Five Daytona State College students earn prestigious Aspen Institute/Siemens scholarships

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Five Daytona State College students have been named 2017 Siemens Technical Scholars by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program and the Siemens  Foundation. 

The five awardees, each hailing from Florida, are: Susan Carchi of Sanford and Marisha Baker of Daytona Beach, both Associate Degree Nursing students; Bachelor’s Degree Nursing student Brittany Canidate of Daytona Beach; and AS in Respiratory Care alumni Ashley Kitchen of DeBary and Alexa Ciepierski of Melbourne. Each was awarded scholarships ranging from $3,500 to $10,000 to continue their education, pay existing student loan debt or support their program.

“The Daytona State community is so proud of these exceptional scholars and the honor they have brought to themselves and the institution,” DSC President Tom LoBasso said.

“The quality of our nursing and respiratory care programs is largely dependent on the robust partnerships we have built with our regional hospitals, clinics and public agencies," Lobasso said. "We consider the Aspen Institute a remarkable partner as well, because its work helps make college affordable for selected DSC students."

The students and alumni were among 51 exceptional scholars representing 18 schools offering some of the nation’s strongest two-year college programs in science, technology, engineering and math.

Such programs provide outstanding preparation for high-demand careers in advanced manufacturing, energy, healthcare and information technology, to name just a few.

“The Daytona State community is so proud of these exceptional scholars and the honor they have brought to themselves and the institution,” said DSC President Tom LoBasso, shown here.

“The quality of our nursing and respiratory care programs is largely dependent on the robust partnerships we have built with our regional hospitals, clinics and public agencies," Lobasso said. "We consider the Aspen Institute a remarkable partner as well, because its work helps make college affordable for selected DSC students. 

The students and alumni were among 51 exceptional scholars representing 18 schools offering some of the nation’s strongest two-year college programs in science, technology, engineering and math.

Such programs provide outstanding preparation for high-demand careers in advanced manufacturing, energy, healthcare and information technology, to name just a few.

Overall, jobs in STEM fields are projected to grow at almost double the rate of non-science, technology, engineering and math occupations, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Regionally, Daytona State plays a vital role in helping to meet this demand.

More than half of all STEM jobs across the US require no more than an associate degree. Locally, AS degree graduates earn on average as much as $45,000 annually.

Daytona State offers nearly 40 two-year associate degrees in a variety of career fields, many with placement rates above 90 percent, according to the most recent Florida Department of Education data.

Many of the college's AS degree programs also will transfer to four-year universities. Or students can continue their studies in one of DSC’s 11 bachelor’s degree programs in nursing, education, business, engineering and information technology.

Institution: Daytona State College Program: Nursing Expected Graduation Year: 2017 

Marisha Baker got to know the power of nursing intimately when her son, a 1.6-pound micro-preemie, spent time in the neonatal intensive care unit after his birth.

Baker, a young single mother, was so inspired by the care her child received and so committed to providing for him that she made up her mind to go back to school and become a nurse.

At Daytona State College, Baker has been working toward an associate’s degree in nursing and learning through clinical experiences—while boosting both her GPA and her confidence.

After graduation, Baker aims to pursue a master’s of science in nursing and use what she calls an indescribable passion for people to help others just as she has been helped.

Marisha Baker, Quotable: "I now realize nothing worth having comes easy. No matter what, failure isn’t an option for me, so I will keep progressing through college with every bit of ambition and perseverance within me. My aim is to give back to others in ways that others have given unto me. Love, compassion, support, inspiration, and encouragement is what I plan to entrust throughout my profession."

Institution: Daytona State College Program: Nursing Expected Graduation Year: 2017

When Susan Carchi entered college, people in her life told her she was wasting her time.

But Carchi had watched her mom, a single mother of three with only a second-grade education, struggle to provide and was convinced that education would allow her to break the cycle of poverty.

Having helped her mom raise dozens of foster children in the Bronx, Carchi developed a passion for helping others that has taken her into the nursing field. Working both a full-time and part-time job while enrolled in a rigorous nursing program isn’t what Carchi  originally had in mind when she started at Daytona State College, but she persisted. Support and guidance from her instructors helped her successfully deal with it all, and Carchi now aspires to attain a bachelor’s of science in nursing and specialize in pediatrics.

Susan Carchi, Quotable: "Despite life challenges and deviations, my persistence and dedication to accomplishing my goals and chasing my passions drove me to begin my journey in higher education. For me, giving up was never an option. Thanks to the incredible support from my instructors, I am able maintain both my work and still get through school. I know that the road ahead is not going to be easy, but when you’re doing something you love, it’s totally worth all the hardships you may encounter along the way." 

FAST FACTS: Daytona State's Nursing Program

Multimedia