By Marco Santana

As he reflects on the time spent this summer with prospective 海角社区 students, shivers run down mathematics instructor Angel Maldonado鈥檚 spine.

He marvels at the transformation he sees in young high school students from the day they arrive for the three-week Summer For Success program to their final day.

When Maldonado sees an introvert, for example, break out and lead a team through an exercise, he says it鈥檚 what he looks forward to most as an educator.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a moment of pride because you see that the effects of the efforts we have put into the program are there,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t is working and it鈥檚 not just what I did. But what everybody here did to affect these students. It鈥檚 important to let them know we are proud of them.鈥�

The Summer for Success program this year welcomed a record 165 students to the 海角社区 campus for a preview of what to expect when they attend college. It marked the seventh year of the program.

Students come to Leesburg from all over the country. This year, two territories and one international country were also represented.

Instructors and school leaders meet the parents as they arrive to campus and outline the upcoming three weeks.

Brody Glidden, director of summer programming, said the first 48 to 72 hours are crucial.

鈥淲e are building a bond,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e are very intentional when it comes to onboarding and orientation. Parents bring their students in and, if we can get parents energized while they are here, the students buy into it because their parents do.鈥�

While Glidden runs the show, dozens of others, including 海角社区 faculty, teaching assistant undergrads from the area and others, contribute to creating a welcoming vibe for the students.

Overall, the program runs on a roughly 3-to-1 teacher-to-student ratio.

That鈥檚 not an accident.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 want any of the students to think they are just another dollar or statistic,鈥� he said of keeping the ratio low, which results in more personalized instruction. The program is, intensive, meaning students, instructors, counselors and everyone involved interact regularly.

As students navigate Summer for Success, Glidden said it鈥檚 important for him and his staff to be upfront both about what 海角社区 represents and how it can benefit the students.

鈥淲e own our identity,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ur population is so unique and special but we have the coolest students. It鈥檚 the most rewarding thing I have ever done.鈥�

By the end of the three weeks, Glidden considers himself like a big brother to the future collegians.

For some, the feeling is mutual.

Glidden鈥檚 demeanor helped Mack Henry, 18, feel comfortable almost immediately when she arrived on campus.

Henry, who will be a senior this fall in New Jersey, said she was nervous when she arrived in Leesburg.

Then she met Glidden.

鈥淚 always struggled in a school setting when I was in a public school,鈥� said Henry, who struggles with anxiety. 鈥淏ut this is my dream school. It feels like everything I could want on a campus.鈥�

Henry first interviewed to attend the summer program in February.

Once she heard she would be a part of this year鈥檚 class, she immediately jumped online to learn more about the campus.

She said, with a laugh, that she has had so much fun on campus she sometimes forgets to check in with her parents.

鈥淚 felt welcome as soon as I got here,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen I was accepted, I went on YouTube to find out more. This place has lived up to the hype.鈥�

Her experience has been similar to that of other students.

When Addisyn Simino was growing up in New Hampshire, she would often daydream in class and be in her own little world.

It would frustrate teachers.

As much as they tried to intervene, Addisyn would not participate in discussion or do what her teacher wanted her to do.

It wasn鈥檛 until a teacher recognized her symptoms as potentially indicating a learning disability that she got help.

鈥淚 still have a hard time sometimes,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut because classrooms here are smaller, it is well suited and made for kids with learning disabilities. Teachers here know how to responsibly help without making students feel bad.鈥�

Simino鈥檚 struggle with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder affects her ability to stay focused on projects or tasks.

It鈥檚 not that her condition has disappeared while at Summer for Success.

Instead, the SFS team knows how to handle it in a way that Addisyn does not feel marginalized or isolated.

鈥淲hen I first got here, I was super-nervous,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 thought I鈥檇 be the odd one out and an outcast. Then I realized we are all the same. It makes it easier to get into conversations here.鈥�

To create that camaraderie among students, frequent activities are planned during the program.

海角社区 takes advantage of its location in Central Florida to take campers on field trips to places like Walt Disney World, SeaWorld and Kennedy Space Center.

