MyDaytonaState
Falcon Online
FalconMail
Falcon Central
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 Rachael Dougherty
It is with great pleasure that I share news of Rachael Dougherty receiving a Service Excellence Award this week at our Senior Executive Staff meeting.
A native of Clearwater, Rachael led learning development with the City of Port Orange, USF and Seminole County, providing programs featuring hands-on activities and discussions that led to cross-organization collaboration.
Rachael joined us in 2022 as a project director, funded through a WAVe grant under the Career and Technical Education Pipeline program. In this role, she ensured that career pathways programs had the equipment and supplies needed to prepare high school students for a successful transition to DSC. In 2023 she was named director of the Department of Learning & Development and is now key to so many of the College’s successful training events.
Rachael consistently demonstrates initiative, adaptability and sharp problem-solving skills that improve processes and boost efficiency. She manages multiple projects with ease. This year alone she provided oversight and leadership for the Fall and Spring Planning Weeks and the Academic Excellence Symposium, supported chair leadership training and transformed Adjunct Excellence Day into a multi-event series for part-time faculty. She’s also overseen ongoing development efforts like the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) modules and upcoming staff education days.
Please join us in congratulating Rachael for her outstanding service and commitment to our mission.
Honoring Employee Dr. Margie Hensler
It is with great pleasure that I share news of Dr. Margie Hensler receiving a Service Excellence Award this week at our Senior Executive Staff meeting.
Margie joined Daytona State in 2008 as an English Learning Specialist in the Academic Support Center after relocating from South Florida with her husband. A native of Orlando, she came to us with a strong background in education – including teaching English as a Second Language, high school English and serving as a high school administrator. She earned her Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from the University of Florida in 2017.
Just a year after joining us, Margie transitioned to the School of Education, where she advanced from coordinator to director before moving into a full-time faculty role in 2014. She has a passion for mentoring future educators and is known for building strong relationships with her students, offering personalized guidance as they prepare to enter K–12 classrooms. Her favorite course to teach is Introduction to the Teaching Profession, which helps students discover whether teaching is their true calling.
Beyond the classroom, Margie has made lasting contributions to the College community. She helped launch Daytona State’s chapter of the Florida Future Educators of America and collaborates closely with Atlantic High School’s teaching academy to strengthen the local teacher pipeline. She is also an active contributor to professional development efforts across campus.
Margie’s dedication to student success and community engagement, combined with her leadership and professional approach to teaching, inspire her coworkers and students alike.
Please join us in congratulating Margie for her outstanding service and commitment to our mission.