A new 海角社区 program aims to give incoming students an edge as they transition to life as a Blazer.

is a roughly two-week program meant for incoming students to get accustomed to the speed and expectations that come with being enrolled at 海角社区.

After a pilot program this summer, in which the school chose 20 students for a test run, College Edge will launch formally in 2024, with as many as 75 students expected in its first year.

The school launched the program to specifically target seniors and other incoming students because the profile of those who enroll at 海角社区 has shifted recently.

鈥淲e have seen a much bigger uptick in nontraditional students, so these incoming students could be adult learners,鈥� said Brody Glidden, director of summer programming on 海角社区. 鈥淭here is a general lack of programming for adult learning.鈥�

The restructuring of transition programs creates a softer landing for students and families who want to know more about the college.

As they get closer to attending, more poignant and important questions start to form, Glidden said.

The program is a spin-off, essentially, of the school鈥檚 existing program, which traditionally has focused on high school sophomores, juniors and seniors considering the school.

鈥淲e wanted to provide a more independent and college-like experience,鈥� said Glidden. 鈥淪ummer for Success is an introduction to concepts. College Edge is going through the actual, physical movements and rotations toward what college is actually like.鈥�

The Summer for Success program will continue to help high school students understand the programming. However, it will only include sophomores and juniors in high school. The programming shift will increase the number of overall students the school can help during its summer programming.

Not every student who runs through College Edge will necessarily end up at 海角社区. During the trial run, Glidden said about 75% ended up attending the school. Others, however, experienced the program and discovered unexpected obstacles. Glidden said that often meant difficult conversations with parents that had been excited to have their children attend 海角社区鈥檚 high-quality program.

鈥淲e have really hard conversations sometimes instead of just powerful affirmations that they can do it,鈥� Glidden said. 鈥淚t is crucial to be very transparent and vulnerable. Sometimes, parents get caught off guard by the conversation.鈥�

The discussions, while difficult, represent another pillar of 海角社区, which is being sure to provide parents the information they need to determine whether the school is right for them.

鈥淲e try to explain that this is the first time that students are independent, in their own environment, without family oversight,” he said. 鈥淪tudents react very differently to that when they are in their own environment. A lot of times in these programs, there are going to be a lot more factors than students can anticipate.鈥�

Glidden said 海角社区鈥檚 role as a center that specializes in educating those with learning differences only amplifies the need for programs like College Edge and those honest interactions.

鈥淎n adjustment to a new environment is always difficult,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here will always be issues. Now throw in a learning difference and that鈥檚 a whole different ballgame. Whether it鈥檚 ADHD, dyslexia, autism or others, now you are tag teaming them and throwing two things at them.鈥�

The inaugural College Edge program will last from June 22 to July 2, 2024. Applications are now being accepted.

鈥淲e didn鈥檛 just throw a ball out there and hope someone hit it,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e knew the population was there and that the need was there.鈥�

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By Marco Santana

When Charles Dion was in high school, he and his family had a tough time finding a school that supported his autism-related struggles.

Some said the condition that affects one in 36 children in the U.S. didn鈥檛 exist. Others said it was an excuse for failure.

This frustration along with a need to move around for his father鈥檚 job led to several relocations for his family.

As he approached college, he worried he would have to do it all over again, except on his own.

鈥淚 was moving entirely to a new place by myself,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ot knowing a single person worried me.鈥�

But a group of college-readiness programs offered by 海角社区 has helped alleviate his worries. In fact, it鈥檚 one reason that the school has bucked a nationwide trend of more students saying they feel unprepared for higher education than ever.

That鈥檚 according to the results of a survey conducted by the 鈥檚 Education Advisory Board, which polled more than 20,000 students nationwide and released the data in early June.

Meanwhile, 海角社区, which serves students with various learning disabilities and attention issues, boasts five primary programs that help students in various stages of their education, from sophomore year in high school to college-level programs.

Alexander Morris-Wood, 海角社区鈥檚 associate vice president of student experience and transitions, said it鈥檚 one strategy that has helped the school consistently increase first-year retention rate.