鈥淲e are learning-disability forward,鈥� said Maldonado, the math teacher who also teaches robotics. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about getting them out of their comfort zone both socially and academically. Having students be open about their learning differences makes it easier for everyone involved.鈥�

As students navigate the three weeks, they learn to be more open.

They talk often about their learning disabilities.

It鈥檚 a far cry from when they arrive timid, closed off and hoping to see some positive feedback on the school from their parents.

鈥淎ll students can learn and they will learn,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just about us meeting certain expectations, focusing on their strengths and not their weaknesses in order to meet our goal in this class, task or activity.鈥�

The post Students Find Success and Themselves During Summer for Success Program appeared first on 海角社区.

By Richard Burnett

On his first day at 海角社区, Sahil felt like he had arrived on another planet. From the dorm room and campus to the town, nothing was familiar. By week鈥檚 end, however, all of his anxiety had faded. The place was like a second home.

鈥淲hat brought the comfort level was finding the game tent that they had set up for us here,鈥� said the rising high school senior from Orlando. 鈥淥nce I landed there, all the unease went away. You got games, you got music, and you find friends. I couldn鈥檛 be happier.鈥�

Sahil was part of another major turnout this year for 海角社区鈥檚 annual Summer for Success program, a three-week immersion into collegiate life for high school students and rising first-year college students with learning differences.

The 2022 edition, which ended July 29, drew a record 134 students from across the U.S., an increase of 25 percent over last summer, according to Alex Morris-Wood, 海角社区鈥檚 associate vice president of transition and student experience. Forty of the attendees will be first-year 海角社区 students in the upcoming fall semester.

鈥淭hat creates a great opportunity for us all,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he summer program gives students a taste of college, and gives us a chance to identify their areas of strength earlier, which makes the transition a little easier for everybody.鈥�

A summer of transformation

From classrooms to the Dining Commons, the aspiring college students bustled with excitement during the Summer for Success of 2022, as most of them experienced their first daily routines of college life. (Nearly 20 of them attended last year鈥檚 program and liked it so much, they returned for the 2022 session.)

鈥淚 absolutely love it,鈥� said Bella Renshaw, 17, of San Diego, California, one of the returnees. 鈥淚 was really nervous coming into it last year, especially on the first day. But as the first week went by, I had met so many super-nice friends. I think, by the end of the program, I felt like I was a completely different person.鈥�

Many have experienced a similar transformation through the program, organizers said. The students often arrive uncertain and nervous, but step by step, they find their confidence, bolstered by steady support from the faculty and new friends.

鈥淵ou often see students on their first day so attached to their parents, they don鈥檛 want to be separated,鈥� said Brody Gliddon, senior coordinator of the 2022 program. 鈥淚n a week or so, however, the students don鈥檛 want to leave 海角社区; they want to stay. They find such great relationships here. It changes them and helps them mature. It鈥檚 just incredible to see their journey and the connections they make.鈥�

More than 35 teachers, administrators, counselors, learning specialists and other support workers comprise the faculty for the summer session. It is spearheaded by a leadership core that includes Gliddon, Morris-Wood, Dr. Oksana Hagerty, dean of the Center for Student Success, and Dana Manzo, dean of wellness and student development.

鈥淪ummer for Success is a very collaborative model,鈥� Morris-Wood said. 鈥淲hat we are working toward at 海角社区 is to remove silos in education because we understand our students are just a little more complex. Sometimes, they need more support outside the classroom in order to be successful.鈥�

Outside the classroom, for example, 海角社区 has gone the extra mile to create a fun environment on campus for Summer for Success. Its student activities center features video games, talent shows, cookouts, concerts, comedy improv and other outlets to facilitate the students鈥� socialization at the college level.

Disney, snakes, robots and 海角社区

Of course, inside the classroom is the program鈥檚 main focus, with a wide-ranging curriculum that offers more than two dozen courses, including something for everyone 鈥� from aspiring artists, scientists, humanitarians and computer geeks to those who need to brush up on independent living skills.

