Academic Advising - Beacon College
Source: https://www.beaconcollege.edu/academics/academic-advising-and-support
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:25
Academic Advising - Beacon College
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Founded in 1989, Beacon College in Leesburg, Florida, stands as a shining beacon of hope and opportunity for students with learning disabilities.
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Join us on campus for one of our upcoming Open House events! We invite you to experience the personalized support, vibrant campus life, and academic excellence that make Beacon College the ideal choice for students with learning differences.
Register Now >
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Certificate in Coaching Adolescents
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Get college-ready this summer with our Summer Bundle!
Combine virtual college readiness counseling with one of our on campus summer immersion programs and receive $2,000 off. You’ll get 1:1 college readiness prep and an unforgettable summer, all in one.
Learn More
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Anthrozoology
Business Management
Hospitality and Tourism
Computer Information Systems
Design and Digital Media
Early Childhood and Elementary Education
Humanities
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Success & Support Services
Academic Advising
Academic Support
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Career Treks
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Study Abroad
Resources
Course Catalog
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Registrar’s Office
Academics
Intellectual challenge is at the heart of a Beacon education. We take this very seriously, but we are also very practical about it. Our 10 bachelor’s degree programs are intended to prepare our students to find worthy work in today’s global marketplace. Additionally, we encourage students to explore their diverse interests through one or more of our 17 minors.
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Transportation
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Athletics
Men’s Basketball
Women’s Basketball
Cross Country and Track
Golf
Student Life
“Pursuing the life abundant” is the pervading theme that infuses everything we do at Beacon College. It’s something we take very seriously indeed.
At Beacon, you’ll be able to be the most that you can be. Both within the classroom and far beyond it, we nurture a vivacious learning laboratory that calls upon you to seek and cherish all of life’s richness.
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News and Updates
Lighting the Path Newsletter
A World of Difference
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We are committed to keeping you up to date. Check out current news, media, and upcoming events from Beacon College.
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Academic Advising
Individualized Support for Your Academic Success
Learning at Beacon is different from any experience you’ve ever had before. It’s exciting. Engaging. Hands on. It’s focused on you and your learning needs and preferences.
The goal of the academic support services at Beacon is to enhance your classroom experience by ensuring meaningful participation, completion of the work, use of different supports, and better communication.
At the Center for Student Success, we embrace your learning differences and specifically focus on creating sustainable academic progress by helping you develop the skills needed for personal independence and responsibility. Through our individualized service, you’ll meet weekly with your learning specialist who serves as an academic and life advisor, an educational/developmental mentor, and a student advocate — with one singular goal: to help you succeed academically!
Academic Support
Career Preparation
Course Catalog
Learning Specialists
Upon your enrollment, you’ll be assigned a learning specialist who will offer individualized support unique to your needs and academic level. Working in a 2 x 2 model, you will stay with your first learning specialist for your freshman and sophomore years and then move to the junior/senior learning specialist team. Freshman students meet with their learning specialist for 60 minutes per week, either one meeting or two 30-minute sessions. Sophomore students meet with their learning specialist for 30 to 60 minutes per week depending on the need; junior/senior students meet with their learning specialist for 30 minutes each week.
As Educational/Developmental Mentor, Learning Specialists:
Monitor your academic progress, review it with you, and create meaningful interventions in the areas of need.
Identify, recommend, and assist in the development of skills, compensatory strategies, and positive habits needed to sustain the five behaviors for college success: improved attendance, participation, assignment completion, submission, use of resources, and communication.
Help you recognize and take advantage of available accommodations as well as identify and apply for additional accommodations.
Coach you on how to monitor performance independently and act strategically to solve problems and complete tasks.
Collaborate with faculty to help you improve.
As Academic and Life Advisors, Learning Specialists:
Help you select a course of study in line with your interests, ability, and career goals, including the selection of developmental classes for specific academic skills.
Assist you in developing a balanced academic plan and register you for classes.
Engage in planning for your future.
Help you learn more about your learning differences and increase your self-awareness and social and emotional intelligence, especially as it relates to social norms and conventions when interacting with the faculty, staff, and fellow students.
Provide tools for effective self-advocacy.
Help you resolve and manage conflicts, personal concerns, and life challenges with the cooperation of other departments on campus.
Scaffolding and Feedback
Throughout your academic career, what do we expect from you? Effort and accountability! You need to make yourself available for learning and take full responsibility for your actions for us to be able to best support you through the scaffolding and feedback processes.
