By Louis Arias
In Motion Staff Writer
After Hurricane Irma forced Daytona State College to reschedule its Diamond and Silver Celebration, the highly anticipated Gala took place on Nov. 8 at the Mori Hosseini Center. This year’s event celebrated two milestones in the institution’s history: the College’s diamond (60th) and the Foundation’s Silver (25th) anniversaries.
Although food, music and merriment is at the heart of the yearly celebration, the object of the event is to raise funds for scholarships and college programs.
This year, the first two hours were designed to allow sponsors, supporters and guests to enjoy delicacies prepared by DSC’s College of Hospitality and Culinary Management, to appreciate fine beverages and partake in a silent auction which, for the first time, was a click bid using mobile devices to make it more engaging. The food’s excellence would later on earn Chef Costa Magoulas, his staff and students a standing ovation.
Welcomes and acknowledgments on the College’s side came from DSC President, Dr. Tom LoBasso who said, “DSC is the community’s best investment.” On the Foundation’s behalf, Chair Bobby Thigpen opportunely reminded the audience of Winston Churchill’s quote: “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”
In a tribute video, major supporters highlighted the College’s contribution to Volusia and Flagler counties and showed excerpts of its history, including its humble beginnings as Daytona Junior College at the Princess Issena Hotel. The first class graduated 57 students. Sixty years later, on 7 campuses, DSC now serves over 27,000 students and produced over 3,000 graduates this year.
SGA President Sofia Rivas presented outstanding alumni who briefly shared how DSC had transformed their lives. Stephen Crowley, a 2002 Photography Department graduate, has won numerous awards including a Pulitzer Prize for his work at the New York Times. Former Daytona Beach Police Chief Craig Capri now teaches at Daytona State’s Law Enforcement Academy, from which he graduated in 1989. Melissa Diaz, who came as high school student with mediocre grades, went on to earn the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Scholarship and will graduate this year from the University of Florida.
As the event drew to its conclusion, music worked its magic on the capacity crowd of 300 attendees, including local dignitaries including Hyatt Brown, board chairman of Brown & Brown insurance agencies, a Daytona Beach-based corporation that last year grossed $1 billion., along with his philanthropist wife, Cici. The DSC Jazz Singers, under the direction of new faculty member Dr. Jean Hickman, encouraged the audience to participate in a jazz rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely.” Faces lit up, the energy increased and DSC’s world-class event moved into the realm of beautiful memories.
As noted by those in the audience, generous donors and consistent, substantial supporters have done their share in making Daytona State College into a Volusia and Flagler powerhouse. So have innumerable, maybe not so wealthy but equally committed small donors, dedicated teachers, staff, volunteers and alumni. Together, they said know in their hearts that every day is a great day to be a Falcon and remember that a life is made by what is given.
As the gala so well illustrates, it takes a village to raise an institution.