A major hit last year 鈥� The Imagination Experience, a course that highlights in Florida 鈥� drew such a popular response 海角社区 introduced another theme-park related course this year called Beyond Imagination!, a broader, in-depth look at Florida鈥檚 tourism economy.听 Both courses were sold out, reaching maximum capacity early in the enrollment period.

Students also flocked to another new course, Introduction to Robotics, which combined the joy of Lego building with the challenge of using computer skills to create electronic Lego robots. The students embraced the challenge with energy and excitement, said instructor Angel Maldonado, who also teaches science and engineering in Orange County Public Schools.

鈥淲orking with these students who have learning differences is mostly the same as working with any students in a typical classroom,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey are eager to learn, they have the ability to learn, and they surely will learn when given the opportunity. And I鈥檝e seen it happen every day here this summer.鈥�

In Caring for Animals, another popular course, anthrozoology instructor Bryan Cushing said students not only get hands-on experience with a variety of animals, but also learn how to overcome anxiety, gain self-confidence and work with a team of other students.

鈥淥ne of my biggest goals is for them to realize they really can do this work,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 had a student yesterday who was just terrified of snakes, but she wanted to try her best to hold one. And she did it!听 So I look for things we can do to help students feel awesome about themselves in this class.鈥�

From Broadway to Law & Order

Simone Ritchie鈥檚 Summer for Success courses took her from Broadway to the mysteries of the criminal mind. In the course All Things Broadway, she wrote and produced a play; in Criminology Today, she profiled a real criminal and told their story of crime and punishment. Finally, in Human Behavior & Society, she examined a critical social problem, posed a solution and presented her findings to the class.

It was no small workload for a three-week summer school session, but the rising high school senior from Scottsdale, Arizona, was undaunted.

鈥淵es, it is a lot, I guess,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut not when you鈥檙e having fun all along the way.鈥�

The post Neurodivergent Students Learn College Ropes in Popular 海角社区 Summer Program appeared first on 海角社区.

By 海角社区 Staff

As associate director of enrollment services, Chrystol Ingram makes sure students at 海角社区 successfully complete their application process听and secure financial aid.听But after her work is done, a whole different side of Ingram comes to life. This side is steeped in faith and also carries a message of hope through gospel music, a legacy passed down to her through family and church.

On her father鈥檚 side, Ingram鈥檚 family has counted musicians, singers and choir directors among its members, while on her mother鈥檚 side, a maternal great-uncle of Ingram鈥檚 married the first African American female DJ in Florida.

鈥淢y great-uncle and then my grandmother and other siblings, all of my great aunts and uncles, they had a musical group, the Fort Pierce Master Singers, and growing up I had an opportunity to attend these rehearsals,鈥� said Ingram, who began singing in the Greater Faith Church of God, in Fort Pierce, when she was nine years old.

鈥淭o hear them belting out these notes; it just stirred you.鈥�

It was thus almost impossible for her to avoid a connection with music. Since those days, Ingram, her mother and sister formed a group called Perfect Harmony, which has graced national and international stages. More recently, the group rebranded itself as The Voices of Victory.

Ingram has toured Europe with some notable musicians, including Robin Gibb (of Bee Gees fame), The Simple Minds, Sinead O鈥機onnor and Kim Wilde, with her group later joining forces with the American Gospel Choir, a collaboration of Central Florida musicians who toured Eastern Europe.鈥ㄢ�≒erfect Harmony 鈥� which has received nominations by the South Florida Gospel Music Awards for best new gospel group of the year, best gospel trio, and best new artist 鈥� has also听performed with the world famous Harlem Gospel Choir, known for its powerful vocals
When not touring abroad, Ingram has regaled the American public with her talents, such as during a performance with national recording artist Jessica Simpson at the Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade, a television special that airs on Christmas Day at ABC, and frequent appearances at the House of Blues in Orlando. 听She also fulfilled the dream of many artists: performing at the Super Bowl, which she did alongside country music sensation Faith Hill.

Ingram, who joined 海角社区 in 2021, says she does not sing as much anymore, as she has focused on other aspects of her career 鈥� she holds a master鈥檚 degree in business administration and has extensive teaching and administrative experience. But she still takes to the stage from time to time.

