpectedly months later.

While wheelchair bound from a young age due to polio, Nancy is remembered as a person who was never slowed or limited by her disability.

A true Daytona State Falcon – fierce, focused, driven, caring and helpful – she led by example, influencing countless students and fellow faculty in uniquely special and tangible ways.

Among her many accolades during her time at DSC, Nancy earned the college’s Faculty Senate Student Advocacy Award in 2002 and was named the 2011 Florida Health Information Management Educator of the Year.

Nancy, a strong supporter of the Daytona State College Foundation, believed that no one should be denied an education due to financial reasons.

In her honor, her family established the Dr. Nancy Thomas Memorial Health Information Technology Program Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to a deserving student in their second year of the HIT AS degree.

To find out how to contribute, visit http://donate.DaytonaState.edu or call (386) 506-3195.

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STATE Magazine • Spring 2016

MEET THE FACULTY

Medical Coding in the Digital Age

Photo Credit: Nicole Guthrie

Linda Vail Moss PROFESSOR

PROFESSOR CARRIES ON MENTOR’S LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE Her office desk is a bit worn, but professor Linda Vail Moss will hear nothing of replacing it. It was, after all, the desk of her longtime mentor, friend and one-time teacher, Dr. Nancy Thomas, who passed away suddenly in late 2014, shortly after retiring from a long career with the college.

Linda, a registered health information technician (RHIT) and American Health Information Management Association certified trainer, occupies her mentor’s old office in the health sciences building on DSC’s Daytona Beach Campus.

She teaches classes leading to the Associate of Science in Health Information Technology (HIT) degree, as well as Medical Coding and Billing certificates – classes she herself completed decades ago under Thomas’ tutelage after moving to the area from San Francisco.

“It was the early 1980s. I was a single mom at the time and I was lost,” Linda recalled. “Then I met Nancy. She was witty, quick and smart-alecky, and she made me laugh. So, I enrolled in her health information program even though I didn’t know anything about it. Nancy guided me along a path I had no idea I was walking down. She pushed me, she stretched me and somewhere along the way, she became my dear friend. She even helped me get my first job at Halifax Hospital when I graduated.”

It would be Linda’s first job in a career that has spanned nearly 30 years, one that in 2009 saw her return to the classroom full time at Daytona State, only this time as a teacher passing on lessons learned from her longtime mentor and friend.

“I see me in a lot of my students,” she said.

“I look back on when I started this program and remember being scared to death, and I can see it in my students today. Many of them have not been in a classroom in years, and it can be intimidating. That’s why I often feel my main job is to help them gain the confidence they need to learn the material; you can’t learn if you’re scared.”

“Nancy guided me along a path I had no idea I was walking down.

She pushed me, she stretched me and somewhere along the way, she became my dear friend.”

In general, medical coders and health information technologists review records for consistency, completeness and accuracy; index and classify diagnoses and procedures for health authorities; prepare studies for medical staff; and respond to inquiries for insurance or legal purposes.

Those with the DSC programs under their belts have great opportunities for rewarding careers, where wages in Florida can range in the upper $50,000’s and job growth for medical records and health information technicians is expected to exceed 20 percent annually through 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics.

The one-year Medical Coder/Biller certificate prepares graduates to work in a doctor’s office or outpatient facility. By continuing with the two-year HIT degree, graduates can take the national RHIT exam that signifies qualification as a specialist in coding, assembling, analyzing, abstracting and maintaining health information.

DSC’s HIT program graduates have scored 100-percent pass rates on the national certification exam for five of the past six reporting years.

“There are a lot of jobs out there, and this is a field that is constantly evolving,” Linda said, noting, for example last year’s industry switch to a new medical coding system called ICD-10, and new technological advances in the areas of risk management, quality assessment and health informatics (electronic medical records).

It’s an excellent career for those who want to be in the healthcare industry, without hands-on patient care. “This is a career that requires curiosity. It’s almost like detective work,” she noted. “A good coder is curious about how the human body works. You have to understand ethics and HIPAA guidelines because you must review very private patient data; you are reading someone’s personal story.”

As for Linda, she’s happy to share with students her own personal story of being Dr. Nancy Thomas’ fledgling pupil so many years ago. “I’ve worked in this industry for a long time,” she noted, “but being back in the classroom as the teacher is the best thing I’ve ever experienced. When you’re working with a student and you see that lightbulb go on, it’s very satisfying to know you can really help someone along in life.”

DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016 | 11

cover story

HEALING + HANDS

Photo credit: Erika Rech

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STATE Magazine • Spring 2016

DSC alums lead purposeful lives in the business of healing

Since 1964, when DSC graduated its first three Associate Degree in Nursing students, nearly 12,000 health workers have begun their careers as DSC graduates.

They include surgical technicians, respiratory and physical therapy assistants, emergency medical technicians and paramedics, occupational therapy assistants and dental hygienists, medical coders, massage therapists and more who make up the front lines of our region’s healing industry.

While they may choose different specializations, nearly all have one thing in common – a calling to careers helping others.

Launched from Daytona State’s 22 health-career programs, most graduating classes achieve above a 90 percent licensure pass rate and find jobs after they graduate.

Nearly 85% of DSC graduates from health-profession programs found work and/or are continuing their education.

“Our success is a combination of things.

“It’s the fact that all our programs have met accreditation standards, that all our faculty are licensed, certified and professionally experienced within the disciplines they teach.

“It’s the investments we make in relevant technology through grants, the DSC Foundation and our community associates, and it’s the scores of healthcare facilities and providers that partner with Daytona State to afford our students essential clinical experiences.

“And, it’s the passion to serve, to help heal, that motivates our students.”

Registered Nursing = a top occupation for growth

- Dr. James L. Greene

Job openings for nurses are projected to be 1.05 million by 2022.

- Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Projections 2012-2022

DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016 | 13

cover story

Take Timothy Shirley, for instance.

The Ormond by the Sea resident said he was naturally drawn to pediatrics soon after enrolling in DSC’s two-year Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) associate degree program.

“I was a stay-at-home-dad for many years, and I knew I had a natural ability to connect with children and quickly develop a rapport with them,” he said. “It became clear during my OTA rotations that working with kids was absolutely what I wanted to do.”

Earning his degree in 2012, Tim began working for Speech Works Pediatric Therapy, which provides a variety of services to children throughout central and northeast Florida who struggle with disabilities and developmental disorders.

To add to treatment options, he began to research non-traditional methods of working with high-functioning autistic children and found that some novel therapeutic strategies are unavailable in many areas.

“There’s a need for various out-of-the-box treatments that aren’t typically provided in general settings,” Tim noted.

That led him and a colleague to launch their own startup called Thera-Play, which offers some of these non-traditional, evidence-based therapies.

Photo credit: Aldrin Capulong

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STATE Magazine • Spring 2016

“We enjoy seeing the results of our mentoring, what graduates do with their training. It’s rewarding to help students further their education by putting together classroom with real-life situations. And keeping it local is a benefit of working with DSC’s occupational, physical therapy assistant and massage therapy students. Plus, it’s a way to give back to the college for all it gave me when I attended the OTA program years ago.”

- Jim Bowe, owner of Arrow Rehabilitation and Outpatient Therapy Center

HEALING + HANDS DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016 | 15

cover story

Techniques Tim’s employed at Thera-Play include sand-andsurf sessions at the beach, which can help reduce a child’s anxiety toward nature and become better accustomed to unfamiliar sounds or loud noises that often cause stress.

It’s also effective for preschoolers and kids struggling with ADHD, anxiety, depression and other socio-emotional problems.“We’re focusing on strategies for kids who are often overlooked because their problems may not be so glaring,” he said.

Tim also practices a relatively new, evidence-based treatment strategy called PEERS (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills), a social skills training intervention for adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder.

“With high-functioning autistic children, their issues may not be so obvious. There are more subtleties that come into play. We work on a lot of social skills training, and we find that these kids really crave it and respond well.” Tim says his career has brought new meaning to his life.

