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Palm Coast Songwriters Festival Discount Tickets
Join us April 30 at the Flagler/Palm Coast Campus Amphitheater for a special kickoff show of the Palm Coast Songwriters Festival. This will be an amazing music event where you hear the stories behind the songs and hear them performed by incredible artists. In addition, we’ll also celebrate the newly renovated Alan Smolen Center Amphitheater.
This special event features recording artist Michael Ray who has four top 10 hits along with other charted hits. Michael will be playing with his great songwriter friends Brock Berryhill (“What Happens in a Small Town,” “Good as You,” and “Homesick”) and Josh Phillips (“Dirt Cheap,” “Angels Working Overtime,” and “The Man He Sees in Me”); plus the amazing Wynn Varble (“Waitin On a Woman” and “Have You Forgotten”), Matt Alderman (“Can’t Have Mine” and “Truth About You”), Karen Staley (“Keeper of the Stars” and “Take Me As I Am”), and Ashley Estevez (local songwriter now making her mark in Nashville).
Beginning March 15, DSC students and staff will receive a limited time discount for general admission tickets for $20 per ticket. (Regular general admission is $30 per ticket; limit of two discounted tickets per purchase). A portion of the ticket proceeds will be donated to the Flagler County Education Foundation for the purpose of funding scholarships to Daytona State College students.
For more information or to purchase tickets, go to www.palmcoastsongwritersfestival.com and use the discount code DSCSTUDENTS or DSCSTAFF.
Expanding the On-Campus Living Experience
Our capital campaign to build a second student residence hall on the Daytona Beach
Campus is underway and you are invited to help our students!
The new facility, which is expected to house approximately 256 students, could open as early as Fall 2026.
Our first residence hall has been a resounding success. It opened to full capacity in Fall 2022. It is already at full capacity for the upcoming academic year. And we have received more than 1,000 student housing applications in less than one year.
When we began studying the possibility of building housing on campus in 2018, a study we commissioned showed the college could support more than 500 students. Initial plans for the second residence hall call for approximately 52,000 square feet of space and approximately 256 beds.
We know that students who live on campus are more engaged with their instructors, utilize academic support systems more frequently, and participate more in on-campus activities.
With the DSC Foundation, we’re launching a $15 million capital campaign. Donations from the community will ensure our residence hall will be an affordable and accessible option for students. We need your support. Make your gift here, or contact the Daytona State College Foundation at Foundation@DaytonaState.edu or by calling (386) 506-3195.
You can learn more at the new residence hall web page and keep tabs on the campaign’s progress.
Honoring Employee Harun Thomas
A native of the Philadelphia-Delaware area, Harun first experienced Florida when his family moved here when he was in high school. He returned to the northeast to pursue a degree in math education, but found his true passion in English and Journalism, eventually earning a Ph.D. in English from the University of Florida in 2008. He and his family settled in Ormond Beach that same year, ostensibly to teach at Mainland High School. We were fortunate to have him join us the following year and he has been a valued member of the School of Communication ever since.
He enjoys connecting with each class, tailoring assignments to enhance their learning experience. One of his techniques involves using graffiti as a learning tool instead of a traditional textbook. This allows him to introduce students to communication concepts through one of the oldest forms of expression. It has not only transformed how students perceive graffiti but also broadened their understanding of communication as a whole.
His work has inspired colleagues to grow and consider new teaching methodologies. He balances his charisma and positivity with a thoughtful intensity.
Harun’s dedication and creative approach continue to leave an indelible mark on the Daytona State College community.
Please join us in recognizing Harun’s significant accomplishments as an educator.
Honoring Employee Heather Hanger
It is with great pleasure that I share news of Heather Hanger receiving a Service Excellence Award this week at our Senior Executive Staff meeting.
Heather joined us as a student work study in 2019 and became full-time in 2020 with Records and Registration in our Call Center. The Center handles an average of 200 calls daily, surging to 500 during peak times. Beyond assisting students and families, she has eagerly expanded her expertise, gaining extensive knowledge of enrollment processes.
She has developed skills in enrollment reporting, troubleshooting errors and creating training guides and sessions for colleagues. Always quick to provide information to our students, she also enjoys helping with busy times in the records department with graduation.
A proud DSC alum, Heather earned an Associate of Science degree, certificates in Office
Administration and Office Management, an Associate of Arts degree, and a BAS – all
with honors. Outside of DSC, she enjoys kayaking, gardening and baking.
Please join us in congratulating Heather for her outstanding service and commitment
to our mission.