Beacon alumnus turns struggles into success, gives back through travel agency
By Loraine O’Connell
From Rebellion to Renewal
After graduating from high school, Brian Kaminski had had enough.
“I was ditching classes at two different colleges,” he recalled. “I didn’t want to go to school. I was tired of it.”
Diagnosed with ADHD at age 6, Kaminski admits he was “at a rebellious age.” His parents, equally frustrated, believed Beacon College would be a good fit.
A Rocky Start
When he enrolled in 2010, he carried on his party lifestyle.
“The first semester was bad for me,” said Kaminski, 35, of Orland Park, Ill. “I didn’t really do anything. I partied too much, got suspended for a semester and had to go to summer school.”
Enter Michele Patestides, his learning specialist, who helped him refocus. “She pretty much kicked my butt and put me in my place,” Kaminski said. “She helped me focus on my academics rather than partying all night.” Patestides remembers his early struggles but also his transformation: “He matured and grew to value his education,” she said. “He became the comeback kid who turned his academics and engagement around — and I couldn’t be more proud of Brian.”
Triumph Over Adversity
Kaminski’s turnaround led to a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems, IT roles in Illinois and at Beacon, and now ownership of Cruise Planners: Memorable Trips and Cruises, part of the Florida-based Cruise Planners network. From his Illinois office, he hopes to use the agency as a way to give back to the college.
His student years, however, were marked by a devastating bout with cancer. “I finished my junior year in a hospital ward,” Kaminski says. While undergoing treatment in Gainesville, Beacon professors worked with his parents, his learning specialist and Beacon President George Hagerty to help him complete coursework. He later took a semester off to finish treatments in Indianapolis. Hagerty visited him in both cities.
During his student years, Kaminski “was the person who did all the audiovisual for a very young college,” Hagerty says. “He was very much an important part of the fabric of the student body here. He was always a positive spirit on campus.”
A New Journey
After years in IT, Kaminski decided it was time for a change. His late grandmother had been a travel agent, and he got his first taste of traveling the world with family and friends at age 10.
“People are always asking me for advice,” he says. “So, I thought, what the heck, I’ll try it.”
As a travel agent, Kaminski says he can book “any type of travel for anyone anywhere.” He plans to direct 5% of his net commission of any bookings from Beacon staff, alumni, parents or students to the college for student groups and clubs.
Giving Back
Hagerty learned of Kaminski’s plan last year, noting that Kaminski’s parents had been the benefactors behind the naming of Kaminski Park, outside the dining commons.
“They were generous people,” Hagerty says, “and they certainly have instilled that in Brian. He’s chosen, like his parents, to direct that generosity to Beacon.”