Scaffolding is the temporary and appropriate assistance that we provide to help you achieve a learning goal or complete a task by:
Breaking down complex tasks into manageable steps
Modeling and demonstrating the skills
Offering hints and prompts
Encouraging self-assessment and self-reflection
Feedback is our constructive, timely comments to help you improve your performance or understanding.
Smiles with Sully
With a little dance, hop, and twisty wag of his tail, Sully the Goldendoodle immediately makes friends, melts hearts, and shows unbounded affection for people. He is the star of Beacon’s emerging therapy dog program: Smiles with Sully. For students, spending time with Sully helps them overcome the stress and anxiety of classes, exams, and other challenges of campus life.
Open Learning
In addition to weekly meetings with learning specialists, you can take advantage of Open Learning opportunities that provide additional mentoring time. During Open Learning, you can work independently in a dedicated study space or interact with peers, peer tutors, or learning specialists. No matter how much time, effort, or resources are needed, Open Learning assures that you have the necessary infrastructure to engage with the course material and practice constructive communication with academic staff and peers.
Open Learning is available in the Center for Student Success and the Beacon College Library. Juniors and seniors also have Open Learning available in the newly redesigned Navigator Lounge.
Open Learning Resources
Strategy Development
Discussing strategies for completing assignments.
Assignment Help
Clarifying assignments or answering general questions about assignments.
Study Sessions
Setting up intensive study sessions by establishing realistic goals, duration, and rewards.
Additional Resources
Identifying additional resources needed for the completion of the work
Peer Tutors
Students receive significant benefits from working with others who experience similar struggles. Therefore, peer tutors and teaching assistants are an integral part of the Center for Student Success. Peer tutors are current Beacon students who excelled in the courses they tutor, have been nominated by faculty, and are trained in effective tutoring strategies. Peer tutors provide individual and small group tutoring on a schedule that varies by semester.
Communication with Parents
Each semester, the Center for Student Success sends regular parent communications covering the major areas of academic engagement: attendance, class participation, homework completion/submission, use of supports/resources, and communication. Learning specialists do not report grades to parents as it is the student’s responsibility to keep their parents apprised of academic progress; however, midterm and final grades are available in the myBeacon Parent portal.
If parents have any specific academic questions their collegian cannot answer, these issues can be sent to the Dean of the Center for Student Success at
centerforstudentsuccess@beaconcollege.edu
. All communication from parents to learning specialists or faculty will be forwarded to the Dean, and parents should expect a response within 24–48 hours. Please note if your student has granted consent through the FERPA waiver; otherwise, the communication will be forwarded to the student for follow-up.
Parent Communication Schedule
Pre-mid-term
Post-mid-term
Post-final
First semester freshmen and transfer students
All
All
All
Other freshmen
All
All
All
Sophomores, juniors, and seniors
Students on academic warning and with past semester GPA below 2.0
Previous group plus students with at least one D or below for midterms
All
Graduates, students who transfer out, take a leave of absence, or leave College for other reasons
Students on academic warning and with past semester GPA below 2.0
Previous group plus students with at least one D or below for midterms
None
Triadic Model
The Center for Student Success is part of Beacon’s Triadic Model that brings learning specialists into a larger network with transition counselors and resident directors, who all work together to build better student academic, peer, and campus engagement. The communication systems that are maintained through this holistic approach are known to improve student outcomes and foster a sense of belonging.
Meet the Learning Specialists
Dr.
Oksana Hagerty
Dean of the Robey Center for Student Success
352-638-9780
ohagerty@beaconcollege.edu
Dr.
Melissa Boduch
Director of Student Onboarding
352-728-1128
mboduch@beaconcollege.edu
Derick Bugg
Learning Specialist (Junior/Senior)
352-787-6306
dbugg@beaconcollege.edu
Maria Celaschi
Office Coordinator
352-638-1538
mcelaschi@beaconcollege.edu
Julie Dunlap
Learning Specialist (Freshman/Sophomore)
352-638-9810
jdunlap@beaconcollege.edu
Elisha Fox
Learning Specialist
352-764-3006
efox@beaconcollege.edu
Tanya Harris-Rocker
Learning Specialist (Junior/Senior)
352-787-7249
tharrisrocker@beaconcollege.edu
Maria Marcano-Ramirez
Learning Specialist (Junior/Senior)
352-638-9752
mmarcanoramirez@beaconcollege.edu
Lisa Mauro
Learning Specialist (Freshman/Sophomore)
352-638-9755
lmauro@beaconcollege.edu
Melissa Mayor
Learning Specialist (Freshman/Sophomore) and Disability Services Specialist
352-638-9722
mmayor@beaconcollege.edu
Shauna Misir
Learning Specialist (Freshman/Sophomore)
352-787-0164
snandkissore@beaconcollege.edu
Kylie Montealegre
F/S Learning Specialist
352-638-9816
kmontealegre@beaconcollege.edu
Dr.
