30th Anniversary History Book

graduate PROFILE: Davian Isom

To boost outreach about the contests, Partlow created “silly and eye-catching” fliers.

“We’ve increased the number of participants by 300 percent in the last two years” - Serena Partlow

HOME:  Washington, D.C.

“We’ve increased the number of participants by 300 percent in the last two years,” she said. As Partlow, a 2019 graduate from Juneau, Alaska, sees it, Beacon is teeming with activities and events.

CLASS OF: 2008

PROFESSION: Social Worker (MSW)

HOBBIES:  Ice skating; traveling; Painting MOST MEANINGFUL BOOKS YOU’VE READ: The Alchemist

“There are so many clubs!” said the anthrozoology grad. “Every semester we have a club fair at the beginning, and you can just choose any club you want to be part of. We have an equestrian club, an anime club,” and students can start new clubs that revolve around whatever their interests are. Beacon also sponsors trips to area beaches, to Orlando’s theme parks, and cultural events. “You can sign up in the book store,” she said. “If there’s a fee, it’s not much at all.” “We’ve got all kinds of things going on,” Partlow said. “In addition to all the trips, we have people coming to the Student Center to put on workshops; we have speakers for the [Beacon] Salon series. We have a basketball court and a football field for flag football. The Student Center offers gaming tables and video game consoles.”

FAVORITE MUSIC:  Jazz

MOST MEANINGFUL ACCOMPLISHMENT: The ability to pay it forward while moving forward 

PROFILE: Urban Leadership: Reducing severe economic, political, class, and social inequalities is pivotal to achieving urban sustainability. Analyses of inequalities offering communities more inclusive help to realize their full potential, making them appealing places to live, work, and improve prospects for economic development. WHERE IN LIFE DO YOU BELIEVE YOU WOULD BE WITHOUT BEACON? I could have been one of those students who was overlooked in our academic system. Having professors give you an outlook beyond the town you were raised in gave me more of an appreciation of the world around me. HOW DID BEACON GIVE YOU A FOOTHOLD IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD? Professors with patience. Through a human service internship at the local hospital that turned into a part-time paid position, and Beacon College provided the opportunity to travel outside the United States annually to review completed humanities courses. 

This harvest of activities was sown and cultivated during the Brodbeck years. From 1992-1994, the school’s modest enrollment gave Beacon the unique “ability to tailor student activities based on interest,” she said, while striking “a balance between academics and activities that enhanced socialization.”

And student interests were abundant.

Beacon sponsored weekly activities to “engage students and broaden their horizons,” Brodbeck said. Students traveled to museums, recreational parks, Walt Disney World,

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