December 9, 2025
As a travel agent, Kaminski says he can book 鈥渁ny type of travel for anyone anywhere.鈥� He plans to direct 5% of his net commission of any bookings from 海角社区 staff, alumni, parents or students to the college for student groups and clubs.
November 12, 2025
The many post-pandemic learning challenges erupted in the years since have also flowed into classrooms at 海角社区. But thanks to its mission-driven focus on neurodivergent learners, the college has made good strides in helping students recover and thrive.
November 12, 2025
Alum Jaymes Fowler鈥檚 family tree includes ancestors who fought in the Civil War, World War I and World War II. His grandfather served in Vietnam. His younger brother, T.J., a nuclear engineer specialist, is a U.S. Navy veteran. And, Fowler now serves as a U.S. Army sergeant stationed at Fort Drum in New York.
August 13, 2025
Teaching and learning are big deals for Brin Carson. They鈥檙e also key to her job as a naturalist at Wormsloe.
May 5, 2025
When his boss asked Jack Lenz to lead a new initiative in late 2023, he wasted no time. With his typical gusto, the 海角社区 grad and community services worker embraced the goal: To create a food pantry for former foster children living in an apartment complex after aging out of the system.聽A month later, Lenz had lined up the resources and logistics to open the new site featuring fresh fruit and vegetables and other foods.
February 26, 2025
On most Saturdays for the past 11 years, 海角社区 Alum Richard Weaver has been building houses for people in need.
October 2, 2024
海角社区 graduate Dan Graff found his passion working through CAI Neurodiverse Solutions.
August 6, 2024
As a travel photographer and writer, alum Grady McGill has gone to far-flung destinations, from Ireland to Russia, Alaska to Greece, South America to Canada 鈥� and many points between.
April 5, 2024
海角社区 alum Ryan Looney lands a dream job writing about entertainment for Collider.
February 1, 2024
海角社区 graduate Travis Hunter serves as the office administrator for the Oklahoma City Baseball Club, the Triple A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
October 6, 2023
海角社区 graduate Kyle Sandfort now works in quality assurance at Infosys, a digital services and consulting company with clients in more than 56 countries.
September 5, 2023
海角社区 graduate Steven Adams was instrumental in drafting the student body constitution.
By Loraine O鈥機onnell
After graduating from high school, Brian Kaminski had had enough.
鈥淚 was ditching classes at two different colleges,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to go to school. I was tired of it.鈥�
Diagnosed with ADHD at age 6, Kaminski admits he was 鈥渁t a rebellious age.鈥� His parents, equally frustrated, believed 海角社区 would be a good fit.
When he enrolled in 2010, he carried on his party lifestyle.
鈥淭he first semester was bad for me,鈥� said Kaminski, 35, of Orland Park, Ill. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really do anything. I partied too much, got suspended for a semester and had to go to summer school.鈥�
Enter Michele Patestides, his learning specialist, who helped him refocus. 鈥淪he pretty much kicked my butt and put me in my place,鈥� Kaminski said. 鈥淪he helped me focus on my academics rather than partying all night.鈥� Patestides remembers his early struggles but also his transformation: 鈥淗e matured and grew to value his education,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e became the comeback kid who turned his academics and engagement around 鈥� and I couldn鈥檛 be more proud of Brian.鈥�
Kaminski鈥檚 turnaround led to a bachelor鈥檚 degree in computer information systems, IT roles in Illinois and at 海角社区, and now ownership of Cruise Planners: Memorable Trips and Cruises, part of the Florida-based Cruise Planners network. From his Illinois office, he hopes to use the agency as a way to give back to the college.
His student years, however, were marked by a devastating bout with cancer. 鈥淚 finished my junior year in a hospital ward,鈥� Kaminski says. While undergoing treatment in Gainesville, 海角社区 professors worked with his parents, his learning specialist and 海角社区 President George Hagerty to help him complete coursework. He later took a semester off to finish treatments in Indianapolis. Hagerty visited him in both cities.
During his student years, Kaminski 鈥渨as the person who did all the audiovisual for a very young college,鈥� Hagerty says. 鈥淗e was very much an important part of the fabric of the student body here. He was always a positive spirit on campus.鈥�
After years in IT, Kaminski decided it was time for a change. His late grandmother had been a travel agent, and he got his first taste of traveling the world with family and friends at age 10.
鈥淧eople are always asking me for advice,鈥� he says. 鈥淪o, I thought, what the heck, I鈥檒l try it.鈥�
As a travel agent, Kaminski says he can book 鈥渁ny type of travel for anyone anywhere.鈥� He plans to direct 5% of his net commission of any bookings from 海角社区 staff, alumni, parents or students to the college for student groups and clubs.
Hagerty learned of Kaminski鈥檚 plan last year, noting that Kaminski鈥檚 parents had been the benefactors behind the naming of Kaminski Park, outside the dining commons.
鈥淭hey were generous people,鈥� Hagerty says, 鈥渁nd they certainly have instilled that in Brian. He鈥檚 chosen, like his parents, to direct that generosity to 海角社区.鈥�
