As some of you know, I was approached by several parents during Parents’ Weekend about the possibility of creating a post-baccalaureate transition experience for students graduating from Beacon College. In essence, this experience would provide additional preparation for entry into the work force. It would focus on work readiness, etiquette, social d e v e l o p m e n t , a n d independent living. This would be a residential program but the housing would be off campus. It is envisioned that those enrolled would meet minimum qualifications for entry into the program (GPA, positive letters of recommendation, etc.). There would be a 25-hour internship experience plus a

The Admissions Team traveled to D.C. during October to present "The Beacon Experience" to a crowd of approximately 100 people. The Brewer Foundation and the Chelsea School were absolutely wonderful to sponsor and

A Presidential Note: A Post-Baccalaureate Transition Experience?

I N S I D E

T H I S I S S U E :

Shawn Debates Liberties

2

LEΩ and the Judds

2

Jamar: Alum Success

3

Dustin: Student Highlight

3

HS Dept News 3

Hello to New Hires

4

Hydroponic Garden

5

Fitness Interests

6

Stress Reduction

7

IA Events 7

The Beacon NAVIGATOR

O C T O B E R 3 1 , 2 0 1 1 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 6

S P E C I A L

P O I N T S O F

I N T E R E S T :

• Beacon’s D.C . Success!

• Salute to the Chopping Block

• How to Nourish Your Body

1 5 - h o u r c l a s s r o o m r e q u i r e me n t . T h e curriculum would be that developed by the National Work Readiness Council and those participating in the program could opt to t a k e t h e n a t i o n a l examinat ion and , i f successful, receive the National Work Readiness Credential. To date, Kenda l l P a ge t , Bob Bridgeman, Kelly Rogers, Cal Sanson, Walt Zielinski, Shawna Wells-Booth, and Shelly Chandler have been meeting to discuss this possible project. Our preliminary feeling is that we should pilot this project with a limited number of students and alumni beginning in June, 2012. Leadership for the program will be vested with Kendall Paget. He, along with a

little help from his friends, is preparing a prospectus for consideration here on campus and eventual review by the Board of Trustees. This is still very much in the ideational stage so if you have any thoughts or advice, please don’t hesitate to contact Kendall. If this becomes a reality, it is one more unique feature of Beacon College’s offerings to students with learning disabilities and attention d e f i c i t / h y p e r a c t i v i t y disorder.

organize this event for Beacon College. The attendees of the event included leaders of national organizations, lobbyists, school personnel, and potential students with their families. Several members of our Beacon community

represented our college on stage that evening. Dr. Hutchinson spoke about Beacon’s uniqueness as an institution and our future endeavors. Eileen Marinakas, our Chair of the Board of Trustees, shared with the audience her experiences as a

Know Your World and Its Struggles. Chart Your Course and Succeed.

Gain. Learn. Grow.

Continued on page 8

Contributed by Brenda Stefanisko, Director of Admissions Beacon Visits Washington D.C.

P A G E 2

Lambda Epsilon Omega Works for the Judds

Shawn Bramley: In Pursuit of Liberty On October 17, Shawn coordinated the latest version of his Pursuit of Liberty Series. The event was held in the Leesburg Public Library and was open to the general

public as well as the Beacon College community. Economics in the United States was the topic. Representatives from the Libertarian, Liberal, and Conservative points of view were on hand to

address a series of questions covering economics and fiscal policy in the United States. The Libertarian point of view was handled by Alexander Snicker, the Liberal point of view was represented by Frank Wood, and the Conservative point of view was represented by John Brandenberg. That evening was an enjoyable one and each participant proved complimentary of the other. The audience appreciated the activities of the night and many were

that includes the hospitals in Leesburg and the Villages. The LEΩ members constituted the cleanup crew and worked tirelessly from 10 AM until early evening on the day of the concert. This opportunity for community service came through the Villages Sharing and Caring Club, a community service

club of which President Hutchinson is a member. The fraternity acquitted itself well and received many compliments for its hard work, politeness, and willingness to go “above and beyond.” Willie Nelson is coming in February. Who knows, perhaps LEΩ will be called upon again!

On October 15, members of Lambda Epsilon Omega volunteered their time to serve as part of the crew supporting a concert by the Judds held at the Grand Oaks Resort in Weirsdale. This concert was held to benefit the Alliance Health Care Foundation that supports the Central Florida Health Alliance

T H E B E A C O N N A V I G A T O R

CHECK IT OUT!!!

Be sure to watch the new student-f o c u s e d v i d e o created by the A d m i s s i o n s D e p a r t m e n t , entitled the "Beacon College Experience - In One Word," which was used d u r i n g t h e i r presentation in Washington DC at the Chelsea School Event. It’s right on our website’s home page!