Barbara Muñoz
Learning Specialist
352-638-9767
bmunoz@beaconcollege.edu
Samantha Owens
Learning Specialist (Freshman/Sophomore)
352-787-7924
sowens@beaconcollege.edu
Dr.
Melissa Packwood
Learning Specialist (Freshman/Sophomore)
352-787-7755
mwalleypackwood@beaconcollege.edu
Michele Patestides
Learning Specialist (Freshman/Sophomore)
352-638-9716
mpatestides@beaconcollege.edu
Roger Prigge
Learning Specialist (Junior/Senior)
352-787-1207
rprigge@beaconcollege.edu
Sandra Stanton
Learning Specialist
352-764-6982
sstanton@beaconcollege.edu
Tresha Stevens
Learning Specialist (Freshman/Sophomore)
352-638-9779
tstevens@beaconcollege.edu
Apply Today
Request Info
Plan a Visit
© 2026 Beacon College.
Web Design
by
PHOS Creative
Sitemap
Privacy Policy
Accessibility
Title VI
Title IX
About
Why Beacon
Why Beacon?
Beacon by the Numbers
The Life Abundant
Leadership
President Hagerty
Leadership
Presidential Search
Campus & Community
Our Campus
Our Community
Bookstore
Mason Art Gallery
Directory
Accreditation
Strategic Plan
Policies
Student Handbook
Title VI
Title IX
Reasonable Modification Policy
Disabilities Accommodations Policy
Family Guide
Privacy Policy
Clery Report
About
Founded in 1989, Beacon College in Leesburg, Florida, stands as a shining beacon of hope and opportunity for students with learning disabilities.
Admissions & Aid
Learn More & Apply
Apply
New Students
Transfer Students
International Students
Homeschooled Students
Parents and Families
Educators
Admitted Students
Affordability
Tuition & Fees
Scholarships
Financial Aid
Financial Aid FAQs
Other Financial Resources
CARES Act
Get to Know Us
Admissions Events
Plan a Visit
Meet the Admissions Staff
Download Brochures
Request Information
New Student Orientation
Admissions & Aid
Join us on campus for one of our upcoming Open House events! We invite you to experience the personalized support, vibrant campus life, and academic excellence that make Beacon College the ideal choice for students with learning differences.
Register Now >
College Readiness
Programs & Options
Summer for Success
College Edge
Navigator PREP
Intro to College Academics
Dual Enrollment
Beacon Foundations
Resources & Tools
Choosing the Right Program
Meet the Experts
Free Downloadable Tools
Webinar Recordings
Partnerships
Partner With Us
Certificate in Coaching Adolescents
Neurodiversity in Higher Ed Certificate
College Readiness
Get college-ready this summer with our Summer Bundle!
Combine virtual college readiness counseling with one of our on campus summer immersion programs and receive $2,000 off. You’ll get 1:1 college readiness prep and an unforgettable summer, all in one.
Learn More
Academics
Academic Programs
Anthrozoology
Business Management
Hospitality and Tourism
Computer Information Systems
Design and Digital Media
Early Childhood and Elementary Education
Humanities
Human Services
Psychology
Studio Arts
Minors
Success & Support Services
Academic Advising
Academic Support
Career Preparation
Career Treks
Internships
Study Abroad
Resources
Course Catalog
Academic Calendars
Registrar’s Office
Academics
Intellectual challenge is at the heart of a Beacon education. We take this very seriously, but we are also very practical about it. Our 10 bachelor’s degree programs are intended to prepare our students to find worthy work in today’s global marketplace. Additionally, we encourage students to explore their diverse interests through one or more of our 17 minors.
Student Life
Campus Life
Life at Beacon
First Year Experience
Housing
Dining Services
Transportation
Health and Wellness
Safety
Activities
Activities and Clubs
Fitness and Recreation
Athletics
Athletics
Men’s Basketball
Women’s Basketball
Cross Country and Track
Golf
Student Life
“Pursuing the life abundant” is the pervading theme that infuses everything we do at Beacon College. It’s something we take very seriously indeed.
At Beacon, you’ll be able to be the most that you can be. Both within the classroom and far beyond it, we nurture a vivacious learning laboratory that calls upon you to seek and cherish all of life’s richness.