Photo Credit: Nicole Guthrie

“Every day working with these kids is a humbling reminder of why I became an OTA in the first place,” he said. “The emotional gain you get from helping someone is tremendous. It has guided me toward my purpose in life and helped me to better understand all that I have to offer to this world.

There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t have a session with a child that either opens my eyes or opens their eyes in a positive way.”

Photo credit: Aldrin Capulong

For this instructor, occupational therapy is a perfect fit “CarFit® has become a service learning component of our OTA program adopted by our chair, Mary Beth Craig-Oatley,” Lala said. “In addition to helping seniors, it also allows us to contribute to research by gathering data on senior driving safety.”

Shirish Lala, academic clinical coordinator for DSC’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program, believes in putting practice to work in the community. His students take part each year in service work that doubles as a research project.

CarFit®, an activity of the American Society on Aging with AAA, AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association, identifies ways drivers can improve how they fit in their vehicles and promotes conversations about driver safety.

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Helping people maintain their independence has been a passion for Lala since he was a teenager growing up in India. “I knew I wanted to work with people and help them in some capacity,” he said.

“I shadowed some occupational therapists for a while and it seemed like a good fit for what I wanted to do for my career.”

STATE Magazine • Spring 2016

Lala immigrated to the United States in 2005. He worked as a traveling occupational therapist for a time, as well as in a skilled nursing facility in DeBary before joining Daytona State in 2009, where in addition to teaching, he ensures student opportunities for field work or internships that reflect current practices.

He said lifelong learning is essential for anyone aspiring to a career in the profession, not just keeping up with best clinical practices, but also honing business skills. And he’s setting the example for his students. Lala holds a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy degree from the Maharashtra University of Health Science in India, a Master of Health Science from the University of Florida, and is pursuing a Doctorate of Education in Mind, Brain and Education Science at Johns Hopkins University.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunities my doctorate will offer me as a practitioner and teacher,” he said.

Photo Credit: Nicole Guthrie

Rescue Work on the Scene

Photo Credit: Nicole Guthrie

Anquenette Whack echoes Tim Shirley’s view regarding the rewards of helping others. Anquenette found her calling as a paramedic with the Orange City Fire Department (OCFD) after years as a home health aide and emergency dispatcher.

“From my perspective, it’s all about putting someone else before me,” she said. “It not only makes a difference in the outcomes for the people I see in my work as a paramedic, it makes a difference in the direction my own life takes.”

With certified nursing assistant and firefighter certificate already under her belt, the Sanford-born, single mother of two completed DSC’s Paramedic program in 2012.

But it wasn’t without its share of challenges.

She recalled one fateful day when she was invited to ride along on a call with an OCFD fire rescue crew.

“As a dispatcher, it’s very exciting to hear about what’s going on at the fire scene,” she said, “but when you are actually in it, you get a totally different perspective. It really captured me. That’s when I decided this is the life for me.”

While enrolled in the program, Anquenette’s elderly parents fell ill, forcing her to juggle her time as a caretaker, emergency dispatcher and student.

It was challenging, but support from her instructors helped her persevere and it also became a great life lesson.

DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016 | 17

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STATE Magazine • Spring 2016

“I learned that sometimes just smiling and telling someone they’re going to be okay can be the best medicine,” she said. “It’s all about being sensitive to others and carrying a positive outlook with you every day. That was the greatest take-away from going through my program, the greatest gift my instructors instilled in me.

I see it every day now.

“Being kind, showing someone that you care; some of my patients haven’t heard a kind word in days or weeks, and just being encouraging, saying they will be fine, can go a long way toward realizing a great outcome.”

- Anquenette Whack

HEALING + HANDS

Photo Credit: Nicole Guthrie

DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016 | 19

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STATE Magazine • Spring 2016

Life Trauma

Inspired New Career It was a heart attack that introduced Colombian-born Carlos Ardila to his new life purpose. Prior to undergoing a quadruple bypass eight years ago, Carlos was a nanotechnology researcher working in the solar energy industry.

But, as is common with patients recovering from open-heart surgery, Carlos became acutely depressed, so he sought help from a psychologist.

It was through this treatment that he realized the best way to help himself was to help others.

“I decided to change careers, even though I was in my 50s, and become a nurse,” he said.

“Even though men make up less than 10 percent of the nursing workforce, it’s what I wanted to do, and it has made a tremendous difference in my life.”

Carlos earned his Associate Degree in Nursing from Daytona State in December 2011 and began working as a rehab nurse, primarily helping cardiac patients with their recovery.

He also was among the first to earn his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from DSC in May 2015, an achievement that opened a door to new opportunity.

Today, Carlos, 60, is a forensic psychiatric nurse, working at Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee, under contract with the state’s Agency for Persons with Disabilities Departmental Disabilities Defendant Program. He specializes in managing offenders with psychological, social and behavioral disorders, assessing and selecting patients for treatment and providing rehabilitative care and supervision.

“My work is always interesting, always challenging,” he said.

“No two days are ever quite the same, and I find that very exciting.

I now have a career that is far more satisfying and personally rewarding than I ever expected.”

The advanced degree (BSN and more) opens many doors for nurses. Nursing is evolving.

Only 30 percent of RNs work in hospitals, with newer paths to advanced practice, community health, law offices and disease/infection control.

“We look for compassion when we hire nurses - we have so many nurses who share their stories. Some start as certified nursing assistants and decide to get their RNs. Many tell us how they go back to DSC for their degrees, and even go on for their master’s; and we’re very proud of that.”

- Kim Fulcher, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Halifax Health

Photo Credit: Nicole Guthrie

DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016 | 21

“We have hired more than 15 DSC dental assisting and hygienist graduates in recent years and are very pleased with their skills. We also hire Daytona State graduates for our Information Technology and clinical services divisions, and provide clinical rotations for DSC nursing programs. We look forward to partnering with DSC to hire more graduating students for the public health workforce.”

cover story

- Patricia Boswell, MPH, Administrator, Florida Department of Health in Volusia County

HEALING + HANDS

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STATE Magazine • Spring 2016

A Career that Serves her Spirit Priscilla Montijo was drawn to a career as a dental hygienist because it offered a flexibility that would fit with motherhood and family while giving wings to her “serving spirit.”

She made her way part time through DSC’s associate degree program, including intense clinical hours, before landing a job at the Volusia County Dental Clinic, where she joined a number of other DSC alumni who work there.

Priscilla specializes in children and family care, and said she considers it a privilege to help underserved populations, noting, “I myself grew up in a low-income household, and I know what it’s like to have financial struggles and not always know where to get the best care.”

She said she revels in her role as healthcare provider and educator, and recently added her skills to the county’s School Base Sealant Program, which focuses on children most at risk for untreated dental decay.

“She is a wonderful example of our graduates’ dedication to dental health for all.” In the future, she hopes to advance to higher-level studies that would allow her to teach and lead her own community outreach program.

“This is a special program because it allows us to reach underserved children through a different avenue,” she explained. “We take the service to them versus them having to come to us.”

Today, though, Pricilla said she finds her deepest fulfillment comes in the confident smiles of her patients as they offer their thanks and gratitude.

Priscilla also extends her outreach by serving on the state’s Dental Hygiene Curriculum Review committee. “I nominated Priscilla for her devotion to community service,” said School of Dental Sciences Chair Pam Ridilla.

“This is what makes me love my job,” she said. “That someone could smile again with pride because I was able to help them. What an awesome feeling.”

Photo Credit: Nicole Guthrie

DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016 | 23

A brave young mother in recovery, desperate to change her life, took tentative first steps into an unknown environment, Daytona Beach Community College, in the early 1990s. Overwhelmed within minutes, Dixie Morgese turned around and left.

“It seemed like everyone else knew what they were doing,” she recalled.

“They all looked so confident. Me, I was lost, completely intimidated, so I just went home.”