Contributed by Bob Bridgeman, Vice President of Student Services

commenting on how they learned a lot because of this effort. The questions were presented by Shawn who served as moderator for the evening. Shawn’s next presentation will focus on Civil Liberties and is scheduled for January. The discussion will look at the varying viewpoints of civil liberties (freedoms) and how critical thinking is promoted. All students, faculty and staff are invited to this event.

Shawn

Jamar Butler, Graduate Success Story P A G E 3 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 6

Jamar Butler, a 2009 Beacon graduate, had been a stellar student and an active contributor to the Beacon College Community. Upon graduation, Jamar became employed with AT&T as a networking technician. He supported customers by setting up and repairing their networks and wireless phones remotely. Recently, Jamar has

accepted a position as a Communication Information Officer for the United States Southern Command. Jamar has also returned to school to work on his Master’s degree in Information Techno logy a t Nova Southeastern University. We at Beacon are proud of Jamar’s accomplishments and wish him continued success in all his endeavors!

Major influences in Dustin’s life have been his father and his experiences as an Eagle Scout. A quote by Maya Angelou also sticks out in his mind as influential and self-descriptive: “At our best, we are all teachers.” When Dustin is not camping, he is usually busy working as

the lab assistant to Dr. Stowe’s Introduction to Life Science classes and as a peer consultant in the Writing Center. Dustin has made an indelible impact on student life at Beacon College and will be greatly missed when he graduates this year.

These are the words of Dustin Opper in his Beacon College Admissions’ essay. During his time at Beacon College, Dustin has done much to live up to these words. He has organized a number of camping trips for his fellow students sharing with them his knowledge and respect for the Earth.

Senior Spotlight: Dustin Opper

to assist in their professional development. Some of the current projects of the group include designing a Human Services logo, producing a Human Services You tube Video, doing community

The Human Serv i ces Ambassadors held their initial membership meeting on Wednesday, September 28, 2011. The purpose of the Ambassadors is to give students in the Human Services major hands-on experiences in the field and

outreach projects, and working with students at the Holy Trinity School. Jenenne Valentino-Bottaro is the creator and sponsor of the group.

Human Services Department News Contributed by Shelly Chandler, VP for Academic Affairs

Contributed by Jamie Fleming, Chair of the Computer Information Systems

Contributed by Shelly Chandler, VP for Academic Affairs

“…make a true and substantial contribution to the Earth.”

Dustin Opper on the Galapagos Islands’

Trip

Jamie and Jamar

P A G E 4

Elizabeth with her niece, Lorelai Elizabeth Meli

Meet Matthew Miceli

Welcome Elizabeth Moore Elizabeth has joined Student Services as t h e i r department’s Administrative Assistant after g r a d u a t i n g from Florida

State University in December of 2010

cum laude with a major in Creative Writing and a minor in Psychology. She enjoys spending time with family, especially her sister and niece. She plays piano and guitar, and loves to read and write. Her favorite books are science

fiction and fantasy. She is also currently applying to graduate programs to pursue a Ph.D. in research psychology. We are glad Elizabeth is now an important part of our Beacon College Team!

Works program, a federally funded program that pays wages for its workers to work 18 hours a week for six months. Matthew is working as a learning specialist temporarily housed in Michele Patestides’ office while she is on

Matthew Miceli has joined the Center for Student Success on a part-time basis where he is working one-on-one with our students.

Matthew is part of the Experience

medical leave. Prior to coming to Beacon College, Matthew worked at Work Force of Central Florida as a resource room technician. We wish Matthew the best of luck, and we wish Michele a speedy recovery.

State University for seven years as well as Assistant Dean for Student Activities at Florida Tech for three years. John also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Administration and Management and a Master of Arts in Communication. His likes include the

Pittsburgh Steelers (since he is originally from Pennsylvania), the beach, theme parks, movies, concerts, fast sports cards, and hard rock music. John is a wonderful addition and support for the many student activities on campus!

John has joined Student Services to assist with Kelly Hickmon’s duties while she is on maternity leave. John has over ten years of experience in higher education, having served as an Assistant Director of Orientation at Ball

T H E B E A C O N N A V I G A T O R

Introducing John Bennett

John

Matthew

P A G E 5 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 6

W h e n C h a s e R i c h a r d s and James H a r r i s arrived at B e a c o n College in January of

2011, they both decided to get involved with the Student Government Associat ion

(SGA). In an attempt to bring the s t u d e n t b o d y together in a common p r o j e c t , t h e y o r g a n i z e d

and implemented the Beacon College Hydroponic Garden. The garden currently has peppers, squash, pumpkins, tomatoes, and watermelon plants growing amongst the clay rocks and water. The

students will soon bottle their own hot sauce brewed from their own vegetables. Sandy N o v a k ’ s students in Adver t i s i ng Design class a r e d e s i g n i n g the bottle labels. Future plans for the garden include the addition of pollinating bees, an addition of a screened classroom with b e n c h e s , and a solar e n e r g y system. Chase and James want to thank all o f t h e students at Beacon College who helped them accomplish this living ecosystem!