News & Events
News & Media
News and Updates
Lighting the Path Newsletter
A World of Difference
Office of Communications
Events
Salon Series
Family Weekend
Alumni Weekend
Commencement
News & Events
We are committed to keeping you up to date. Check out current news, media, and upcoming events from Beacon College.
Quick Links
Parents
Students
Educators
Alumni
Visit Campus
Request Information
Apply
Give
Portals
Canvas
MyBeacon
Parent Portal
Online Bill Pay
Faculty/Staff E-Flame
Faculty/Staff MyBeacon
Directory
Library
Academic Advising
Home
Academics
Academic Advising
Individualized Support for Your Academic Success
Learning at Beacon is different from any experience you’ve ever had before. It’s exciting. Engaging. Hands on. It’s focused on you and your learning needs and preferences.
The goal of the academic support services at Beacon is to enhance your classroom experience by ensuring meaningful participation, completion of the work, use of different supports, and better communication.
At the Center for Student Success, we embrace your learning differences and specifically focus on creating sustainable academic progress by helping you develop the skills needed for personal independence and responsibility. Through our individualized service, you’ll meet weekly with your learning specialist who serves as an academic and life advisor, an educational/developmental mentor, and a student advocate — with one singular goal: to help you succeed academically!
Academic Support
Career Preparation
Course Catalog
Learning Specialists
Upon your enrollment, you’ll be assigned a learning specialist who will offer individualized support unique to your needs and academic level. Working in a 2 x 2 model, you will stay with your first learning specialist for your freshman and sophomore years and then move to the junior/senior learning specialist team. Freshman students meet with their learning specialist for 60 minutes per week, either one meeting or two 30-minute sessions. Sophomore students meet with their learning specialist for 30 to 60 minutes per week depending on the need; junior/senior students meet with their learning specialist for 30 minutes each week.
As Educational/Developmental Mentor, Learning Specialists:
Monitor your academic progress, review it with you, and create meaningful interventions in the areas of need.
Identify, recommend, and assist in the development of skills, compensatory strategies, and positive habits needed to sustain the five behaviors for college success: improved attendance, participation, assignment completion, submission, use of resources, and communication.
Help you recognize and take advantage of available accommodations as well as identify and apply for additional accommodations.
Coach you on how to monitor performance independently and act strategically to solve problems and complete tasks.
Collaborate with faculty to help you improve.
As Academic and Life Advisors, Learning Specialists:
Help you select a course of study in line with your interests, ability, and career goals, including the selection of developmental classes for specific academic skills.
Assist you in developing a balanced academic plan and register you for classes.
Engage in planning for your future.
Help you learn more about your learning differences and increase your self-awareness and social and emotional intelligence, especially as it relates to social norms and conventions when interacting with the faculty, staff, and fellow students.
Provide tools for effective self-advocacy.
Help you resolve and manage conflicts, personal concerns, and life challenges with the cooperation of other departments on campus.
Scaffolding and Feedback
Throughout your academic career, what do we expect from you? Effort and accountability! You need to make yourself available for learning and take full responsibility for your actions for us to be able to best support you through the scaffolding and feedback processes.
Scaffolding is the temporary and appropriate assistance that we provide to help you achieve a learning goal or complete a task by:
Breaking down complex tasks into manageable steps
Modeling and demonstrating the skills
Offering hints and prompts
Encouraging self-assessment and self-reflection
Feedback is our constructive, timely comments to help you improve your performance or understanding.
Smiles with Sully
With a little dance, hop, and twisty wag of his tail, Sully the Goldendoodle immediately makes friends, melts hearts, and shows unbounded affection for people. He is the star of Beacon’s emerging therapy dog program: Smiles with Sully. For students, spending time with Sully helps them overcome the stress and anxiety of classes, exams, and other challenges of campus life.
Open Learning
In addition to weekly meetings with learning specialists, you can take advantage of Open Learning opportunities that provide additional mentoring time. During Open Learning, you can work independently in a dedicated study space or interact with peers, peer tutors, or learning specialists. No matter how much time, effort, or resources are needed, Open Learning assures that you have the necessary infrastructure to engage with the course material and practice constructive communication with academic staff and peers.
Open Learning is available in the Center for Student Success and the Beacon College Library. Juniors and seniors also have Open Learning available in the newly redesigned Navigator Lounge.
Open Learning Resources
Strategy Development
Discussing strategies for completing assignments.
Assignment Help
Clarifying assignments or answering general questions about assignments.
Study Sessions
Setting up intensive study sessions by establishing realistic goals, duration, and rewards.