Not long after, a friend suggested she try again; this time, though, she went to the college’s Women’s Center (today known as the Center for Women and Men). That bit of advice dramatically changed the course of Dixie’s life as well as countless other women and children she’s influenced through the years as executive director of the Healthy Start Coalition of Flagler and Volusia counties.

Healthy Start, a non-profit organization, works to ensure access for at-risk pregnant women, mothers and their babies to health care, life-skills counseling and psychological support.

In addition to its own programs, the coalition collaborates with private business, local government, public health and social service agencies, and private citizens invested in maternal and child health issues.

For Dixie, her career is a perfect match. In fact, she says she sees herself in many of the women who walk through the doors of Healthy Start. “I chose human services because I thought that my own experiences could help me help other people.”

Dixie thrived at the college, earning her Associate of Science in Human Services degree in 1995, and moved on to complete her bachelor’s degree Magna Cum Laude at St. Leo University. Adding Certified Addictions Professional and International Drug and Alcohol Counselor designations to her portfolio, Dixie provided technical consulting, quality monitoring and staff development for health and family service organizations throughout Florida before joining Healthy Start.

On any given day, her role with Healthy Start has her dealing with everything from budget challenges and legislative initiatives to monitoring policy issues, writing grants, implementing new programs or convening community partners and stakeholders in the maternal and child health world.

But her biggest rewards come from meeting current and former clients.

“I’m truly grateful to have this job,” she said. “When I wear my Healthy Start shirt and a parent comes up and shows me their child and says he’s a Healthy Start baby, it’s such a gift to know that what you do can affect generations to come.”

A strong advocate of Daytona State, Dixie serves on the Alumni & Friends Association Board of Directors, and often leads Healthy Start clients to DSC to pursue an education.

“I look at DSC as the land of second chances,” she said.

“I’m glad that people saw potential in me and said that I can overcome anything, that I deserve to have an education, and the community needs someone with my life experience.”

Photo credit: Hannah Glogower

24 | DAYTONA

STATE Magazine • Spring 2016

COVER STORY

Finding Purpose, Second Chances DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016 | 25

community partnerships

It takes a village of healers and helping hands With 326 partners throughout Volusia and Flagler counties, Daytona State’s healthcare and human services programs can count on experts to provide real-life hands-on experiences for students. They range from one-on-one patient care to addictions counseling to preparing critical medical records.

326 REGIONAL PARTNERS IN CLINICAL EXPERIENCE DSC STUDENTS LEARN HANDS-ON

12 Childcare Centers 126 Clinics 67 Dentists 39 Geriatric Facilities 21 Hospitals 8 Physicians 53 Public Services

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STATE Magazine • Spring 2016

The mutual benefits may seem obvious, with providers assuring a well-prepared workforce pipeline in exchange for mentoring students on their rounds, in their labs, offices and clinical settings.

But, it takes time, trust, integrity and high standards on all sides to build and shape such important relationships.

Kim Fulcher, vice president and chief human resources officer at Halifax Health, notes the “immeasurable value” of working together. “We’ve had a long-term partnership with Daytona State and we’re very proud of that. The college is as much a part of the community as Halifax Health.

“We are intertwined in our mission and what we offer and what we do, the patients in the community, the families we serve. DSC graduates measure up perfectly with Halifax Health; they’re in our community and understand the needs.”

Providing clinical experiences and mentoring opportunities enhances the professional development of students while supporting various career pathways, says Michele Goeb-Burkett, chief nursing officer and vice president of clinical services at Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center.

From infants to the geriatric set, maintaining health and wellness relies on myriad professionals in a network of businesses and public resources.

That robust network opens its doors year-round with clinical practice for future healthcare providers students in DSC’s 22 health-profession programs.

She notes their team welcomes the opportunity to share experience and expertise. “We enjoy a collaborative relationship with our community partners at Daytona State.”

Clinical time also does more than fill a requirement; it connects students with patients, face to face in many instances.

“We still are a high-touch profession.

“Knowing our patients’ stories and who they are will help them get better,” says Catherine Luchsinger, chief nursing officer for Halifax Health.

“It’s a constant reminder that technology is a tool, but our personal care of patients is critical.”

Dr. Mark Mathias, owner of DeLand Smiles, finds his many years of providing clinical rotations for DSC students rewarding, while keeping his fingers on the pulse of education. “I’ve found that’s a great way to actually see the quality of the students and what they’re learning at DSC; I’ve always been impressed with their quality.”

Mathias, who says half his clinical team are DSC alumni, served on the dental school’s advisory board for over a decade and each February volunteers to assist DSC dental hygiene seniors treat young children through Early Head Start. “It’s gratifying to see their success and advancement potential.”

At the same time, career needs of nurses and other healthcare professionals drive DSC curriculum and program additions. Luchsinger and Goeb-Burkett note the importance of career advancement opportunities.

The hospitals encourage professional development to enhance clinical and leadership skills. “We have several team members now and through the years that have worked their way through various career paths and educational programs from Daytona State. In fact, many are now clinical instructors at the college,” says Goeb-Burkett.

Similarly, service organizations like Easter Seals and the Florida Department of Health in Volusia County rely on collaborative partnerships with DSC to tap into a readymade workforce.

“We value our partnership and long-term relationships with DSC. It gives us an opportunity to contribute to curriculum decisions as well as mentor new students in health careers that directly impact the clients we serve,” says Lynn Sinnott, president of the regional Easter Seals. “That results in greater employability for students and higher qualified candidates for us. For new hires, we look first to DSC students who work their clinicals with us.”

The health department provides nursing and dental clinical rotations and hires a range of DSC healthcare graduates, as well as information technology alumni.

“We look forward to partnering with DSC to hire more graduating students for the public health workforce,” says Patricia Boswell, administrator of the Florida Department of Health in Volusia County.

“We hire many healthcare professionals from our local college,” adds Goeb-Burkett. “We want to provide job opportunities to support the growth and development of both our local business partners and community.”

DAYTONA STATE lifestyle

Giving Back DSC Style The expression, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” well suits how the DSC community stretches the boundaries of daily obligations to make a difference.

By the dozens, they reach out to those in need, enjoying the camaraderie while building networks of care.

DSC student clubs and organizations, alone, average about 2,000 hours of community service annually.

Their service ranges from participating in awareness events on campus, such as Abilities Awareness Day and Safe Spring Break, to fundraising and volunteering for various community service agencies.

For example, this spring a number of

clubs teamed up to host the annual Relay for Life on campus to raise money and awareness for the American Cancer Society.

28 | DAYTONA

The Student Government Association conducted a clothing drive for the homeless, volunteered to host Food Brings Hope youths on campus and helped with a Habitat for Humanity build.

Community service also rounds out life at DSC for student-athletes.

The Student Occupational Therapy Association took part in the Out of the Darkness Walk for suicide prevention, while the Health Information Management club raised funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

This fall, several clubs coordinated a food drive that collected more than 250 baskets of Thanksgiving food for local needy families. At another event in November, Phi Theta Kappa international honors society assembled more than 10,000 food packages for the organization Stop Hunger Now. “Students stepping up as civic partners to give back while they’re in college prepares them for responsible, wellrounded lives as contributing citizens,” said Bruce Cook, assistant dean for co-curricular activities.

On the academic side, a number of DSC programs encourage student volunteering aside from clinical requirements. Activities include K-12 tutoring, dental services to children in need and nurses giving blood pressure checks and nutritional assessments.

STATE Magazine • Spring 2016

Their outreach includes playing youth versions of sports with kids, joining in the American Heart Walk, running sports camps, writing get-well cards to children in Halifax Hospital’s Speediatrics, teaching women’s self defense and hosting events for Food Brings Hope.

“Servant leadership and being connected to our community are important learning opportunities for our students,” says Will Dunne, director of athletics and chair, School of Health and Wellness. “Through these efforts, they gain valuable perspective about real-life challenges, and develop appreciation for their individual gifts and opportunities as student-athletes.”

Alumni giving may not be well known, but this year photography graduates made a very special gift of their talent, time and work by donating an exhibit to the Vince Carter Sanctuary to help clients in crisis and recovery.