Contributed by Shelly Chandler, VP for Academic Affairs

Hydroponic Garden at Beacon College

T H E B E A C O N N A V I G A T O R

to eat? Well they eat to make themselves happy. People eat what they LIKE and ENJOY not what really nourishes us. Food manufacturers make food that first tastes good and second lasts as long as humanly possible. They NEVER focus on making food that is more healthy; only food they can sell more of and make more money. It’s a sad state of affairs really. It starts when we are young. Kids are taught from day one that food is a reward; food is for pleasure. They are given sugar and candy and soda and they just don’t know any better. Why eat broccoli when I can have ice cream? You’d think that adults would know better. We don’t. We are the same as kids. We don’t want to eat what we don’t like. EVERYTHING has to have added salt or sugar on it. We need to make everything taste really good because we deserve to eat what we want. And you wonder why we are so unhealthy; now you know… So what can you do? I have a simple rule that, if followed, will guarantee to give you some kind of positive results. It’s so simple that it seems ridiculous. All it takes is a

We insert food into our mouth. We chew. We swallow. Why? It’s a simple question really. Why do we do this? Why do we pick up “food” put it in there and get it down. Why DO we eat? I pose the question this way for a reason. Most people, if they really thought about it, would come up with the correct answer eventually; although they would likely be ashamed to admit that they know the right answer. We know WHY we eat but most of us eat for the WRONG reasons. The di f ference between why we ACTUALLY eat and why we SHOULD eat is the reason that most people are sick and unhealthy. Let me explain. The REAL REASON we eat is to nourish our bodies. We need to insert, chew and swallow food to give us energy to go about our day. We eat to replace lost cells in our body and grow hair and fingernails; we eat to keep our bodies fit and alive. THAT is why we actually eat. Why do people think they need

simple change in your thinking. Every time that you insert food, chew it and swallow it down, think one simple thought: “you are nourishing yourself.” That’s it. Very simple. YOU EAT TO NOURISH. If you are eating a candy bar, are you nourishing? Is soda nourishing? Is what you are eating supplying you with the necessary nutrients to thrive and succeed in life? Usually the answer is NO. There you have it. We eat for pleasure when we should be eating to support our bodies. It’s a simple error that most people make on a daily basis. How should I begin? I say start small. Little decisions about what you choose to eat in the course of the day can have a big impact. Little things like having an apple with breakfast, a salad with lunch or an extra serving of broccoli with dinner will start to give you improvements in your health. Good luck, and remember why you are putting that food into your mouth!

Contributed by The Fitness Guru, Rick Copley

P A G E 6

Nourish Your Body

Body Fat Testing and Fitness Congratulations to all of you who participated in the body fat testing. You now know what work you need to do. We will be doing the testing again in a few months so that you can track your progress. Please plan to attend the informative assertive communication workshop. Remember that attendance at these events earns you points! This month, I am including an article written by The Fitness Guru, Rick Copley (enjoy below). Have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving holiday!

Contributed by Kim Baggett, HR Director

V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 6 P A G E 7

Exercise Reduces Stress...but how? If stress is an issue for you, then get in some regular exercise to fix it. When you exercise, the brain releases chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins are chemicals that act as sedatives and are thought of as pain killers. This is how it works! All day long up and down your spinal cord, messages are being sent to and from your brain in response to all of the stimuli we have to deal with on an everyday basis (whether it involves personal relationships, work, bad attitudes, or actual physical injury). Therefore when you experience something that upsets or angers you, the brain receives that message also. The brain responds to these difficult situations and events with feelings associated with what we generally call stress. Now this is the great thing about exercise...endorphins block these messages and signals being sent to the brain that are attempting to tell it that a traumatic

event has occurred. Therefore the brain has nothing to react to! In other words, if the brain does not receive the message of some form of trauma it will not respond with a feeling of sadness or depression. So what can we do? Get in some aerobic activity in any form, whether its walking or jogging, dancing, using an exercise ball or whatever. Just remember that you get out of it what you put into it, so try to meet the thirty minute daily threshold. Think of endorphins as an opiate drug without the harmful side effects!

