IN THE MEDIA


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



 

"Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." — Winston S. Churchill
Exhibit One
Beacon College studio arts student Jonah Bienhoff’s bold sculptural explorations into the human machine and natural processes earned her a spot in “Womanmade,” a collaborative effort among the Leesburg Center for the Arts, Mount Dora Center for the Arts and Lake County Museum of Art in Tavares. The show opens March 6 and runs through April 11.
Fighting the Good Fight
BroadFutures CEO and President Carolyn Jeppsen is out to champion a more inclusive workforce by making the case for neurodiversity in the workplace, while empowering young people to succeed. She visits Beacon College this month and beforehand answers some questions about her work in this Q&A.

Let There be Walls
Construction on the new as yet unnamed new dormitory keeps on trucking. Here is a January aerial shot.
Not Playing Favorites
In conducting research for her psychology class, Beacon student Gina Mann learned something surprising: discrimination is an equal-opportunity abuser. She shared her findings in January at the prestigious Human Factors and Applied Psychology (HFAP) Conference in Orlando.

If They Could Talk to the Animals
A new partnership with Lake County, Fla. gives anthrozoology students at Beacon College critical hands-on experience in animal shelter operations.


EASE-ing Down the Road to Tallahassee
Beacon College students Haven Eckstein and Kelly Hurley traveled to Tallahassee last month to see government in action and to lobby for the preservation of the EASE grant as part of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF) Presidential Fellows program. The William L. Boyd, IV, Effective Access to Student Education Program provides tuition assistance to Florida undergraduate students attending eligible private, non-profit Florida colleges or universities.
Out of Beacon, into Africa
Beacon College assistant humanities professor and reading specialist Dr. Bonni Boschee spent part of her winter break with her daughter Alexis serving as missionaries in Ghana, Africa at The City of Refuge. Dr. Boschee worked primarily with children that have been rescued out of domestic slavery in diagnosing their reading ability and creating a plan for their success in reading. READ MORE
Getting Her Props

The plaudits keep coming for Beacon College assistant professor of English and humanities Dr. Leigh Camacho Rourks and her debut book, “Moon Trees and Other Orphans.” The latest praise comes from Foreword Reviews, a champion and town crier for books from indie presses. Foreword’s reviews are not annotated summaries of books, but rather thoughtful robust critiques. Foreword Reviews in January named the book a Diversity Book of the Week. The short story collection set along the Gulf Coast follows its flawed and sympathetic cast of characters as they struggle to survive against stacked odds. Available here
Here Comes the Judge

Russell Bellamy, a Beacon College associate professor of art and chair of the Studio Arts Department, will serve as one of two judges for the 43rd Annual Leesburg Art Fest staged along downtown Main Street. The festival runs March 14-15, 2020. A sculptor, Bellamy’s works are widely collected in galleries including The Patrick Malecot Collection, Olivet France, Maison Du Chevalier Collection of Contemporary Art, Carcassonne France, The Jean-Marc Tilcke Collection, Carcassonne France, and the La Tete de L’Art Collection, Carcassone France. Together with renowned watercolorist Kim Minichiello of Windermere, Fla., Bellamy will judge works of approximately 100 artists exhibiting in the show coordinated by the Leesburg Center for the Arts. For information about the 43rd Annual Leesburg Art Fest, visit www.LeesburgArtFest.com
The Fight Stuff
While many Americans calculated how far south their finances were after Christmas, Beacon College psychology professor Dr. A.J. Marsden jetted to the Far East. She joined her husband Matt Marsden, the lead cutman at Bellator MMA (mixed martial arts), in the ring during Bellator Japan on December 28. Bellator is a leading global mixed martial arts and kickboxing promotion. Dr. Marsden, a former U.S. Army surgical nurse, dusted off her skills working as a cut person on fighters such as Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Shinsho Anzai. Her work at Bellator Japan made Marsden the first female cut person to work MMA fights in Japan.

Alumni Updates

Dr. Rosalyn Johnson is the first Beacon graduate to earn a doctorate. Now she has built a career in mental-health counseling. She recently moved to Georgia and started a new job at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Johnson also teaches as an adjunct professor at South University in Savannah. READ MORE
Reunion

You’re invited to the Annual Spring 2020 Alumni Reunion, to be held March 20-22, 2020 in Leesburg, Fla. All alumni are invited to join us for a time of reminiscing about your college years, reconnecting with fellow classmates, and celebrating the growth of this incredible college. A special congratulations to the classes of ’90, ’95, ’00, ’05, ’10, and ’15 on celebrating a milestone class reunion. READ MORE
Mixed media artist/collagist Everett Spruill shared his inspirations and discussed the business side of folk and fine art during his December Beacon Salon Speaker Series presentation.

Click on the video to watch
Karen Abbott , author of “Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War,” presents on her book during the Beacon Salon Speaker Series on Feb. 26, 2020. Free and open to the public, with free heavy appetizers.

"Beacon College: The Unique History of a Singular Institution” explores the college’s 30-year history in 107 pages, chronicling its founding and evolution, its multimodal pedagogy and unique learning-specialist education model, the social fabric, and the college’s global-leaning advocacy and innovation through narrative and personal reflections. ON SALE NOW
Looking to get a foot in the door of your first career? Or looking to move up or move on to a new professional challenge? Then our April Job fair for current Beacon students and alumni is just the ticket. Contact Esteban Lopez, director of corporate & academic outreach, for details at 352-638-9719 or elopez@beaconcollege.edu
Beacon College continues to grow and that growth brings exciting new opportunities for our students. We have launched the public phase of our capital campaign to build a new academic center to serve our students, faculty and the community. Click on the video to take a virtual tour. The building will be constructed adjacent to Beacon Hall on Main Street in downtown Leesburg and will boast 12 classrooms, offices, a state-of-the-art auditorium, a coffee shop, learning lounges and much more. You can be part of the college’s success and leave a legacy for many students to come. If you would like additional information including naming opportunities, please contact Donna Martin at 352-638-9811 or dmartin@beaconcollege.edu