鈥淲e recognize that everybody鈥檚 journey to college is different,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e are prepared for that and adjust our programs based on student needs and environmental needs.鈥�

This fall, 88 percent of 海角社区 students will have participated in at least one of the school鈥檚 transition programs.

The key to reaching students is normalizing their experiences, Morris-Wood said.

鈥淭heir experience is no different than others but we do teach them that the steps they will have to take might be a little more severe,鈥� he said. 鈥淏y starting the conversation much earlier, we are able to introduce them to programs in a scaffolded way and a slower way.鈥�

The Navigator Prep program, which is available for students up to nine months before they graduate high school, convinced Helen Chinn to attend 海角社区.

She received a small taste of college life through a brief visit during spring break in 2019. As a rising senior at Westfield (N.J.) High School that summer, she navigated the three-week program and discovered that she wanted to attend.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a great way to understand what you鈥檙e getting into,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t taught me not to be afraid of being away from home.鈥�

The program brought her to campus to meet with other prospective students, mentors and professors.

鈥淚 knew immediately that I wanted to come here and it gave me the confidence to do so,鈥� she said.

Chinn now studies business management and hospitality with a minor in human services. She plans to graduate in May 2024.

However, before then, she will serve as a volunteer mentor with the Navigation Prep program, which expects to help 165 students this fall.

鈥淚 was once in their shoes and I want them to feel the same love I felt,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 want to show them how to make connections and keep in touch.鈥�

Navigator Prep is just one of the offerings for 海角社区鈥檚 students and prospects.

Navigation Prep Jr. targets high school juniors.

Meanwhile, Navigator Prep College Coaching helps students through a semester-long program with one-to-one coaching and support.

High school sophomores can enroll alongside juniors and seniors in Summer for Success, a three-week campus immersion program.

Finally, 海角社区 Foundations offer live online courses for recent high school graduates.

Josh Hansen graduated from high school at the height of the pandemic.

For two years, he tried community college after graduating from high school in Centreville, Md., but it just wasn鈥檛 for him, he said.

Hansen, 21, who will be a junior this fall, found 海角社区 Foundations in the spring of 2022.

鈥淚t has been an amazing experience,鈥� said Hansen, who says he regularly met with learning specialists and took advantage of the school鈥檚 writing center. 鈥淲hen I was going through virtual learning at other schools, there was not much interaction.鈥�

Two years after his initial taste of college, Charles Dion feels much more comfortable.

He no longer worries about fitting in or finding people who he can get along with.
Now 20, the rising junior from Leesburg says he has a newfound confidence and serves as president of a light saber dueling club.

Because of Navigator Prep, he 鈥渨ent into college with at least a few familiar faces,鈥� said Dion, who now mentors incoming students. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 completely new to me. If I hadn鈥檛 had that experience, the beginning of college would have been a lot more difficult and would have affected my overall experience.鈥�

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Then, the inevitable: their confidence sinks, and they plot their escape plans.

Finding the road to a stellar GPA without a GPS can leave struggling underclass college students feeling lost and hopeless.

To help put struggling collegians who may have dropped out or taken a GAP year back on the right track, 海角社区 is launching a campus residential program, 鈥淭he 7-Day College Edge,鈥� which launches in June, and aims to help defeated college students press the reset button.

鈥淔or many students, once they depart high school there is little support in unstructured months for skill development. This ultimately leads to regression, or the ‘summer slide,’ which then makes the transition back to college even that much more complex,鈥� said program creator Alex Morris-Wood, associate vice president of transitions and the student experience at 海角社区. 鈥淐oupled with current research on retention and sustainment at colleges for students with learning differences, my team felt it necessary to pilot a program that actively addresses barriers leading to attrition.鈥�

Through self-assessments, interactive workshops, and individual and group coaching, the College Edge hones executive functioning, social integration and emotional well-being, critical thinking and reading, writing, and career readiness 鈥� five core areas for college success.

Over seven days, participants discover how to better navigate campus life, engage in social activities, and apply those lessons to forge success when they resume their college pursuits.

