First Cohort of Daytona State’s “Grow Your Own” Teacher Apprenticeship Program Graduates

Eight students from Volusia and Brevard County schools complete groundbreaking program

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. (May 21, 2026) – Eight paraprofessionals from Volusia and Brevard County schools celebrated the completion of a Bachelor of Science in Education degree through Daytona State College’s “Grow Your Own” and Teacher Apprenticeship Program.

Seven of the graduates are from Brevard Public Schools and one is from Volusia County Schools. Five completed the Teacher Apprenticeship Program in Exceptional Student Education and three completed a two-year teacher residency track under the Grow Your Own model in Elementary Education.

“This first graduating class shows exactly what’s possible when we remove barriers and create real pathways into the profession,” said Dr. Tom LoBasso, President of Daytona State College. “These students balanced full-time work in our schools with the demands of earning their degrees, and today they step forward as fully certified teachers, ready to make an immediate impact in the classrooms they already serve.”

The program is supported through a statewide $5 million Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant aimed at opening the teaching profession to individuals who are already working in the field but might not otherwise pursue certification.

“We were among the first programs in Florida to launch a Grow Your Own and Registered Teacher Apprenticeship model, making this one of the first graduating cohorts to earn degrees in both Education pathways,” said Dr. Donald May, Chair of the School of Education. “This program has been designed in partnership with Brevard and Volusia school districts, allowing candidates to earn their degree while working full time in the classrooms.”

Each school district selected candidates who trained alongside a mentor teacher, gaining hands-on experience while maintaining full-time employment and receiving full pay. The first cohort began in Fall 2024 and completed a mix of fully online coursework at Daytona State, combined with job-embedded classroom experience in their respective schools. Prior to graduation, students were required to pass the Florida Teacher Certification Exams.

“The results from this first cohort confirm what we believed from the start – that immersive, on-the-job experience makes a real difference,” said Dr. Ana Blaine, a senior professor in the School of Education who oversees DSC’s internship programs. “These candidates didn’t just learn about teaching; they practiced it every day in a supportive environment. By the time they reached graduation, they were already confident, capable and ready to lead their own classrooms.”

The Brevard Public Schools graduates included Brianna Barbaro, Denise Daniels, Molly Howell, Marina Piette, Michael Sabia, Alysha Snyder, and Brittany Vacek. Daniels, Howell, Piette, and Vacek earned B.S. degrees in Exceptional Student Education and Barbaro, Sabia, and Snyder earned B.S. degrees in Elementary Education. The Volusia County Schools graduate, Shawn Francis, earned a B.S. degree in Exceptional Student Education.

The celebration included remarks from Dr. Jodi Long, Vice President of Academic Affairs for Daytona State, Dr. LaKisha Holmes, Associate Vice President of the College of Arts and Sciences at Daytona State, Dr. Ryan Dufrain, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Services for Brevard Public Schools, along with Susan Kirk, Human Resources Recruiter, and Lisa Stanley, Staff Development Specialist, and Dr. William Ryster, Interim Executive Director of Human Resources for Volusia County Schools along with Tiffany Fuller, Coordinator of Recruitment and Retention.

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Offering more than 100 certificates, associate and bachelor’s degree programs, Daytona State College is the leader in education and workforce training needs of Volusia and Flagler counties and beyond. The College enrolls approximately 23,000 students a year at its seven campuses, with graduates serving in critical fields including healthcare, emergency services and public safety, aeronautics, business, education, hospitality, engineering, project management, accounting, computer science, digital media and more.

Additionally, Daytona State generates nearly $943 million in economic impact in Volusia and Flagler counties annually and supports 13,612 jobs according to a recent labor-market analysis of the College’s economic impact.

Daytona State has been recognized as a leader in higher education numerous times. U.S. News & World Report ranks the College among the Top Tier Best Online Bachelor’s Programs. The U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency Center ranks DSC among the top 50 most affordable public four-year institutions in the country, with less than half the tuition of the national average. And U.S. News & World Report has ranked DSC among its Top Online Bachelor's Programs for Veterans multiple times.