By Marco Santana A new study abroad program will send Beacon College students to the land of anime, gaming, and technology for 12 weeks starting in February. Beacon in Tokyo is the latest entry in the college’s global education portfolio and takes students for a semester-long engagement in the “land of the rising sun,” a […]
Beacon College Honors Rep. Truenow for Championing Neurodiversity
| Beacon NewsBy Darryl E. Owens Beacon College recently honored Florida State Rep. Keith L. Truenow with its highest award during a ceremony for his efforts in securing state funding to help neurodivergent Floridians attend the Leesburg school — the nation’s top-ranked college for students with learning and attention issues. The Tavares Republican, who represents Florida District […]
New Zoo Internship Affords Student Close-up of Wild Kingdom
| Academics, Beacon News, Career DevelopmentBy Richard Burnett In the story of Pierre and Tonya the elephant, a young college student from Florida meets a four-ton African elephant, a gentle giant who is sometimes grouchy, other times, funny and kind. As Pierre learns to care for the creature, they become friends and their lives are changed. That may sound like […]
Student Finds His Voice Writing, Recording New Song, ‘Overthink’
| Beacon NewsBy Gabrielle Russon For the first seven years of Ryan Sleboda’s life, he did not speak. Sleboda, who has autism, communicated only through noises and gestures. He got frustrated. He acted out. His parents, exhausted and worried, did everything they could to help him. That meant he saw different therapists and went to the right […]
Relaxing Amenities and Leisure Helps Oasis Live Up to Name
| Beacon NewsBy Marco Santana For farmers, autumn is the season of bountiful yields. While there aren’t fields gleaming with amber waves of grain to glean at Beacon College, students longing for an outdoor leisure space with abundant amenities received a bountiful harvest with the opening of the long-anticipated Jack Jones Oasis. The extensive renovation has changed […]
Sully Brings Emotional Support to Lighten “Ruff” Days for Students
| Beacon NewsBy Richard Burnett With a little dance, hop, and twisty wag of his tail, Sully the goldendoodle immediately makes friends, melts hearts, and shows unbounded affection for people. And for nearly a year, he has been the star of Beacon College’s emerging therapy dog program on campus. And now it’s official: the Smiles With Sully […]
New College Edge Program Offers a Landing Spot for Nontraditional Students
| Admissions, Beacon NewsBy Marco Santana A new Beacon College program aims to give incoming students an edge as they transition to life as a Blazer. College Edge is a roughly two-week program meant for incoming students to get accustomed to the speed and expectations that come with being enrolled at Beacon. After a pilot program this summer, […]
Testing the Waters at Off-Campus Career Fairs Prepares Students for the Workforce
| Beacon News, Career DevelopmentBy Darryl E. Owens The look on Tess Gordon’s face said it all: fierce determination. Wearing a gray blazer and matching striped skirt, Gordon’s loose ponytail swayed as she sauntered with purpose towards the Lake-Sumter State College employer’s table at the Lake County Career Fair. She browsed marketing collateral, eyed the giveaways, and then sat […]
College’s First Class of Athletic Recruits Gives School Hoop Dreams
| Beacon News, SportsBy Richard Burnett Fed by a laser pass, point guard Tony Wade Jr. catches the basketball in stride, soars to the hoop and jams it home. Such scenes fill Wade’s highlight reel, which he posted earlier this year on recruiting sites for college coaches, drawing responses from Texas to Oregon. But it was the call […]
Sandfort Test Pilots Corporate Websites as Quality Assurance “Top Gun”
| Alumni News, Alumni Spotlight, Beacon NewsBy Darlyn Finch Kuhn When it comes to giving the greenlight to website updates at Infosys, the buck stops with Kyle Sandfort. When developers make website updates, he steps in and kicks the tires, making sure everything functions before the update is released — and unforeseen problems cause clients heartburn and Infosys a raft of […]