Photo students, faculty and alumni donated 37 images of sweeping landscapes, children at play and other vignettes of life, love and nature.

They are displayed as part of a permanent exhibit, Positive Exposure, at the treatment and rehab facility in Bunnell.

“There is much research regarding the power of photography to heal and inspire,” said Dan Biferie, an alum and chair of DSC’s photography program.

Photo credit: Erika Rech

“We wanted to create an exhibit for the clients at Vince Carter that is inspirational, uplifting and healing.”

Biferie put out a call to photography students and alumni after being approached about the project by local businesswoman Jill Simpkins, who serves on the boards of Stewart-Marchman-Act, the Volusia County Medical Alliance and Daytona State’s Center for Women and Men. “We put the call out and gave them the spirit behind the exhibit,” Biferie said, “and what they turned out is a beautiful, eclectic display of images depicting life and nature at its finest.

We are very proud of our students and alumni, and we hope their work will have a meaningful influence on sanctuary clients.”

The Vince Carter Sanctuary is home to Flagler County’s Crisis Triage and Treatment Unit, which serves people referred by law enforcement who are experiencing behavioral health issues, and Project WARM, a long-term residential treatment program for women who are pregnant, post-partum, or parenting young children.

Dan Biferie and Jill Simpkins at the opening of the Positive Exposure exhibit.

DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016 | 29

DAYTONA STATE lifestyle

Animals rescued, fostered, saved Three women on staff at DSC often join forces to help abandoned, injured or lost creatures. Their many friends and co-workers, in turn, support their efforts – a common thread in the Daytona State community.

Tina Browne anchors Daytona State’s information desk on the main campus, where she connects with people and helps them find what they need. Outside the college, her passion to help others guides her volunteer work. “The majority of people I run across at DSC are animal lovers, and that goes hand-in-hand with my passion to help animals and those who care for them,” says Browne, a 10-year DSC employee, where she earned her associate and bachelor’s degrees.

In 2010, she founded the nonprofit animal foundation, Chloe’s Paw, named after her beloved Beagle. “Chloe was the love of my life. She helped me deal with a lot of personal issues I was going through. When she passed away, it devastated me and I wanted to do something to remember her.”

Through Chloe’s Paw, Tina helps people understand the expense of pet care and assists those unable to pay for veterinary costs. “I wanted to give something back to the community. So many people needed help caring for their animals, and I saw that as a real need.”

However hard fundraising may be for her cause, Tina praises Daytona State’s spirit of helping and giving. “This college is amazing with its support. We have a great group of animal lovers and they are just so supportive of everything.”

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Photo credit: Nicole Guthrie

Tina’s coworkers and friends at Daytona State helped her create a network of volunteers she can call upon for special events. “We’re always looking for more volunteers. If people want to help, they can email me or visit our website at www. chloes-paw.org/ to find more information,” she says.

Jane Davis supports Daytona State students through her work as an information technology project manager, a profession that helps her work with animals in need.

“I want to be able to make things the best they can be for our students so we can support them properly, and it’s the same with my work with animals,” she says.

Jane’s passion reaches back to her childhood in England where her mom’s care of animals fostered Jane’s empathy for four-legged friends.

Blending her work with information technology and love for photography, Jane volunteers on weekends with five local animal charities and writes the “Let’s Talk Pets” blog for the Daytona Beach News-Journal. “They say a picture’s worth a thousand words. But if you put a few good words with it, then it’s really powerful because you can catch people’s heartstrings and get them behind an animal in need,” says Jane, who earned both her AA and bachelor’s degrees at DSC. Not everyone can do the dirty work, and Jane understands that. To her, it’s about understanding the skills everyone can offer.

“There’s lots of things people can do. You could put together a raffle, take photos, write a blog, teach somebody how to use something on the computer or sew cat and dog beds,” says Jane, on staff for 10 years at DSC. “Whatever your skill or passion, there’s a way for you to help.”

STATE Magazine • Spring 2016

(L-R) Jane Davis with Mia, Vicki Stanley with Chica and Tina Brown with Fred.

Jane’s desire to give back to the community connects directly with the college’s mission of community engagement and excellence.

“I think we have an obligation to give back to the community. Everyone I volunteer with knows I work at Daytona State, and I can talk about all the good things we do here at the college while I help an animal toward a better life. It’s very beneficial.”

Vicki Stanley, a business services coordinator at DSC for 15 years, was one of those kids who would always bring home a stray dog or cat and try to find its owner.

“Some of them stayed with us for months, or years if we couldn’t find them a home, as everyone in my family loves animals,” says Vicki.

“However, I think I take after my grandmother the most. She had a very special love for animals and volunteered for a no-kill shelter in her hometown in Michigan,” adds Vicki. “She really opened my eyes to the constant number of animals in need.”

Since animals can’t speak for themselves, they’re more vulnerable to abuse and neglect, she believes. It hurts her to know they’re euthanized because there aren’t enough homes. “People don’t realize their tax dollars are paying for this; I could think of so many other, productive uses for our tax dollars. Spaying, neutering and adopting a shelter pet are the only ways this unfortunate cycle will end.”

A volunteer for Concerned Citizens for Animal Welfare and Sophie’s Circle, Vicki fosters sick or injured cats (and occasionally dogs), helps with fundraising events, food drives and trap-neuterreturn programs.

DAYTONA STATE lifestyle

Homelessness - a barrier to success

Frank Gunshanan’s drive to retain students in his English classes led him to an unexpected community engagement project with the homeless of Daytona Beach.

“A really difficult thing about finding out why a student stops coming to your class is that you don’t know what they’re going through in their personal lives,” says Frank, in his 14th year at DSC. After a student told him she was homeless, Frank wondered how many students at the college might be in similar conditions.

Working with Ken Matthews and Beth Hoodiman in Enrollment Services, he found that roughly 8 percent of 1,122 DSC students surveyed had experienced homelessness of some sort, from a day to longer, in the previous year.

Frank’s commitment to this pressing community issue led him to volunteer at local homeless shelters, center his faculty QuESST professional development on how DSC can better serve its homeless student population and redesign his QUANTA honors classes so students could learn the benefits of community engagement first hand.

“I didn’t want this project to be all about me, who I was volunteering with or what initiative I alone thought could help the college,” says Frank. “I wanted students to engage with this issue in a safe, supportive and comfortable way.”

To make this happen, Frank worked with Kathy Clark, English as a Second Language coordinator, and partnered with the Pierson Family Literacy Project, a program under the Food Brings Hope initiative run by DSC Board of Trustees Chair Forough Hosseini’s family foundation.

“This project morphed into something they really love and cherish. Many of them have stuck with it because of how they’re able to reach and affect lives.”

Through this type of connection, Frank hopes to draw awareness to a little-known issue. “As a community college, most of our students are facing challenges that many others do not,” says Frank. “If we can move the culture on campus to active prevention, we’d be able to help a large portion of our population succeed.”

Now, with Frank, Kathy and Mrs. Hosseini’s work, Daytona State QUANTA honors students provide one-on-one academic skills tutoring for economically disadvantaged youth in grades K-5 and English-language instruction to those students’ parents at Pierson Elementary.

While this partnership started as a way for QUANTA students to receive honors credits toward graduation, Frank praises his students’ long-term commitment to the project.

Photo credit: Aldrin Capulong

Frank Gunshanann speaking at the recent Homelessness Summit.

DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016 | 31

Design Fueled by the Sun ARTS & CULTURE

Solar power awareness will amp up locally over the next year through Team Daytona Beach, a collegiate group chosen to create and construct a special house for the U.S. Department of Energy’s prestigious Solar Decathlon 2017 competition.

The contest challenges students to design and build solar-powered houses that are appealing, affordable, innovative and highly energy-efficient houses that please the marketplace and today’s culture of ‘green’ living.

The Sunshine State power team is a group of Daytona State and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students, selected among just 16 college teams worldwide to participate.