Last January, she sang and performed in 鈥淩ise and Shine,鈥� a showcase of local talent that helped inaugurate Steinmetz Hall, the newest addition to the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando, Florida.

Although fulfilling her duties as director of enrollment services while juggling singing and performing was demanding at times, she said staying connected to the arts was worth all the effort.

鈥淭here were times when I said 鈥極h, my gosh. I鈥檓 not sure I can make it 鈥� balance all of it,鈥� but after all the positive feedback 鈥� including newspaper recognition 鈥� I knew was part of a history-making event.鈥�
Ingram also has tried her hand at acting, including at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater, in Orlando, a talent she is hoping to develop in coming years. In 2015,听Ingram had a leading role in 鈥淗aving Our Say,鈥� a play about two elderly African-American women who lived through the Great Depression, Jim Crow, and the Civil Rights movement.

Produced by Cultural Fusion, the play had an all African-American cast, enjoying success and good reviews. A positive reception led to Cultural Fusion securing a residency at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

And this summer, Ingram鈥檚 background directly will benefit 海角社区 students who enroll in her class, a three-week course called 鈥淎ll Things Broadway,鈥� part of the听Summer for Success program offered yearly by the college. The three-week campus immersion program helps prepare high-school students with learning differences acclimate to college life while learning and having fun.

Ingram plans to put on an accelerated version of a musical (she is not disclosing its name yet to keep up the suspense) that will get students moving and learning about music. She said she hopes that students walk away from the experience with an appreciation for the art of performing, with a greater understanding of how significantly art has shaped their communities and the world and with a greater sense of confidence to make a contribution to society.

鈥淚f students can start to really grab a hold of the power of music; this will give them the confidence they need to interact with people from different backgrounds and on different levels,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something that helped me; and if we can connect at this singular point, which is music, that鈥檚 something you can take across professionally.鈥�

The post Ingram to Bring a Little Broadway to Summer for Success Program appeared first on 海角社区.

By Richard Burnett

From Disney to Broadway, high students from across the country found new avenues of creativity during the 2021 edition of Summer for Success, 海角社区鈥檚 annual summer college immersion program.

Joanna Shang of Baltimore, Md. and her team envisioned a new theme park where everything is based on colorful villains of Disney lore. Bill Gordon of Dallas, Tx. helped make history come alive in an original musical. And Manuel Frangis of Atlanta, Ga. peered behind the curtain of Broadway to see what makes Hamilton and Les Mis茅rables tick.

They were among the more than 100 high school students and rising first-year college students with learning disabilities who attended 海角社区鈥檚 Summer for Success program for a taste of the collegiate experience. The 2021 edition, which ended July 30, drew a record turnout 鈥� a result of pent-up demand after last year鈥檚 all-virtual event amid the pandemic restrictions.

While mask-wearing and other precautions remained in place this year, the summer school scholars still were abuzz about taking in-person classes, meeting new friends, and experiencing other benefits of being together in school.

For Gordon, who will be a 海角社区 freshman in the fall, everything about the summer session was interesting and fun 鈥� especially the people.

鈥淚 would say the most fun part about being here is actually putting names to faces, instead of just seeing them on the computer screen,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been nice to interact with students and teachers, person-to-person, rather than over a Zoom call.鈥�

For students with learning differences, however, the excitement of social interaction in a college setting sometimes spills over into anxiety amid their first experience of independence, said Dana Manzo, 海角社区鈥檚 director of counseling and the clinical coordinator of Summer for Success.

鈥淲e often see a lot of intense emotions here because it鈥檚 all so new to them and they don鈥檛 know to cope with it,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ne of the great things about this program is that we are prepared for all of that. We engage with them in the moment when they are experiencing these intense emotions, and we are able to teach them the coping skills they need.鈥�

Program organizers say they have covered all the bases to meet the students鈥� unique needs. Alex Morris-Wood, 海角社区鈥檚 director of transition services and outreach, plans the structure and strategy of the program, which he launched in 2018. On the academic side, Dr. Oksana Hagerty, director of the Center for Student Success, designed the curriculum.