鈥淧articipants will also dive into the social world of college,鈥� Morris-Wood said. 鈥淪tudents will reside in our residence hall and engage in regular dormitory activities. Each evening, students will receive a social lesson, all in which support healthy relationship development. And of course, we need to have fun! Students will go to local hangout spots for individuals 18+ and take in all that Orlando has to offer … which of course, is a theme park.鈥�

In its pilot year, The College Edge will enroll 20 students, explained Morris-Wood, and he noted that within two weeks of announcing the program, 20 students had applied 鈥渄emonstrating a significant need for this program.鈥�

The program concludes with a family advising session that explores their strengths, weaknesses, and areas of consideration when transitioning back to their environment. The College Edge team provides concrete recommendations related to services and environmental considerations to increase post-secondary success.

For more information, see 鈥�The 7-Day College Edge.鈥�

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With tenacity in his step, James Avery strides across the 海角社区 campus in Leesburg, Florida, to his math class. He arrives early 鈥� as always 鈥� and immediately digs into solving the daily math problems, impressing everyone with his determination.

But impressing people is not what motivates Avery to succeed. It鈥檚 a promise made long ago to his family that he would get a college education. From his parents to his 11 siblings, especially an older sister who became his mentor, he stands on the shoulders of giants 鈥� many of whom are now passed from this world.

鈥淭hey all still resonate in my life,鈥� said Avery, 57, a retired Navy communications specialist and non-traditional student in his first year at 海角社区. 鈥淚 feel I have to take the positive things they left with me to pay it forward and focus on living my best life now.鈥�

A saving grace

Avery grew up in the rolling hills of east-central Alabama, in a household full of siblings, cousins and other extended family. His father was a truck driver-turned-county maintenance worker; his mother, a full-time mom who also worked in the cotton fields.

Along the way, education became a driving force for the family. Many siblings attended college, joined the military, or did both. For him, however, schooling proved to be a tough slog in reading, writing or arithmetic. His saving grace during those years was his older sister, Josephine, a college graduate, and special education teacher, who worked countless hours helping Avery with his homework.

鈥淪he was someone who just commanded your respect,鈥� Avery recalled. 鈥淲henever she spoke, it was with a very particular energy, and you knew you had to do right. She was a great example for me. She and my other siblings really stood for something and had great jobs. My parents and grandparents were great examples too.鈥�

With their encouragement, he worked hard in high school and eventually graduated, despite his persistent learning challenges. He was also motivated by his love of sports. An all-star baseball player, he was recruited by several colleges that offered him full athletic scholarships. But Avery turned them all down, worried about the academic and financial pressures of higher education.

Besides that, he already had a very different destination awaiting him: He had joined the Navy.

An improbable, but remarkable journey for non-traditional student

Avery鈥檚 stint in the Navy was almost over before it started in 1982, he said. In boot camp, the trainers discovered his reading and attention problems, pulled him from the starting class and assigned him to a remedial class. Avery feared he鈥檇 be discharged and sent home, embarrassed, and discouraged.

鈥淏ut my sister had built so much confidence and work ethic in me, I refused to fail,鈥� he wrote in a scholarship application. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 go out [to clubs] like my other shipmates. I had to read my books and notes over and over, until I understood it. I passed, rejoined another class, and graduated boot camp!鈥�

What followed was an improbable, but remarkable journey that took Avery around the world supporting military operations from Europe to Latin America. He found his niche as a naval combat communications expert in Morse code and other code languages. It was a specialty that fit Avery鈥檚 learning style, relying on intense repetition. His active-duty career spanned more than two decades from 1982 to 2003, followed by a stint with the Department of Defense.

During those years, he married and raised two children, both of whom now have advanced degrees and professional careers. Avery himself took courses at various colleges along the way, but was unable to get the help he needed to overcome his learning obstacles.

That changed when he found out about 海角社区, thanks to some U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs counselors. They told him about the college while helping Avery understand his learning disabilities, which had been exacerbated by post-traumatic stress. After being accepted to 海角社区 last year, he moved from Maryland to Leesburg to begin classes in January.