“What an excellent opportunity for our students to partner in a real-life collaborative learning experience of this scale,” said DSC President Tom LoBasso. “The Solar Decathlon sets the bar for prestigious college-level competition, one that will enrich our students through innovation and teamwork.”

This May, the team approved the floor plan created by DSC students majoring in architectural and building technology or interior design, based on collaboration with the Embry-Riddle group of mechanical and civil engineering students.

Team Daytona Beach named its entry The BEACH House, an acronym for Building Efficient, Affordable and Comfortable Homes. Designed as a forever home for a small family with the desire to live sustainably without sacrificing comfort, it will be a high-technology dwelling tailored to perform in Central Florida’s hot and humid climate. Zero-energy methods of shading, daylighting and natural ventilation used in The BEACH House will decrease energy costs and increase living comfort.

“We’re so excited to work with Embry-Riddle’s engineering team in creating this sustainable home,” said Bethany Creamer, assistant chair of DSC’s School of Building and Architectural Technology.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for our students to gain hands-on experience in clean-energy design and implement what they learn in the classroom, including aging in place, sustainability and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.” The team will work together on a nearly two-year endeavor to fully design, construct and test the house before shipping and reassembling it at the Solar Decathlon 2017 site in Denver. The homes will be judged on architecture, market appeal, engineering, affordability and energy balance.

For the first time since the competition’s inception in 2000, Solar Decathlon 2017 teams will be competing for $2 million in prize money to be divided among the top-placed teams.

Photo Credit: Nicole Guthrie

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DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016

The Journal of Florida Studies (JFS) has produced a special double issue in two parts this year that celebrates Florida as a land of adventure, exploration and historical significance.

Part One of “Travel and Travels,” published in December, celebrates the 250-year anniversary of Florida’s St. Johns River tour, in 1765-66, by fatherson naturalists John and William Bartram.

Just released in April, Part Two examines Florida as a destination from colonial times to the present, with particular emphasis on migration, tourism and the state’s connection to Cuba.

ARTS & CULTURE

Journal of Florida Studies presents “Travel and Travels”

The Journal is a peer-reviewed, electronic publication dedicated to the study and appreciation of Florida that is published by the Center for Interdisciplinary Writing and Research at Daytona State.

Contributors to “Travel and Travels” include Florida’s poet laureate Peter Meinke, José Martí biographer Alfred Lopez, poet Rick Campbell and leading voices on Florida from across the nation.

Photo by Maria-Martinez-Cañas from her series, Quince Sellos Cubanos.

“For Part Two, co-editor Dr. Thomas Hallock (professor of English,University of South Florida St. Petersburg) and I invited authors who would think hard about Florida through the lens of travel,” said JFS founding editor Dr. Casey Blanton, professor emeritus of English at Daytona State and editor in chief at JFS. “Like the response to Part One on Bartram’s travels, we were again humbled and astonished by the depth and breadth of the very fine work we received,” said Blanton. “Because JFS is interdisciplinary, and because we believe in sustaining a rich diversity in our ecology of ideas, we are always pleased to offer academic analyses along with poems, photographs and memoirs.”

William Bartram, Florida Softshell Turtle (Apalone ferox).

“Here are, as well as in all the rivers, lakes and ponds of East Florida, the great soft shelled tortoise.” Travels, 1791.

Image courtesy of Documenting the American South. 2002.

University Library, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

journaloffloridastudies.org

DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016 | 33

SPOTLIGHT on soccer

DAYTONA STATE

SOCCER Get your kicks with DSC Falcon Soccer!

WOMEN’S VARSITY Students report to preseason training: July 30 Local Preseason Scrimmage: Aug. 28 @ 6p.m. vs. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at ERAU First Regular Season Game: Sept. 3 vs. Georgia Military College in Cuthbert, Ga. First Home Game: Sept. 10 @ 2p.m. vs. Gordon State College * ____________________________________ MEN’S VARSITY Students report to preseason training: July 30 Local Preseason Scrimmage: Aug. 18 @ Flagler College, Time TBD First Regular Season Game: Sept. 3 vs. Andrew College in Cuthbert, Ga. First Home Game: Sept. 7 @ 4 p.m. vs. Eastern Florida State College* * All home games will be played at ERAU during our inaugural season as we build our new facility.

Photo credit: Hannah Glogower

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DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016

“Soccer put me through school, and it taught me about life.”

BART SASNET HEAD COACH MEN’S SOCCER 4TH MONTH AT DSC EDUCATION: TENNESSEE WESLEYAN - BS CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY, IRVINE - MS

The title of inaugural Head Coach for Men’s Soccer at Daytona State is a dream come true for Bart Sasnet. “Daytona is a remarkable city to start a program in,” says Bart. “The goal to birth a program and be involved in everything that builds it is something I jumped at the chance to do.”

For Bart, starting a men’s soccer team at Daytona State is about promoting a professional environment both on and off the field. “The most important aspect of this inaugural season is to create an atmosphere that allows athletes to achieve their goals. Daytona State offers a nurturing, safe environment for students to learn, and it allows them to develop mentally, physically, technically and tactically.”

A Florida native whose love for soccer began as a child, Bart identifies himself first and foremost as an educator. “My ability to teach in the classroom helps me grow as a coach.

But, importantly, it helps me relate to the modern student and student-athlete.”

Bart’s connection with his athletes is a major element he carries with him into this opening season of DSC soccer.

“Soccer put me through school, and it taught me about life.

On the field, it’s important for athletes to compete and become the best they can be. It’s the same in the classroom. I want to mentor my athletes and help guide them into adulthood.”

“Soccer has given me some of the most important relationships and friendships of my life.”

BRITTANY JONES HEAD COACH WOMEN’S SOCCER 5TH MONTH AT DSC EDUCATION: STETSON UNIVERSITY - BS, MBA

Brittany Jones knows firsthand just how transformative soccer can be for young women. “Soccer helped me learn a lot about myself. Using the sport to help young women develop into confident leaders is a very important and personal aspect of soccer for me. I love helping women push their boundaries and learn what they’re capable of achieving.”

Brittany developed her love for soccer as a kid when she used it to help her form positive, foundational relationships. “Soccer has given me some of the most important relationships and friendships of my life. The bond players form with each other is almost indescribable and has really helped me become the person I am today,” says Brittany.

This year, Brittany brings this commitment and determination to Daytona State, where she is building the college’s first women’s soccer team.

Daytona State drew Brittany, a veteran coach at two other colleges, to its inaugural soccer program through its intense commitment to every aspect of student development. “The most valuable aspect of the DSC environment is commitment to student welfare. Balancing athletics and academics is challenging, and the support systems for student athletes are key to their success both on and off the field.”

DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016 | 35

FOUNDATION NEWS

Foundation gala to honor DSC alum, Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley Photo courtesy of Florida Georgia Line

The Foundation will celebrate a homegrown Falcon who has soared to mega-stardom when it hosts its annual gala on Tuesday, Sept. 13.

Brian Kelley of the award-winning country music duo Florida Georgia Line, and a 2007 DSC alumnus, will be the honored guest at the 2016 gala, to be held from 6 to 9 p.m. in the college’s beautiful Mori Hosseini Center on DSC’s Daytona Beach Campus.

“We’re thrilled to have Brian as our honored guest,” said Foundation Executive Director Kay Burniston.

“While there are many who have contributed to Brian’s confidence and success along the way, we hope that his time at Daytona State was a valuable factor in his growth. We are all very proud of him and what he has accomplished.”

While attending DSC, Brian was a member of the Falcon baseball team under Coach Tim Touma. He later transferred to Belmont University in Nashville, where he met and collaborated with Tyler Hubbard to form Florida Georgia Line. The duo soon rocketed to the top of the country music charts, most recently earning Duo of the Year honors during April’s Academy of Country Music Awards.

Florida Georgia Line will perform May 28 at Daytona International Speedway.

Guests attending this year’s gala will be treated to a festive international cuisine prepared by Daytona State culinary students under the guidance of their award-winning chef instructors.