Overall, the college established a robust summer school staff including 35 teachers, administrators, counselors, and support workers. Its varied menu of course offerings included math and writing strategies, web design, wildlife conservation, independent living skills, and much more.

One of the most popular hits of the session was a new course 鈥� The Imagination Experience, a multidisciplinary learning experience centered on Disney. Through classroom study and field trips to the Orlando parks, students energized their minds, while also having fun, said Rose DeJarnett, developer and instructor of the course, and a 海角社区 reading and literacy professor.

鈥淭he subject is so engaging to the students,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 can embed instruction in reading, writing, critical thinking, cooperative learning 鈥� all the skills that we look for in our freshmen students and can build on throughout their years. Sometimes, they are so interested in the subject, they don鈥檛 even realize the hard work they are doing.鈥�

For the social side, organizers raised an expanded student activities center 鈥� an air-conditioned tent 鈥� to accommodate the larger than expected summer turnout. From video games to ping pong, cookouts to concerts, the center attracted large crowds and played a key role in the students鈥� socialization at the college level.

鈥淭here鈥檚 really no other program in the country like this for these students,鈥� Morris-Wood said. 鈥淥ur philosophy is that this is not just about getting college credit, but much more about learning and immersing yourself in college life. We recognize the students are smart, but they鈥檝e never had independent living skills practice. So here, we basically mimic college to give them that experience.鈥�

The post Summer for Success: Energizing The Mind While Having Fun appeared first on 海角社区.

Summer for Success staffer Kelly Mouriz welcomed a familiar face Tuesday to her Human Behavior class: her husband.

Dr. Javier Mouriz, a licensed psychologist, touched on several topics including his 26-year career as a psychologist for The Bureau of Prisons.

His career began at the infamous United States Penitentiary Leavenworth, a medium security facility in Leavenworth, KS with an adjacent minimum security satellite camp.听 He later transferred to USP Coleman I, a high-security federal corrections facility in Sumter County, Fla. for the balance of his career.

Mouriz revealed why he chose the psychology field and the steps involved in obtaining a doctorate. He also shared stories about interacting with inmates in a maximum-security prison.

Mouriz, who is from Cuba, also spoke about the practicum experience 鈥� which turned into a job 鈥� he did while a doctorate student working with Cuban detainees, whom Fidel Castro had released from Cuban prisons.

Today, he is in private practice.

鈥� Reported by Kelly Mouriz

Fore!

It’s good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls while they are still rolling.
鈥� Mark Twain

With visions of听Carnoustie in their heads, Summer for Success students gave Tiger Woods a run for his money when they took to the (mini) links at Tree Tops Mini-golf & Softball.

Students teed off, putted, and sliced their way to fun and some incredible holes-in-one.

Fun-Spotting

Summer for Success students and staffers enjoyed an exciting night out at a regional amusement park, Fun Spot Orlando.

Some students even braved the new ride 鈥� 鈥淗ead Crush 360.鈥�

Fortunately, no actual heads were crushed in the adventuring, but students gave the ride thumbs up. Fun Spot offered a nice break from the day of college classes.

Between the go-carts, rollercoasters, and corkscrewy slides, the 海角社区 contingent agreed the venue lived up to its name.

鈥� Reported by Dana M. Manzo

Where the Wild Things Are

On Saturday, Summer for Success students donned their pith helmets (or Adidas caps) and ventured out on safari to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

It was a compelling mix of revelry and scholastic reinforcement, as the trip built on the animal conservation and humane-inspired approach themes students learned in anthrozoology classes.

C’mon in … the Water’s Fine

Nothing satisfies on sultry Florida summer day like a dip in the pool.

For Summer for Success students, Typhoon Lagoon was the perfect summer tonic.

With its wave pool, beach, rides and lazy river, students of all stripes found some way to catch the wave of fun.

Many students, after a stint in the wave pool, chilled out relaxing on the lazy river.

Thrillseekers dared 鈥淢iss Adventure Falls.鈥�

There were no Baywatch sightings.

鈥� Reported by Caroline Muthaisu

The post Real-world Learning appeared first on 海角社区.

