February 3, 2026
Beacon College is reaching a growing number of students with new opportunities to build professional credentials for the workplace — from math and public speaking to first aid and computer certifications.
February 2, 2026
With a message centered on resilience and perseverance, Beacon College student speakers James Avery and Calinda Strayhorn reflected on the challenges they overcame to earn their degrees during the college’s Fall 2025 commencement ceremony.
February 2, 2026
The Center for Career Preparation is launching this month PITCH — Portfolio Integration for Talent, Career and Hireability, a free 10-week program designed to help students create digital portfolios to showcase their work and skills to potential employers.
January 30, 2026
For Averbeck and Thompson, who recently completed their service as trustees, watching that transformation has been a source of deep pride. Much of Beacon’s progress, they said, was shaped under the leadership of President George Hagerty, who also began his tenure in 2013.
January 21, 2026
Dr. George J. Hagerty, president of Beacon College, announced that he will retire at the conclusion of the 2026–27 academic year, which will mark the end of a transformative 14-year tenure defined by record enrollment, major campus improvements, strengthened academics and significant fundraising success.
December 9, 2025
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.
November 13, 2025
A group of Beacon College students recently earned a microcredential toward WISE certification through Techtonic SkillCircuits, thanks to an ongoing partnership with Jonathan’s Landing. The Techtonic Workforce Academy hosted two sessions for 22 students at the Palace on the Beacon College campus.
November 13, 2025
Seeking to broaden "A World of Difference: Embracing Neurodiversity" television show's reach, Beacon College joined the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA), a nonprofit that distributes educational programming to public media stations across the country.
November 12, 2025
The many post-pandemic learning challenges erupted in the years since have also flowed into classrooms at Beacon College. But thanks to its mission-driven focus on neurodivergent learners, the college has made good strides in helping students recover and thrive.
November 12, 2025
Alum Jaymes Fowler’s family tree includes ancestors who fought in the Civil War, World War I and World War II. His grandfather served in Vietnam. His younger brother, T.J., a nuclear engineer specialist, is a U.S. Navy veteran. And, Fowler now serves as a U.S. Army sergeant stationed at Fort Drum in New York.
November 11, 2025
About 25 freshmen are enrolled in the peer program, receiving one-on-one check-ins from mentors. Groups are paired by shared interests and meet every other week for activities such as movie nights, pizza parties or gaming sessions.
November 11, 2025
As autumn paints much of the nation in gold and crimson — even if Florida skips the show — thoughts turn to turkey, togetherness and gratitude. At Beacon College, November brings its own spirit of Thanksgiving, and a recent campus survey reaped a bounty of appreciation among students, faculty and staff.
Students have used the Cert Lab to explore or complete credentials such as the Hospitality and Tourism Specialist Credential from the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute, CompTIA PC Pro, and PCAP – Certified Associate Python Programmer. One student, Eyan Greenberg, used the lab to research certifications connected to his computer information systems major and later earned his Competency in Networking certification as part of his Networking and Communication course. His experience reflects how Beacon faculty and staff intentionally connect coursework with real‑world industry expectations — helping neurodivergent students build confidence, practical skills, and meaningful career pathways.
From left, Rina Levitt, Tevia McNeil and James Maxwell display their mental health first aid certifications.
Held on the first and third Saturdays of each month, Cert Saturdays! take place in the center’s Cert Lab and are designed to complement academic coursework. By offering the sessions outside the traditional school week, the program protects students’ learning time and reduces competing demands. The predictable, low‑pressure environment allows students to work at their own pace while receiving encouragement, structure, and clear expectations — elements especially important for neurodivergent learners.
Cert Saturdays! also help students build “stackable” credentials — short, focused certifications that can be earned over time and that clearly signal skills to employers.
“These credentials support confidence, independence, and career readiness, while reinforcing the habits of continuous learning that neurodiverse students can carry with them beyond Beacon College,” said Melissa Bradley, director of the center.
The launch of Cert Saturdays! expands Beacon’s career preparation services and reflects a national trend among small colleges to offer professional certifications and micro‑credentials.
It’s critical for all students to engage in continuous learning, both as undergraduates and more so once they graduate, get a job, and begin their career. These efforts will make a difference with employers who want to see emerging talent demonstrate their commitment to learning and validate that level of learning through a credential or certification.”
—Melissa Bradley, director of the Center for Career Preparation
Program assistant Brianna Rivera helps students research certifications, prepare for exams, and navigate testing requirements. She also leads outreach through the Handshake career management platform and other channels.
“Dorm rooms don’t always provide a strong testing environment, and cell phones or tablets are not ideal for such important assessments,” Rivera said. “That’s why we’ve opened our career center doors for Cert Saturdays!, where students can use our spacious private computer lab to pursue this important milestone in their academic and professional lives.”
For Beacon senior Rina Levitt, Cert Saturdays! opened the door to skills she expects to use in her future career. A psychology major, Levitt plans to pursue a master’s degree and work in addiction rehabilitation counseling. She is scheduled to begin graduate studies at Harvard University next summer, becoming the first Beacon student admitted to an Ivy League institution.
Levitt attended a Cert Saturday session in September and earned certification in Youth Mental Health First Aid. The training covered strategies for recognizing and responding to mental health crises among young people, including panic attacks, substance misuse, suicidal ideation, and common anxieties experienced by college students.
“We learned about really listening to young people, validating their feelings, and helping them resolve conflicts,” said Levitt, who also serves as a peer mentor in Beacon’s Cohort Collective program. “We covered a lot of information that I use to this day.”
Dr. AJ Marsden, associate professor and chair of the psychology department, said Cert Saturdays! give students a chance to earn multiple certifications that can strengthen their employment prospects.
“Since 2020, I’ve noticed a huge uptick in the number of organizations giving preference to applicants who have various certifications,” she said. “By bringing Cert Saturdays! to Beacon, we can give our students a huge advantage in the hiring game.”
