DSC faculty projects focus on student veterans

For veteran enrollment assistance, call (386) 506-3065

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 24, 2017) - Daytona State College faculty have kicked off two separate projects in service to student veterans who saw active duty prior to enrolling in college.

Ceramics Instructor Trent Berning has teamed up with The Veteran's Art Project (VetArt.org) to provide free classes in pottery handbuilding and wheel throwing to veterans and their families. During fall and spring semesters (fall classes start Aug. 28), Berning's Veterans Initiative in Ceramics and Art will award 10 scholarships to qualified students, thanks to a nearly $8,500 VetArt.org grant.

Another project pairs professors Eric Breitenbach (Photography) and Bronwen Llewellyn (English) to produce a documentary featuring the stories of DSC student veterans. The duo is editing their interviews with veterans who shared their military experiences, as well as what it has been like to transition back to lives as civilians and students. The documentary is expected to air on the college's public television station, WDSC-TV, sometime this fall.

Berning said offering the college's expansive Daytona Beach Campus ceramics studio to the VetArt.org project was a natural fit. "I find supporting our military veterans to be an important role as a proud citizen," he noted. "The therapeutic qualities of clay allow individuals to express themselves in ways that can often be difficult to do verbally. Ceramics is an art form that can improve focus, allow one to escape the worries of life, relax the mind and increase optimistic outlook."

Founded in 2009, the national Veteran's Art Project has a mission to connect veterans, their families and advocates with each other through bronze casting and ceramic arts. Classes are intended to teach art-making skills and to connect veterans with each other.

The DSC courses will be offered during daytime and evening hours, and the scholarships will cover the cost of the classes, all lab fees and tools. For details and to enroll, contact Berning, (386) 506-3347 or Trent.Berning@DaytonaState.edu.

Breitenbach's and Llewellyn's production features seven student veterans who came forward to tell their stories. They speak about why they joined, why they chose the military branch in which they served, what active duty was like and challenges they experienced upon returning to civilian life.

"We look at the production as a way for veterans to communicate their military experience to civilians," said Breitenbach. "We hope that audiences will have a greater appreciation for veterans and what military service has done for them personally and professionally."

Daytona State's Veterans Center is assisting with the film project, which will air on WDSC-TV this fall. With offices on each DSC campus, the center typically serves over 1,000 veterans annually, helping them start new missions as DSC students by helping with everything from filing for GI Bill benefits and other student services to making referrals for further academic and personal assistance both inside and outside the college.

Daytona State has been designated a Military Friendly School for three consecutive years by veteran-owned Victory Media, which ranks colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace America's service members and veterans as students. Also for the past three years, U.S. News & World Report has ranked DSC among its Top Online Bachelor's Programs for Veterans.

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