For more information, sponsorship opportunities and details, visit Foundation.DaytonaState.edu or call (386) 406-4506.

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DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016

The annual Foundation gala is among the area’s premier charity events.

Proceeds from the September event will support the newly established Brian Kelley Endowment Scholarship Fund.

FOUNDATION NEWS Photo credit: Nicole Guthrie

Carrying her mother’s legacy forward It’s no wonder that Foundation Board member Maggie Thompson is passionate about education. After all, she follows the legacy of her mother, the late Jeanne Goddard, who is widely considered one of the early matriarchs of Daytona State College.

An educational leader in Volusia County for more than 40 years, Mrs. Goddard was influential in the early growth of the college. She served on the Volusia County School Board as a member and chair during a time when Daytona Beach Junior College was initially operated under the school board, with the DBJC Advisory Board serving as the link between the school board and the college administration. Later, Mrs. Goddard became a charter member of the college’s District Board of Trustees and chaired it for 8 years. She also served as a senior vice president of the Daytona Beach Community College Foundation.

Maggie recalled that during the college’s early years, her mother was involved with a program called Dollars for Scholars. “It wasn’t about corporate giving,” she said.

“My mother, along with people like Lillian Lenholt, Mildred Wetherell and others who recognized the importance of education in our community just knocked on doors and got people to give. It was very grassroots, and that started her love affair with the college.”

In 1977, the college recognized Mrs. Goddard’s many years of service by naming the Jeanne M. Goddard Center for the Arts on the Daytona Beach Campus in her honor.

“When she passed away in 1999, it was unexpected,” Maggie said. “She still was very much involved, so I asked to be on the Foundation Board of Directors to carry on her legacy. I’m very proud of the college; my goodness, how far we’ve come, how much we’ve grown. I think it’s utterly amazing.”

An Air Force wife for over 25 years before returning to the Daytona Beach area where she grew up, Maggie for a time taught in the college’s Adult High School program. Today, she remains involved in the community as a member of the DSC Foundation’s board and its WISE (Wisdom in Senior Education) program, the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Board of Visitors, the Volusia County Women’s Network, the Daytona Beach Ski and Travel Club (which she says travels more than skis these days) and the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida.

She lauded the DSC Foundation’s focus on students, noting, “We make education possible for so many with our scholarship opportunities.” The David W. Goddard Endowment Scholarship was established

by Maggie and her family in 1981 upon

the passing of her father, a longtime local urologist. The scholarship provides financial assistance to full-time students enrolled in a DSC health-related program.

Since its creation, well over $110,000 has been awarded to more than 160 students.

“It has helped a lot of people and it makes me very proud when I get letters from these students saying what a difference it made for them,” Maggie said, noting that she wishes more students would pursue scholarship opportunities before taking out student loans to pay for college.

“It’s very common at so many schools that students don’t know how to tap into the scholarship opportunities that are out there,” she said. “It gets me excited to know that we have the resources here at Daytona State through the work of the Foundation.”

She particularly noted the opportunities that local higher education institutions have opened for women, adding that when she graduated from the University of North Carolina, women were limited.

“You could become a clerk typist or a teacher,” she said. “But today, thank goodness, things have changed. There are so many new fields, and women can become anything they want.”

DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016 | 37

FOUNDATION NEWS

Scholarships paved her way HOLLY JOY WOOD HEALTH AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT, AS, 2015

Recent Daytona State graduate Holly Joy Wood knows first-hand the benefits of scholarships from the DSC Foundation. “The two scholarships were a huge, huge blessing. With three small children, everyday expenses and the price of books, the scholarships didn’t just help me get by, they helped me finish my education.”

While noting the scholarships allowed her to complete her studies, Holly’s gratitude is also deeply personal. “The scholarship that really meant a lot to me was the Dr. Nancy Thomas Memorial Health Information Technology Program Scholarship.”

In addition to having Dr. Thomas as a teacher both online and in the classroom,

Holly was able to continue her degree work thanks to the scholarship created in Dr. Thomas’ name. “She was my online teacher and the head of the program. I learned so much from her, and it was a real honor to be the first student to receive this scholarship.”

Completing her AS degree in December 2015, Holly now works for a remote medical coding company which allows her to care for her children while balancing her work life. “I sent my resume everywhere, hoping to get my foot in the door with coding. But most places wanted full time and I just couldn’t do that. Then an amazing opportunity opened for me, and now I get to work from home.”

Holly attributes this blessing in part to her Daytona State education and scholarships.

“This never would have happened if I didn’t go to DSC, and I wouldn’t have been able to go here if it weren’t for those scholarships,” says Holly. “I hope that one day I can help a struggling student reach his or her goals in the same way I’ve been helped.”

While she’s pleased with her degree and job, Holly doesn’t rule out the possibility of going back to school to earn her bachelor’s degree. “I’m happy right now, but hopefully, when I’m ready to get my bachelor’s, Daytona State will have the degree I want so I can continue my education here.”

Meeting face to face: Donors, scholarship recipients Tivon Faneyte, DSC scholarship recipient, and Bobby Thigpen meet at the donor appreciation luncheon.

Dozens of Foundation scholarship recipients came face to face with their benefactors during a donor appreciation luncheon on April 11 at the college’s teaching eatery and kitchen, Café 101.

With food prepared by DSC culinary students, the affair gave scholarship recipients a chance to personally express their thanks for financial help to attend college.

Among them was business major Abby Coleman, a George C. Nunamann Scholarship recipient, who noted the award allowed her to pursue her passion for non-profit development. Abby works for the Daytona Beach Salvation Army and attends DSC full time. “I think I can speak for all the students here, as well as for our scholarship recipients who couldn’t attend, in saying thank you,” she told the donors. “You have made such a difference through your generosity.”

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STATE Magazine • Spring 2016

Daytona State President Tom LoBasso told the guests, “Scholarships may mean the difference between being able to attend college or not. They also may mean the difference between students needing to work 20 hours a week instead of 40 so they can have more time to study and achieve a college degree.”

The president noted that 75 percent of DSC students are eligible for financial aid, and added that last year the Foundation awarded over $900,000 in scholarships to students.

“We could not do this without the generosity of private donors like you, and for that, we thank you.”

Howard Holley, chair of the DSC Foundation Board of Directors, added his thanks, saying, “We are delighted to have you meet our scholarship recipients to see just how great an impact your investment in their future will have.”

He also presented a short video featuring students expressing gratitude for their scholarships and how much they value donor support.

The Foundation actively seeks to increase its donor base and scholarship resources to help more students defray the cost of their college education.

“You have made such a difference through your generosity.”

- Abby Coleman

For more information, visit Donate.DaytonaState.edu or call (386) 506-3195.

Photo credit: Ivon Neville

The Daytona State College community mourns the passing in January of Dr. William W. Schildecker, a physician, humanitarian, philanthropist, community leader and friend of the college. He was 96.

A former member of the Daytona Beach Community College District Board of Trustees, he was a longtime supporter of the college’s mission, as well as an advocate for community healthcare and education.

As a trustee of the Bert Fish Foundation, Dr. Schildecker was influential in guiding nearly $8 million of its charitable initiatives toward support of education and training for our area’s healthcare professionals, as well as improved medical care for the less fortunate.

Since 1984, he assisted in directing nearly $3 million to the DSC Foundation to establish scholarships supporting nursing, respiratory care, occupational therapy, radiography and many other allied health program students. Under Dr. Schildecker’s leadership, the Bert Fish Foundation in 2012 donated $100,000 to establish a scholarship helping area registered nurses advance their credentials through Daytona State’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. The Steve Schildecker Scholarship Fund also has provided financial aid to over 1,000 Associate Degree in Nursing students.

Dr. Schildecker also was influential in the Bert Fish Foundation’s support for construction of classroom and laboratory buildings at Daytona State, including the DeLand Campus’ William Amory Underhill and Bert Fish buildings, and the Florida State University Regional Medical School and William W. Schildecker Science buildings on the Daytona Beach Campus.