鈥楾hey walk the walk, here鈥�

From the beginning, 海角社区 has been a fresh start for Avery in his quest for a college education. After taking classes at four different colleges and visiting others, he feels he has finally landed in the right place.

鈥淭he first time I came to the campus, the people were so nice to me. I started to believe that I would fit in here,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was so different from schools I鈥檇 been to in the past. I鈥檇 been set up so many times by folks telling me they鈥檇 give me the support I needed, then not following through. At 海角社区, it鈥檚 different. They walk the walk here, not just talk the talk.鈥�

With his motivation and maturity, Avery takes his commitment to education to the next level, according to faculty members who know him well.

鈥淎s an older student, James has lived through things in life that most of our students will only see in the history books,鈥� said Dr. Kevin Chandler, associate professor of math, who routinely sees Avery arrive at 8 a.m. to work in the math lab when it opens. 鈥淗e鈥檚 really driven and never gives up. But he鈥檚 also easy to talk to and a good listener. He talks to the younger students and tries to help them 鈥� but he鈥檚 careful to stay out of their drama.鈥�

Dr. Melissa Boduch, 海角社区鈥檚 lead learning specialist and academic advisor, found common ground with Avery in talking about life in the armed forces. Her husband is a military retiree.

鈥淛ames comes to us with a wealth of knowledge, not your typical college student who鈥檚 new to the world,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 lived places and he鈥檚 raised a family. Now he鈥檚 working on himself. He has learned to adapt and developed great skills. Now he鈥檚 fine-tuning those skills and coming into his own as a college student.鈥�

Avery said such support and encouragement from the 海角社区 community has helped him overcome negative college experiences from the past.

鈥淚 had to believe in education again. Now, the mistrust and doubt is gone,鈥� he said. 鈥淎t 海角社区, they are who they say they are 鈥� from the professors to the people working in the cafeteria and on the grounds. It鈥檚 a team that provides a lot of positive support. And I believe they can help me accomplish my goals.鈥�

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Faculty and staff welcomed 43 students among the 127 guests to the April 16 Open House, the school year鈥檚 fifth event. The turnout eclipsed the previous Open House high-water mark: 38 students among 100 participants. That total, coupled with several families who toured the campus the day before, meant nearly 50 students and 150 visitors in all explored 海角社区.

鈥淥pen houses are important as the entire college community is available to describe and answer questions about the 海角社区 experience,鈥� said Dale Herold, dean of admissions and enrollment management at 海角社区. 鈥淎t an Open House, prospective students can meet their potential fellow classmates. Families can interact with each other, compare notes about colleges they鈥檝e visited and [discuss] how 海角社区 measures up.鈥�

 

鈥淭oday鈥檚 college shoppers want to know who鈥檚 leading the institution and how this leadership could affect their child鈥檚 future,鈥� Herold said.

Presenters from various school departments educated attendees about 海角社区鈥檚 unique teaching model, adaptive technology, financial aid, life on campus and more. A five-student panel shared their stories of achievement and future plans and fielded questions about student life.

Additionally, for the first time at an Open House, attendees learned about 海角社区鈥檚 鈥淪ummer for Success.鈥� The three-week program for rising high school seniors equips participants with effective learning strategies to help them ace their senior years and conquer the fear of transitioning to college.

The Open House turnout continued the steady growth of recruitment 海角社区 enjoyed during the 2015-16 recruitment cycle, Herold noted.

鈥淎s word of 海角社区 and its amazing student outcomes spread, both [the number of] day-to-day campus visitations and [attendance at] Open House programs have grown substantially,鈥� she said.

Those spikes translate into more 海角社区 applicants 鈥� up 23 percent for fall 2016.

 

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New Student Orientation commenced with an outdoor academic convocation under a tent to accommodate the entering students, their parents and families as well as the 海角社区 faculty and staff.聽 Throughout orientation, new students 鈥� who were later joined with 173 continuing students 鈥� participated in a number of seminars, events, and activities designed to build an academic community of student success.

