Beacon College Holds Founders Day Celebration
By Adam Sugerman
Beacon College recently celebrated 25 years of academic excellence in the arena of higher education for students with learning disabilities and ADHD.
Education Update attended the anniversary in Leesburg, FL, a charming town about one hour west of Orlando. Local politicians and educators applauded the singular success and vision of the college. Keynote speaker and former Washington Post reporter Gary Karton spoke about the difficulties he had overcome as a dyslexic. (Since its founding, the College has remained true to its singular mission that students with learning differences could master a competitive baccalaureate curriculum). (See the separate interview with Gary in this issue). Beacon College is now a national community serving students from 32 states, and has an international reach to seven countries.
Fifteen honorees were recognized at the Founders Day ceremony, including current and previous members of the Board of Trustees, the College’s longest serving President, and the longest serving employee and faculty member.
Dr. George J. Hagerty, Beacon’s President, said of the Founders Day ceremony, “At last, the Beacon community is able to call together some of the great “influencers and shapers” of the College. We have the privilege of publicly and proudly recognizing and thanking these most remarkable of individuals for the pioneering work and tenacity that set Beacon’s educational legacy in motion.”
Andrew Marvin a graduate from Beacon College, Class of 2010 and currently an Assistant Director of Admissions looked back at hard times. “When I first approached Beacon College to become a student, I already had a history of difficulty in post secondary education. I went to the University of South Florida and left. Beacon showed me that not only can you graduate but you can contribute and learn how to survive in the world that may not always cater to you.”
“To be able to spread the good word that Beacon is and to talk about my own personal reflections with Beacon has been a real treat. I’ve been very lucky and my mom always said, when you’re looking for a job, you can look for a job, a career, or a calling. Well, I got the third.”#