In Memoriam: Dr. William W. Schildecker “Dr. Schildecker’s selflessness, vision and contributions to the training of healthcare professionals have greatly influenced the quality and delivery of medical services in our area,” says Foundation Executive Director Kay Burniston. “Our communities are stronger and countless lives lifted because of his extraordinary service.

His commitment and dedication have resulted in a legacy that will benefit our students and our communities for decades to come.”

If you wish to remember Dr. Schildecker, donations can be made to the DSC Foundation.

DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016 | 39

FOUNDATION NEWS

L. Gale Lemerand wins national benefactor award

DSC President Tom LoBasso, Benefactor Award winner L. Gale Lemerand and Council for Resource Development President/CEO Leah Goss

Well-known businessman L. Gale Lemerand received a Council for Resource Development 2015 Benefactor Award for his meaningful and generous support of Daytona State College.

Nominated by DSC President Tom LoBasso and DSC Foundation Executive Director Kay Burniston, the self-made entrepreneur has given over $30 million to colleges, including over $1 million to Daytona State.

“Gale Lemerand was a natural for this award, with his years of support and contributions to our college,” said President LoBasso. “He values our mission and our service to students from all walks of life. We are very grateful for his generosity and interest in our programs, including our business classes and his Entrepreneurial Speaker Series.”

Jill Simpkins, Chris Gilpin, Gale Lemerand and DSC President Tom LoBasso share a photo op during the spring speaker series event.

Lemerand Speaker Series features alum turned tech entrepreneur Chris Gilpin, a 2002 DSC associate of arts graduate who turned a $1 winning lottery ticket into a thriving tech startup, shared his story this spring with a capacity audience for the L. Gale Lemerand Entrepreneurial Speaker Series hosted by the Small Business Development Center at DSC. Chris’ company, Signal Vault, produces a card-like device that goes in a wallet and blocks hackers from remotely scanning electronic chips embedded in today’s credit cards. Chris, 34, launched his company in 2013 after winning $8,000 on a $1 Florida Lottery ticket.

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STATE Magazine • Spring 2016

Last September, he secured an investment through ABC’s Shark Tank series.

His device has since appeared on the QVC Network and he has sold nearly 1 million units worldwide.

Daytona State College Alumni Awards - April 13, 2016 The Margaret Crumley Award for Distinguished Achievement in Science Honoree: Carl Barden Carl Barden earned his Associate of Arts degree from Daytona State College (DBCC) in 1991 and his Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies from the University of Central Florida in 1993.

He is the owner/director of Medtoxin Venom Laboratories in DeLand.

The venoms he collects are used in a host of research and pharmaceutical applications, including the production of anti-venin, a rattlesnake vaccine for dogs, and treatments for various diseases and medical conditions. Through his Reptile Discover Center, also in DeLand, Carl offers educational programs for people of all ages, focusing mostly on Florida reptiles.

Carl Barden is a model example of a DSC graduate achieving remarkable success and giving back to the community.

Distinguished Faculty/Staff Award Honoree: Dan Biferie Dan Biferie is an active artist and has displayed his photographs in more than 150 different exhibitions nationally, including 20 one-person shows. His works have been widely published and held in major public collections, including the National Museum of American Art, New Orleans Museum of Art, the High Museum and the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris.

He has lectured and conducted workshops at numerous colleges and museums throughout the nation.

Dan chairs the School of Photography at DSC, where he has taught for over 40 years.

He also was the founding director of the Southeast Museum of Photography’s predecessor, the DBCC Gallery of Fine Arts.

Dan received an AS in Photography from DSC in 1971 and his MFA from Ohio University in 1974.

For decades, he has dedicated his time and talents to DSC students, alumni and the community, and is truly a distinguished alumnus.

Alumni of the Year Award Honoree: Ben Johnson Ben Johnson is a Volusia County native and a 1978 graduate of DSC, where he earned his AS in Criminal Justice.

In 1981, he earned his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, with honors, from Rollins College in Winter Park.

He also is a graduate of the 156th session of the FBI National Academy, Quantico, Va. (1989).

Ben has been the Volusia County Sherriff since 2001, commanding 937 employees, including 460 sworn officers and 477 civilians, and managing an $83 million operating budget.

Since taking office in 2001, the overall crime rate in the Sheriff’s Office’s jurisdiction decreased by 30.1 percent, while violent crime decreased by 52.8 percent.

Ben’s successes bring a shining light to the criminal justice training provided by DSC and the great work of our alumni.

Young Alumni Excellence Award Honoree: Hannah Lucien Hannah Lucien earned her BS in Education in spring 2013, and has been a model alumna and teacher.

She recently received the Rookie of the Year award at RJ Middle School.

Following in the footsteps of her family’s devotion to education and public service, Hannah was naturally called to teaching. Her positive energy and love of life are contagious.

Hannah volunteers and is involved with civic engagement.

For example, she is the spelling bee coordinator for her school, Reading Plus teacher coordinator and the teacher recruiter for St. Johns County Schools. She also is a tutor, coach and mentor with the Kids XL Academic Enrichment Program.

At DSC, she helped launch the college’s study abroad trips to Haiti.

As a dedicated educator, she wants to believe in her students like her mentors believed in her. She plans to continue to rise to their expectations in her daily classwork and goals for the future.

DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016 | 41

DSC news highlights

Student team takes top prize at Cairns Innovation Challenge $10,000 and a year at business incubator It’s a lightweight, portable and flexible sun shade that easily attaches to any chair or lounger, ready for the beach, sporting events or your own backyard. So simple, it may leave you asking, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

But the SunN’ Shade device turned judges’ heads as a ready-for-market invention by baccalaureate engineering technology students Matthew Cresenzi, Caelan Hickman and Matthew Morris. They scored top honors at this year’s Cairns Foundation Innovation Challenge on April 7. ______________________________________________

This is a huge win, said Daytona State President Tom LoBasso. “We are all so proud of our student team and their advisor, Dr. Nabeel Yousef. The leadership he provided in this competition was outstanding.”

______________________________________________ The competition, sponsored by the Cairns Foundation, Volusia County and the Volusia County - University of Central Florida Business Incubator, spotlights commercially viable technologies generated by students from the Central Florida region’s eight colleges and universities. This year, it awarded a top prize of $10,000 plus a one-year resident enrollment in the UCF business incubator, and a $5,000 second-place prize funded by the Paul B. Hunter and Constance D. Hunter Charitable Foundation.

“It’s exciting to see promising innovators step up from our local colleges and universities,” said Jim Cairns, entrepreneur and head of the Cairns Foundation. “We’re thrilled to see how this competition is growing, and look forward to having it again at DSC’s Advanced Technology College in 2017.”

The winning DSC team competed against five other finalist teams from DSC, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Bethune-Cookman University. Other innovations included a portable crane by DSC students David Danner, Daniel Benech and Sinclair Stickle; a biogas generator by DSC students Jeffry Hall and Rember Quijada; a miniature flood monitoring system by a BCU team; and exercise monitoring and temperature control devices by two ERAU teams.

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DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016

Daytona State selected to vie for prestigious Aspen Institute recognition Chosen among top 15% of schools to compete for share of $1M prize Selected from a pool of over 1,000 public two-year colleges, Daytona State is among 150 of the nation’s top institutions chosen by the Aspen Institute to compete for the prestigious 2017 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence and $1 million in prize money.

The selection by the Washington D.C.-based think tank recognizes the effectiveness of the two-year academic focus that is the heart of Daytona State’s multi-faceted mission. Institutions are measured based on student outcomes including student learning, certificate and degree completion, employment and earnings, access and success for minority and low-income students, and the institution’s record of job placement for graduates.

The prize, first established in 2011, is awarded every two years and represents the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges.

“This is the first of three rounds that will determine the winning institution,” said DSC President Tom LoBasso. “It is an honor and very exciting to be recognized among the top colleges in the country. It is a testament to the quality of our faculty and student support staff and their dedication to teaching, learning and student success.”