And so began the 2018 Summer for Success program, 海角社区’s three-week summer college immersion program for students who learn differently.

With single steps, 58 students from 17 states and Puerto Rico and from Germany began their journeys of exploration, introspection, and evolution, testing 鈥� sometimes for the first time 鈥� independence, responsibility, and agency.

Three weeks from now, like caterpillars emerging from a chrysalis, students will emerge fundamentally changed 鈥� young men and women armed with study strategies and with the confidence that they can compete and excel on the collegiate level.

Book ’em, Dano!

Summer for Success instructors wasted no time hitting the books and introducing students to the Three R’s (College Edition).

Students plunged headfirst into writing for college, human behavior, collegiate math, anthrozoology, animation, and other courses that allowed them to sample college rigor and explore interests.

The Great Outdoors

Florida is famous for its sunshine and tropical climes, so Summer for Success instructors would be remiss not to allow their charges occasionally to play in the sunshine.

During an evening hike this week through Venetian Gardens, students communed with Mother Nature and gained a greater sense of the grandeur of our great big, blue marble.

A Dog’s Life

On Thursday, Nick Nelson, a current 海角社区 anthrozoology student, visited the Summer for Success “humans and animals” class with his partner Indie.

For his summer internship, Nelson is working with Boondocks K9 Search and Rescue Unit. He is responsible for training Indie as her full-time handler.

Nelson and his associate tutored students about what is involved in training these dogs for their search and rescue missions.

Students trekked to Venetian Gardens with a search and rescue demonstration using one of the Summer for Success Students, Evan Cuddington.

Hershey, a second dog, found him using the scent of Evan’s hat.

All Work and No Play? Not!

Between downtime after classes and planned off-campus excursions, Summer for Success students got to chill and thrill at playing video games, table tennis, billiards, and getting, well, trashed (in the silliest sense possible!).

Summer for Success in Thirty Seconds!

The post Let’s Get it Started! appeared first on 海角社区.

Yet, despite the array of sugary treats, Thursday night was bittersweet.

It was the last night for students attending the 2017 edition of Summer for Success, the multi-week college immersion program developed by 海角社区 to be on their own away from home and hanging out with new friends they made along their summer journey.

However, for the 58 students who studied hard, played hard, and stuck out the entire three weeks, the evening also provided acknowledgement of the strides each student had made in learning strategies to manage their challenges and proving their stick鈥搕o鈥搃tiveness.

鈥淚n imparting my last piece of wisdom to you,鈥� began Andrew Marvin, a 海角社区 graduate and now assistant director of admissions, 鈥淚 want to say that I love this program because it鈥檚 not something I had.鈥�

Marvin excelled in high school and scored well on the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Yet, after he enrolled at the University of South Florida, his academics tanked.

鈥淚 just didn鈥檛 understand that it was an environment that didn鈥檛 cater to how I learn,鈥� he said.

An environment that Marvin said he later found at 海角社区, the first college or university accredited to award bachelor鈥檚 degrees primarily to students who learn differently.

An environment that this summer allowed students to give 海角社区 a trial run, but also provided tools that they could carry elsewhere and succeed.

鈥淚 really feel that in the last few weeks you learned a lot about that it means to be a person with [learning disabilities] LD and ASD [autism spectrum disorders],鈥� Marvin said. 鈥淔rom the alumni to you, congratulations on your accomplishments.鈥�

Rashad Joiner, another 海角社区 alumnus who served as a resident dean for Summer of Success, echoed Marvin鈥檚 message.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a real pleasure watching you guys grow over the last three weeks,鈥� Joiner said. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got this. You yourselves are your biggest strength. With that, take that and take what you鈥檝e learned here to succeed.鈥�

In closing the 2017 ceremony, and before distributing certificates of completion, 海角社区 President George J. Hagerty drilled down to the heart of the matter that is Summer for Success.

鈥淵ou have had the real college faculty; you have had the real college staff,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hatever anxieties you have about the future, hopefully that these past three weeks have convinced you that you can accomplish great things in a short period of time.鈥�

The post The End of the Road appeared first on 海角社区.