Latest News
New Beacon Program Strives to Build Bounce-back Muscles in Students
What is the common theme of the comeback? The hero overcomes adversity through courage and resilience. In recent years, a number of colleges across the U.S. have focused on helping students write their own “comeback stories” of resilience amid the heightened stress of going to college during a pandemic.
Beacon Alumna Puts Dreams of Serving Others through Dance in Motion
Out of the angst and struggle of her younger years, Samantha Diamond has emerged as a confident professional who knows who she is, where she’s going, and what she wants to do in life.
To be sure, the path has not been an easy one. As a child, she was diagnosed with autism, ADHD and general anxiety disorder. Bullied in high school, she withdrew from others, felt alone and isolated. At Beacon College, however, life gradually came together for her.
In Latest U.S. News Rankings, Beacon’s Academic Cream Rises to the Top
Boosted by the strongest accolades to date for its programs, Beacon College has cracked the top 10 for the first time in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings of the Best Regional Colleges in the South.
“Birdwoman of Anthrozoology” Finds Sport and Conservation in Falconry
The first time she saw a large hawk swoop down from the sky and land on its trainer’s arm, eight-year-old Dani Mitchell was mesmerized. Moments later, as one of the powerful raptors perched on her own little arm, she was hooked on learning everything about them. Today, Mitchell has turned that childhood fascination into lifetime of dedication to the fierce, but graceful birds.
Former NBA Star Sam Vincent Hopes to Bring ‘Magic” To Beacon Hoops
From the peaks of South Africa, to the beaches of Bahrain, Sam Vincent has seen the world since his playing days with the Orlando Magic and other NBA teams. But his most significant trip of 2022 was not on a passenger jet to a faraway land. It was a drive through the rolling hills of Lake County on his way to Beacon College.
Student News
Travel renewed, Beacon Students Travel to a Land Down Under
As hundreds of travelers before them, a flock of Beacon College students set out on a journey this summer in search of knowledge and fun in another part of the world. Their destination: Australia. Nearly 30 students, one alum, two parents, and one sibling joined the June trip, part of the college’s Travel Abroad Program led by Provost Shelly Chandler
Mamma mia! Popular Tuscany-based Global Education Program Resumes
This year, the Tuscany adventure, believed to be the only semester-long study abroad program for neurodivergent students, is back on the manifest. Nearly two dozen students have been selected for the September to December semester at the University of Florence’s campus in Prato, a town about 40 miles from Florence.
Grit, Determination Drive Freshman’s Unquenchable Dream for College
She set out at dawn on her highway marathon, a 2,400-mile journey to a new life. With her three-year-old daughter as copilot, Sarina Alford covered the continent-long trail in three days — a feat that most travelers would never tackle. Her destination: Beacon College, Florida. From suburban San Diego to Leesburg, Alford was driven by the hope of a college education and a career in her future. It was something that had seemed all but impossible earlier in her life as she wrestled with dyslexia and other learning issues. Last year, however, her mother found Beacon online and shared what she found with Alford.
Beacon Student Stands Sentry for Conservation with Colorful Calendar Art
Most eight-year-olds dream of playing in the rain. Fiorella De La O wasn’t playing when she dreamed of saving the Amazon rainforest. That dream remains, but she first is trying to save her own backyard. Combining her twin passions of conservation and art, the Beacon anthrozoology major has brought her ardent advocacy to the pages of an educational calendar.
Elephant Research Will Take Beacon Students and Professor to Nepal
When Meghan Woerner received an email from her anthrozoology instructor, Dr. Michelle Szydlowski, inquiring about possible interest in a trip to Nepal to study elephant health and welfare, she jumped at the chance.
