Counting 'em Down: For better or for worse, this is the Headline Surfer countdown of the 2021's Top 100 biggest news stories of Central Florida along the tourism-driven stretch of Interstate 4 (Orlando Attractions and east to I-95 & the World's Most Famous Beach in Daytona). Each recap segment is posted with its own headline, culminating with the unveiling of No. 1 on New Year's Day or shortly thereafter. Then Headline Surfer will post a Top 10 forecast story of the good, the bad & the ugly on the horizon in "2022: The Year That Lies Ahead."
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Daytona State College proudly announced the naming of the new Forough B. Hosseini Hall on the Daytona Beach Campus back on Jan. 21 in honor of the long-time member of the DSC District Board of Trustees.
Forough Hosseini served on the board for 13 years, including six as chair, before stepping down in 2019.
Forough B. Hosseini Hall will serve as home to the Center for Women and Men, as well as the Veteran’s Center. The Center for Women and Men is the backbone to the College’s network of support services that are designed to aid at-risk students with a food pantry, free textbooks, free bus passes, free access to medical services, housing assistance, and more.
The Veteran’s Center provides targeted services for active-duty or former members of the military and their families who wish to pursue a college degree or further their education.
The building was officially opened in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, January 19, where Hosseini and her family were recognized for their contributions to the College. She now serves as a member of the Florida Children and Youth Cabinet, an appointment made by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2019.
“When you consider all Forough has done to support the needs of our students, particularly those who sometimes need additional assistance, it’s easy to see why a place such as this should be named in her honor,” DSC President Tom LoBasso said. “It’s a place where Daytona State can provide the resources our students need in order to achieve their dream of a college education, even while facing some of life’s most serious challenges.”
“When you consider all Forough has done to support the needs of our students, particularly those who sometimes need additional assistance, it’s easy to see why a place such as this should be named in her honor,” DSC President Tom LoBasso said. “It’s a place where Daytona State can provide the resources our students need in order to achieve their dream of a college education, even while facing some of life’s most serious challenges.”
During her time on DSC’s District Board of Trustees, Hosseini was a strong advocate for students’ needs beyond the classroom, focusing on their social and emotional needs as well.
Among the initiatives that came from her leadership was a comprehensive 10-step plan to eradicate hunger and homelessness among DSC students, a plan that is now used as a model by the State Board of Education.
FAST FACTS: There are two major buildings on the DSC campus in Daytona with the Hosseini name on them. the new Forough B. Hosseini Hall. And there is the sprawling Mori Hosseini College of Hospitality and Culinary Management, also known as the Mori Hosseini Center, built in 2008.
Forough and Mori Hosseini are married and live in Ormond Beach. They are owners of ICI Homes in Daytona Beach.
About the Byline Writer: Henry Frederick is a member of the working press and publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched in 2008, that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando from Lake Mary, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed close to 150 award-winning bylines in print & online. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University in 2019. He was a breaking news reporter (metro cops & courts beat) for the Daytona Beach News-Journal for nearly a decade. And Before that worked the same beat for The Journal-News/Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Rockland/Westchester counties, NY, dating back to 1989. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and covering other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary shows on Discovery ID, Reelz, and the Oxygen Network series "Snapped" for his analysis. • Award-Winning Journalism: Florida Press Club recognizes Headline Surfer for nine stories in 2020 statewide competition. • Award-Winning Journalism of Henry Frederick.