鈥淭he Class of 2019 is comprised of some truly amazing students and I鈥檓 looking forward to working with them through the academic year.聽 Additionally, our Resident Assistants and Orientation Leaders are exceptional young men and women who have and will continue to work hard to ensure that the newest members of our 海角社区 family have a safe and enjoyable time,鈥� stated the new Dean of Students, Bryan Valentine.聽 He shares this New Student Orientation as his first at 海角社区 with the incoming class.

In addition to being the largest incoming class, this year鈥檚 new students are incredibly diverse, with 23 different states being represented and three international students from Bolivia, Venezuela, and Morocco.

On behalf of the Enrollment Management Team, we look forward to welcoming all students back to campus this weekend and anticipate a great academic year!

Stephanie Knight
Director of Admissions
sknight@beaconcollege.edu

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While the majority of the students who enrolled in this summer course were upperclassmen, it was designed to be appropriate for students in any class year, provided the Composition class had been completed since writing was an important required element. The course acts as an elective and would be most appealing to someone with an interest in the criminal justice system or legal studies but could also be of interest to a student wanting to learn more about the field. In recent years, there have been quite a few students who have expressed just such an interest, making this course an appropriate new offering based on that feedback. Even for those not looking to enter the field, the class provides beneficial information so students can know and understand their legal rights.

Each class session focused on a different fundamental legal issue. Case scenarios were presented in class each day, as a way for students to analyze the situation and decide how/if the applicable law fit with the details of the case. These examples provided a concrete way for students to understand the exact requirement of each law and also led to a good start to class discussions as they pondered the details of the scenario. They had to decide how to apply what they learned to the given situation and had an opportunity to discuss whether they agreed with what the law demands.

In one class session, the focus was on the legal concept of conspiracy. Using the case example of a drive-by shooting of a 15 year-old boy during the commission of a different crime, students debated whether a person could be guilty of planning when the action is impulsive and there is no opportunity to plan ahead. Students learned that the legal definition of conspiracy is that two or more parties must have an agreement to commit a crime. In an example regarding two women deciding over lunch to start selling illegal drugs, it was determined that this fits the legal definition of conspiracy to commit a crime. When it was revealed that one of the women was actually an undercover police officer, the definition no longer applied because it was not a valid arrangement between two people; the policewoman never intended to actually sell drugs.

In this class session and every other during the May term, students not only learned more about the legal system and the laws governing society, they also had ample opportunity to analyze and critically consider the fairness of such rules. The foundation that was created in their understanding of the legal environment will potentially serve them in future studies but also will be beneficial in their everyday lives.

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In the Culture & Art of Central Europe Course, students were given insights into each diverse country of study and were introduced to the art of the region, while being encouraged to consider how the arts represent the human experience as well as the cultural one. In one early class session, students were led on a tour of Leesburg to consider the idea of public art and to evaluate what cultural and human values were being depicted in the community.

A brief tour of the immediate area surrounding the 海角社区 campus reveals a rich environment of public art. Van Galyon pointed out, for instance, sculptural benches around the Leesburg Public Library, asking the students to draw each one and to discuss what they were seeing and why they chose a certain perspective to illustrate. As they contemplated the meaning of the sculptures, students were asked to refine their own definition of public art and to consider what community and human values are imparted through them.

By examining the sculptures carefully, students could develop a fitting narrative for it, with Van reminding students, 鈥淚n a good work of art, nothing should be there that isn鈥檛 important. All the elements should work together to create a cohesive piece.鈥� Drawing a representation of the sculpture helped students gain a deeper appreciation for the work as an example of public art, and it also provided a chance to hone artistic and analytic skills.

Requirements in this course aim to immerse students in different cultures from the classroom. Creating a travel journal helps students envision exactly what to expect when they actually visit the country of study, and fun food labs are a good way to introduce students to the typical cuisine of the area. The travel courses have a dual purpose of both introducing students to a new culture and preparing them for a to visit to the region. Not only do class participants learn about new cultures, they have ample opportunity for fun and creative expression!

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