Family and Friends Honor Keith R. Kennedy with Endowment to Daytona State College

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (February 29, 2024) – The family and friends of Keith R. Kennedy, Sr., who served as Vice President for Student Development at Daytona State, have established an endowed scholarship fund with the Daytona State College Foundation in his memory. Kennedy passed away in September 2021.

The Keith R. Kennedy, Sr. Legacy Scholarship will support students who have exhausted all other sources of financial assistance or whose program of study doesn’t offer financial support. The scholarship will also provide support for students returning to college or starting college later in life.

“Keith was a beloved teacher, mentor, colleague and friend. He touched countless lives and made a difference with everyone he met,” said Dr. Tom LoBasso, President of Daytona State College. “Keith made it his personal mission to help others grow to their full potential, guiding generations of students and members of the community. His kindness and warmth made the College a better place. We still miss him dearly.”

Kennedy spent more than 40 years at Daytona State, arriving in 1980 and working his way up in roles ranging from student employee to College Administrator. After earning his Associate of Arts degree in 1982, he started as a part-time employee with the Facilities team before moving to Student Life in 1984. Over the years, he held a variety of professional and administrative positions with Admissions, Community Outreach, Adult Education, Judicial Affairs and Career Services. He was named Assistant Dean for Judicial Affairs & Disability Services in 2008. Two years later he was promoted to Dean of Student Development.  

“Keith’s position in the Judicial Affairs Department allowed him to be involved in assessing whether a former student who had been previously ineligible for enrollment could re-establish eligibility for enrolling or re-entry into the college or their particular program of study,” said Kennedy’s wife Tanya. “Keith was passionate about helping students complete their education. He believed if there was any way of giving a student a second chance, he did exactly that!”

Kennedy was named Associate Vice President for Student Development in 2013, and Vice President in 2016, a position he held at the time of his passing. He also served as Director for MOCI (the Men of Character Initiative) from 2013 to 2016 and was Interim Director of the Center for Women & Men from 2016 to 2017.

“Mr. Kennedy was an inspiration to everyone,” said Enaris Inman, New Smyrna Beach/Edgewater Campus Director. “Having worked alongside Mr. Kennedy with MOCI, I had the privilege of witnessing this passion in action. In his eyes, there were no requests too large and no barriers that could not be removed. He was a giant in student development, and his legacy at Daytona State and in the community will resound for years to come.”

Kennedy believed in and enjoyed mentoring, volunteering and serving on various boards in the community. He was the recipient of numerous community service awards including the Community Service Award - Volusia County Hispanic Association; Hometown Hero Award - City of Daytona Beach; Outstanding Service Award - PTA, Palm Terrace Elementary School; Outstanding Leadership Awards - Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity; Volunteer Mentoring Award - Florida Department of Juvenile Justice; Volunteer Mentoring Awards - Daytona & DeLand YMCA; Volunteer Service Award - Daytona Beach Housing Authority; Volunteer Service Award - Volusia County Health Department; Volunteer Service Award - Black Male Explorers Program - Bethune-Cookman University; Volunteer Service Award - Department of Children & Families; Volunteer Service Award - Boy Scouts-Turie T. Small Elementary School; Volunteer Service Award - Dial-A-Dad Program, Delta Sorority.

“Although Keith was the recipient of many awards and accolades during his career and life, he never looked for fame or recognition,” Tanya said. “His proudest accomplishment and mission in life was enriching the lives of others.

Kennedy was a lifelong learner. Throughout his career he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Master of Arts in Counseling from the University of Central Florida. He became a licensed Mental Health Counselor and earned certifications as a mediator, substance abuse counselor and a Duluth Domestic Violence Counselor. 

Kennedy was also a business owner and entrepreneur. In 1999, he founded Full Potential Enterprises and in 2002, Responsible Choices Outreach. The primary focus of both agencies was to stabilize and strengthen families through mental health counseling, parenting education, domestic violence and substance abuse counseling, as well as a host of other human resources and services to North and Central Florida communities. He provided these services to pay it forward to his community and others in underserved populations. As a result, many parents were able to regain custody of their children; the recidivism rate went down significantly for participants that successfully completed domestic violence counseling (participants who had been previously offenders of domestic violence). Participants that completed substance abuse counseling had very few instances of relapsing.

Kennedy is survived by his wife, Tanya, four children and four grandchildren.

Those interested in contributing to the Keith R. Kennedy, Sr. Legacy Scholarship fund may do so online at https://www.daytonastatefoundation.org or by calling (386) 506-3407.

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Offering more than 100 certificate, associate and bachelor’s degree programs, Daytona State College is the leader in education and workforce training needs of Volusia and Flagler counties and beyond. The College enrolls approximately 23,000 students a year at its seven campuses, with graduates serving in critical fields including healthcare, emergency services and public safety, business, education, hospitality, engineering, project management, accounting, computer science, digital media, and more.

Daytona State has been recognized as a leader in higher education numerous times. U.S. News & World Report ranks the College among the Top Tier Best Online Bachelor’s Programs. The U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency Center ranks DSC among the top 50 most affordable public four-year institutions in the country, with less than half the tuition of the national average. And U.S. News & World Report has ranked DSC among its Top Online Bachelor's Programs for Veterans multiple times.

For information about supporting Daytona State College’s world-class programs through the Daytona State College Foundation, visit DaytonaStateFoundation.org or call (386) 506-3195.