Samantha’s Place Reflects a Journey From Doubt to Direction
As Samantha Resnick stepped forward, her printed speech wavering slightly in the breeze, she stood on the platform with one foot anchored in the past and the other striding toward the future.
Fourteen years ago, Resnick arrived on Beacon’s campus — then home to just over 100 students — as unsure as a newborn colt finding its footing. Like many of her newly minted peers at the first accredited college for students who learn differently, she lacked confidence, leaned heavily on her parents, struggled to form friendships, and fretted over the growing independence ahead. That was then.
Fast forward 10 years, and Resnick is an accomplished professional, grounded by lasting friendships and driven by a heart to smooth the path for others who arrive at Beacon with similar origin stories.
That perspective shaped the recent dedication (May 2026) of Samantha’s Place, a new outdoor gathering space designed for Beacon College students to connect or simply find a moment of calm between classes.
“Socialization was always difficult for me in my elementary, middle, and high school years,” Resnick said. “Within a couple of months at Beacon, I developed a key group of friends that I continue to have a friendship with to this day. Hopefully, this quad can lend itself to other students as an area for their comfort and relaxation so that they can also develop lifelong friendships.”
Samantha’s Place, an open-sided, octagonal pavilion named in her honor and recognizing her parents’ (Joshua and trustee Debbie Resnick’s) decade-long commitment to Beacon, blends warmth with purpose. A tiered metal roof and exposed wooden ceiling define the structure, while shrubs, palm trees, and manicured beds frame the space. Inviting white rockers complete the scene.
Members of the college’s board of trustees, along with a small group of faculty, gathered to reflect on a journey from dependence to independence — the arc that defines a successful Beacon experience. And Samantha’s life, to a tee.
“You know, Samantha was never intimidated by her challenges,” Debbie Resnick told the audience. “She just accepted (them), and she’s gone through life really finding herself, and that’s part of who Samantha is.”
“This is my friend,” President George Hagerty began, sharing memories of first meeting Samantha and reflecting on how much she has grown over the years.
For the 2016 human services graduate, the moment marked a homecoming. After working in various roles at the college following graduation, and later testing her sea legs beyond Beacon’s walls, Samantha has leaned into her human services background and now serves clients with memory challenges.
In a very real sense, though, she has never truly left. With Samantha’s Place, the spirit of confidence and compassion that took root on this campus now has a physical home. One meant to inspire others to keep reaching for more.