Contributed by Steve McDaniels, Residential Assistant and Life Coach

Lambda Epsilon Omega Works for the Judds

Parents Weekend was a total success story as illustrated by the pictures below! Over 75 different families were represented, with 250 individual guests attending the Dinner Dance. Faculty and staff did a wonderful job representing the College, interacting with parents and family members, and helping everyone feel welcome. Many positive responses from parents were received during and after the event.

Beacon College will host an event at the Chopping Block honoring Herb Stoer and Mackie McCabe, the original founders of the Chopping Block Restaurant. The event will take place on Friday, November 11 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Student Supper will be held in an alternate location while patrons of Leesburg’s most popular hang-out from 25 years ago will remember the good times! Appetizers reflecting the menu items will be served by former waitresses. Beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages will be available. Please RSVP to Kay Krenek by Nov. 9.

Events Sponsored by Institutional Advancement Contributed by Walter Zielinski, Vice President for Institutional Advancement

P A G E 8

Beginning at top left: The Beacon Team; Eileen Marinakis (left) sharing with a parent; Rob Rogers (right) enjoying a conversation;

Kyrie Washington’s presentation; and visiting NSF.

parent with an LD child navigating the college search process. Andrew Marvin and Chelsea Eubank, Beacon Alumni from the Class of 2010, told about their difficulties growing up with a LD and how Beacon helped them overcome them and become the people they are today. Khiry Washington, the current President of Beacon's SGA, spoke to the audience about his experiences as a current Beacon student and leader wi th in the school. Stephanie Knight and I provided the introductions and opening and closing statements for the presentation. Rob Rogers kept the show going by providing our audio-visual tech support.

The event was an incredible success! Several parents and potential students shared with me that they didn't know much previously about Beacon, but now they were definitely going to visit and apply! Nine applications were submitted that evening, and three more have arrived in the mail. Many l e a d e r s f r o m n a t i o n a l organizat ions were also impressed by the presentation

and encouraged us to become involved with their initiatives and presented opportunities for our students. While in D.C., the Admissions Team was also very busy participating in several events and meetings. We exhibited at the Montgomery County Transitions Fair, the NACAC National College Fair in D.C., and the Kingsbury Center College Night. Dr. Hutchinson and I had the privilege of meeting with Directors for Research in Disabi l i t ies Education at the National Science Foundation and Dr. Alexa Posny, the Assistant Secretary for Special Education a n d R e h a b i l i t a t i v e Services. Andrew Marvin, Khiry Washington, and I met with Michael Murray, a program manager for the American Association of People with D i s ab i l i t i e s to d i s cu s s internship, scholarship, and partnership opportunities. All around, this trip was a huge success!

(continued from page one) Beacon Visits Washington D.C.

Know Your World and Its Struggles. Chart Your Course and Succeed.

G A I N. L E A R N. G ROW.

Bob’s Joke Corner I just got this email from my parents:

“I am writing this slow because I know that you can't read fast. We don't live where we did when you left home. Your dad read in the paper that most accidents happen within 20 miles from your home so we moved. I won't be able to send you the address, as the last family that lived here took the house numbers when they left so that they wouldn't have to change their address. This place is real nice. It even has a washing machine. I'm not sure if it works too well though. Last week I put a load in, pulled the chain, and haven't seen the clothes since.”

“A healthy dose of humor from the Doctor”

“At Beacon College, we like to end on a positive note!”

V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 6 P A G E 9

Schedule of Events November 1 — President’s Meeting at 2:30 p.m., Back

of the Chopping Block

November 8 — Committee Meetings at 2:30 p.m., Curriculum: Room 8, Health & Wellness: Room 7, Retention: Room 6, Library: Periodical Room, and Technology: Room 10

November 10 — Professional Development Seminar: “Assertive Communication” at 2:30 p.m., Back of the Chopping Block

November 11 — Rescheduled Future Pull Exercise for Selected Beacon College Faculty and Staff, Back of the Chopping Block

November 11 — Salute to the Chopping Block at 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for Selected Beacon College Faculty and Staff, Chopping Block

November 15 — Team Meeting at 2:30 p.m., Back of the Chopping Block

November 19 — Department Meetings at 2:30 p.m., Chairs will select rooms and announce to their teams.

November 21 to 25 — Thanksgiving Break, College Closed

NOVEMBER 2011 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

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Beacon would like to recognize and express appreciation for the hard work and earnest efforts of Kay Krenek (four years) and Norma Sager (12 years) celebrating their employment anniversaries during this month. Again, thank you both for your valuable contributions to Beacon College throughout the year!

Employment Anniversaries