Up to 10 finalists will be named in fall 2016, followed by site visits and more data collection. A jury will select a grand prize winner and finalists with distinction in early 2017. The winning college will receive up to $700,000, while the runners-up will share the remainder of the $1 million.

The Aspen Prize is financially supported by the Joyce Foundation, the Lumina Foundation for Education, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation and the JPMorgan Chase Foundation.

3

1 New Facility

New Programs

The Florida Legislature approved final funding of $3.6 million for a Student Services/Workforce Transition/ Classroom building on our Daytona campus. Already deep in the design process, the facility will bring many services under one roof on DSC’s main campus.

The Advanced Technical Certificate in Project Management, a highly prized credential for skilled managers across industries, launches in fall.

The 25-credit-hour program can be taken as part of the bachelor’s in Supervision and Management or as a stand-alone certificate for anyone who has a two-year associate degree.

2 New Academy The state also granted $1.2 million to launch an Academy of Hospitality Beverage Science, adding to DSC’s successful hospitality and culinary programs, already enrolling about 400 students a year.

With major regional expansion of microbreweries and wine service, there’s a lot of interest in preparing the workforce for that economic trend.

On the skilled-trades workforce front, the Building and Construction Trades certificate just opened to support the new boom in housing starts. That adds to DSC workforce programs in automotive technology and repair, heating and air conditioning, machining and welding, and apprenticeships in plumbing and electrical.

Tiny House underway by construction class

2015-16 4 Top Ranking

DSC’s elementary education bachelor’s program won No. 1 ranking among undergraduate programs by the Florida Dept. of Education. That’s a terrific validation of high quality faculty and preparatory program.

DSC news highlights

Great “finishes & starts” in

The college began 2016 with news of another national win – making it four years running in the Top-10 best online bachelor’s programs, ranked by U.S. News & World Report. And DSC, enrolling over 1,300 vets, also came in the top tier for best online programs for veterans for a second year.

5 Go Falcons!

Also opening this fall is an associate of science degree in Engineering Technology to expand training in the evolving manufacturing and high-tech industries. It is closely aligned with the national Manufacturing Skill Standards Council for Certified Production Technician.

DSC’s Women’s Basketball became the first from the college to make it to finals this March after a 28-3 season, losing only in the second round of the NJCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship in Texas. That followed both men’s and women’s teams finishing as champions of the Mid-Florida Conference; although the men tied with the College of Central Florida.

High-Five Daytona State!

DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016 | 43

CAMPUS LIFE

DSC

1

2 1. Springapalooza event at Deltona Campus

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2. STEM Expo for 400 teens, led by DSC ________________________ 3. Falcon Con Games at the News-Journal Center 4. CarFit Event ________________________ 5. Women’s Basketball Team

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6. Safe Spring Crafts ________________________

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7. Safe Spring Games 8. Veterans Event at the News-Journal Center ________________________ 9. Advisors on the Go!

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They’re in motion across campus, except when advising students; that’s when DSC’s new Advisors on the Go focus fully on facts that help students make important decisions.

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10. Advisors on the Go! Student will find Advisors on the Go strategically dropping in across DSC’s campuses at tables placed in corridors, cafés and student gathering spots.

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DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016

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Photo credits: Aldrin Capulong and Nicole Guthrie

REUNION FUN AND CE CREDITS

Photo credit: Ivon Neville

More than 75 alumni attended the Dental Hygiene Program’s 20th year reunion in January, coordinated by Pam Ridilla, chair, School of Dental Science. Along with networking, sharing stories and hearing from professionals, the hygienists could take a continuing education session.

‘60s

‘90s

BARBARA BARNETT, 1968

FRANK J. ALLMAN, 1990

ADN; worked as a professional registered nurse for 20 years in five states, including 15 years with the National Red Cross in Texas.

________________________________

‘70s WILL DUNNE, 1979

AA; later earned a BS from UF and MPA from UCF. For the last 27 years served DSC as the athletic director; with his coaches, focuses on the holistic development of student-athletes.

________________________________ BEN F. JOHNSON, 1978

AS; since 2001, served as the Volusia County Sheriff and was a graduate of the 156th session of the FBI National Academy.

________________________________

‘80s ROBERT KENNETH QUAM JR., 1983

AA; went on to Warner University for a bachelor’s degree in 1985 in pastoral ministries; earned FSU master’s degree in social work in 1993; is now executive director of Lake Wales Care Center; serves as chair, Board of Trustees Warner University.

________________________________ KERRY ORPINUK, 1988, 1997 & 2010 While spending 27 years with the Daytona Beach Police Department, earned her Police Recruit Training Certificate, AA degree and BAS in Supervision and Management; became the highest-ranking female law enforcement administrator in Volusia and Flagler counties.

AA; newly appointed by Gov. Rick Scott as circuit judge in Gadsden County; first circuit judge residing there in more than a generation; served as an assistant state attorney in 2nd Judicial Circuit, 19972016; he has prosecuted more than 200 felony jury trials.

________________________________

TERRANCE HILBERT, 1992, 2007 & 2009

AS, AA, technical certification in Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, and BAS in Supervision and Management; earned his doctorate from Capella University; promoted to director of Student Disabilities Services.

________________________________

‘00s SABRINA MANHART, 2000

AA; later earned a BS from BCU and MHS from Nova-Southeastern. In her eighth season as DSC head softball coach; memorable coaching moments in the fall of 2010 and 2011 when Lady Falcons competed against National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) All-Stars when the NPF Back-toSchool Tour stopped in Daytona Beach.

________________________________ CHRIS GILPIN, 2001

AA; is now president of Signal Vault, LLC, in Orange City; was featured on TV reality show for entrepreneurs, Shark Tank.

________________________________ CLARISA BONET, 2006

AS in Photography; her City Space photography work was featured in Juxtapoz magazine in December.

DAVE TATUM, 2008/2011

AS in Computer Programming and Analysis, and BAS in Supervision and Management; serves as DSC manager of Academic Computing; member of Alumni and Friends Board.

________________________________ APRIL YOHE HILL, 2009

AS in Photography; several of her photographs were published in the book, Enduring the Night, for an organization in Uganda that rehabilitates child soldiers.

________________________________

‘10s JESSICA CASTRO, 2010

AS in Photography; making a splash in Los Angeles, she specializes in fashion and lifestyle and has had work published recently in Harper’s Bazaar and Seventeen.

CLASS NOTES

DSC ALUMNI GOINGS ON

________________________________ GENESIS AKEEM ROBINSON, 2011

His AA led to bachelor’s degree from Florida A&M University; working in Washington, D.C. with Congress; is a graduate from the Congressional Black Caucus Leadership Institute for Public Service, 2013, and a former board member of the U.S. Student Association.

________________________________ ZACH SALE, 2012 & 2013

AA and BAS in Supervision and Management; now a successful actor in California; plays a doctor in the new movie, Miracles from Heaven, starring Jennifer Garner.

________________________________ KATHLEEN MATHEN, 2013

Earned BAS in Supervision and Management; is president of DSC Alumni and Friends Board; works on the Flagler/ Palm Coast Campus with students through Financial Aid.

________________________________ BRENDA MERRITT, 2015

Received BAS in Supervision and Management; promoted to a coordinator III in Campus Safety to administer Department of Justice/Office on Violence against Women Grant; vice president of DSC Alumni and Friends Board.

________________________________

Send your “Class Notes” to Alumni@DaytonaState.edu

DAYTONA STATE Magazine • Spring 2016 | 45

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The Daytona State College Alumni & Friends Association presents

Homecoming 2016 Daytona Beach Campus November 2-5 - Add to your Calendar!

Lots to see and do from Alumni Art Show to Athletic Events to Fall Festival and Barbecue!

We’ll see you in November!

Check out the schedule: DaytonaState.edu/Homecoming2016

Alumni &Friends Alumni.DaytonaState.edu