Additional Resources
Identifying additional resources needed for the completion of the work
Peer Tutors
Students receive significant benefits from working with others who experience similar struggles. Therefore, peer tutors and teaching assistants are an integral part of the Center for Student Success. Peer tutors are current Beacon students who excelled in the courses they tutor, have been nominated by faculty, and are trained in effective tutoring strategies. Peer tutors provide individual and small group tutoring on a schedule that varies by semester.
Communication with Parents
Each semester, the Center for Student Success sends regular parent communications covering the major areas of academic engagement: attendance, class participation, homework completion/submission, use of supports/resources, and communication. Learning specialists do not report grades to parents as it is the student’s responsibility to keep their parents apprised of academic progress; however, midterm and final grades are available in the myBeacon Parent portal.
If parents have any specific academic questions their collegian cannot answer, these issues can be sent to the Dean of the Center for Student Success at
centerforstudentsuccess@beaconcollege.edu
. All communication from parents to learning specialists or faculty will be forwarded to the Dean, and parents should expect a response within 24–48 hours. Please note if your student has granted consent through the FERPA waiver; otherwise, the communication will be forwarded to the student for follow-up.
Parent Communication Schedule
Pre-mid-term
Post-mid-term
Post-final
First semester freshmen and transfer students
All
All
All
Other freshmen
All
All
All
Sophomores, juniors, and seniors
Students on academic warning and with past semester GPA below 2.0
Previous group plus students with at least one D or below for midterms
All
Graduates, students who transfer out, take a leave of absence, or leave College for other reasons
Students on academic warning and with past semester GPA below 2.0
Previous group plus students with at least one D or below for midterms
None
Triadic Model
The Center for Student Success is part of Beacon’s Triadic Model that brings learning specialists into a larger network with transition counselors and resident directors, who all work together to build better student academic, peer, and campus engagement. The communication systems that are maintained through this holistic approach are known to improve student outcomes and foster a sense of belonging.
Meet the Learning Specialists
Dr.
Oksana Hagerty
Dean of the Robey Center for Student Success
352-638-9780
ohagerty@beaconcollege.edu
Dr.
Melissa Boduch
Director of Student Onboarding
352-728-1128
mboduch@beaconcollege.edu
Derick Bugg
Learning Specialist (Junior/Senior)
352-787-6306
dbugg@beaconcollege.edu
Maria Celaschi
Office Coordinator
352-638-1538
mcelaschi@beaconcollege.edu
Julie Dunlap
Learning Specialist (Freshman/Sophomore)
352-638-9810
jdunlap@beaconcollege.edu
Elisha Fox
Learning Specialist
352-764-3006
efox@beaconcollege.edu
Tanya Harris-Rocker
Learning Specialist (Junior/Senior)
352-787-7249
tharrisrocker@beaconcollege.edu
Maria Marcano-Ramirez
Learning Specialist (Junior/Senior)
352-638-9752
mmarcanoramirez@beaconcollege.edu
Lisa Mauro
Learning Specialist (Freshman/Sophomore)
352-638-9755
lmauro@beaconcollege.edu
Melissa Mayor
Learning Specialist (Freshman/Sophomore) and Disability Services Specialist
352-638-9722
mmayor@beaconcollege.edu
Shauna Misir
Learning Specialist (Freshman/Sophomore)
352-787-0164
snandkissore@beaconcollege.edu
Kylie Montealegre
F/S Learning Specialist
352-638-9816
kmontealegre@beaconcollege.edu
Dr.
Barbara Muñoz
Learning Specialist
352-638-9767
bmunoz@beaconcollege.edu
Samantha Owens
Learning Specialist (Freshman/Sophomore)
352-787-7924
sowens@beaconcollege.edu
Dr.
Melissa Packwood
Learning Specialist (Freshman/Sophomore)
352-787-7755
mwalleypackwood@beaconcollege.edu
Michele Patestides
Learning Specialist (Freshman/Sophomore)
352-638-9716
mpatestides@beaconcollege.edu
Roger Prigge
Learning Specialist (Junior/Senior)
352-787-1207
rprigge@beaconcollege.edu
Sandra Stanton
Learning Specialist
352-764-6982
sstanton@beaconcollege.edu
Tresha Stevens
Learning Specialist (Freshman/Sophomore)
352-638-9779
tstevens@beaconcollege.edu
Apply Today
Request Info
Plan a Visit
© 2026 Beacon College.
Web Design
by
PHOS Creative
Sitemap
Privacy Policy
Accessibility
Title VI
Title IX