Standing before a room of business leaders, community partners and fellow students, 麻豆原创 junior Mariana Guerrero introduced herself not only as an accounting major in the and a student, but as someone shaped by a lifetime of seeing what meaningful engagement can do.

Born and raised in Orlando, Guerrero grew up with 麻豆原创 woven into her life. Her parents, both proud Knights, spent their early careers working full time while attending school part time. Her mother鈥檚 two decades in government and community relations meant that childhood weekends were often spent at university events long before she understood what it meant to belong to a campus community.

So when it came time to apply to college, she submitted only one application.

鈥淚 have always been a Knight,鈥� she said.

Her parents鈥� work ethic allowed her to fully immerse herself at 麻豆原创. She joined the College of Business Ambassadors, now serving as vice chair, became active in the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA), mentors two students, and chairs the President鈥檚 Leadership Council. Each role, she says, has deepened her sense of community and purpose.

Her interest in accounting began at age 13, when her parents enrolled her in a financial literacy summer camp she initially resisted.

鈥淚 just wanted to be a normal teenager,鈥� she said.

Instead, she discovered how engaging personal finance could be, especially through the board game Cash Flow, which she played so often her cousins eventually called her for help.

That curiosity grew in high school, where she researched teen financial literacy and realized how few young people had access to the conversations her parents encouraged at home. When she took her first financial accounting class at 麻豆原创, her interests aligned, and she began envisioning a future where her love of numbers could translate into meaningful work.

Her professional world expanded quickly. She represented 麻豆原创 in competitions, including the KPMG-sponsored HSI Battle of the Brains Case Competition, where 麻豆原创 won first place. She attended leadership programs at the KPMG Lakehouse and joined the firm鈥檚 Global Advantage Program in Lisbon, Portugal. Next summer, she will return to KPMG as an audit intern, with plans to earn her CPA and begin her career in public accounting.

Guerrero closed her remarks with gratitude for her family, for 麻豆原创 and for partnerships like the one between the university and KPMG.

鈥淚 am excited to make the leap from being an involved 麻豆原创 student to being an engaged 麻豆原创 alumna,鈥� she says.

Her introduction set the tone for an evening focused on shared purpose.

Impact of Partnership

麻豆原创 President Alexander N. Cartwright followed by highlighting the significance of the Crossroads Speaker Series and its partnership with Dr. Phillips Charities. The series, he said, is designed to explore how business, philanthropy and values-based leadership can work together to create positive change.

Cartwright emphasized KPMG鈥檚 engagement across the university, from supporting the Professional Selling Program to mentoring students at the KPMG Lakehouse. Their recent support of 麻豆原创 Space Week reflects a partnership committed to innovation across disciplines.

He also spoke about 麻豆原创鈥檚 continued momentum, including achieving the final metric required for Florida鈥檚 Preeminent University designation.

鈥淭hat is what makes 麻豆原创 remarkable,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e open doors, spark possibility and empower students to make a lasting difference.鈥�

鈥淭hat is what makes 麻豆原创 remarkable. We open doors, spark possibility and empower students to make a lasting difference.鈥� 鈥� 麻豆原创 President Alexander N. Cartwright

Remarks from Ken Robinson, president and CEO of Dr. Phillips Charities, reinforced the importance of investing in people and partnerships. From there, the evening shifted to its featured conversation.

Sherry Magee聽鈥�92, senior director of community relations at the KPMG Lakehouse and a 麻豆原创 graduate, moderated a fireside chat with Jennifer Flynn Dear, managing director of corporate affairs for KPMG US鈥攐ffering the audience a close look at leadership, service and purpose through Dear鈥檚 experience.

鈥淲e are so lucky to have 麻豆原创 in our community,鈥� Dear began. 鈥淭hey are wonderful community partners as well as a stellar business school thanks to the excellent Kenneth Dixon School of Accounting, KPMG accepts 70% of 麻豆原创 applicants.鈥�

Her career with the company began more than 25 years ago when she moved to New York City hoping for an advertising career. Feeling overwhelmed on her first day, she called her mother to say she would not last. Instead, she built a career across 12 areas of the organization, learning continuously.

One of her most memorable projects involved partnering with the late Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy鈥檚, to raise awareness for adoption issues. That work sparked a passion for connecting business with causes that matter.

鈥淚 like pairing business and industry to raise awareness of an issue,鈥� she said.

Dear shared that KPMG employees have donated more than $67 million and logged 130,000 volunteer hours. She takes special pride in the firm鈥檚 work in education and mental well-being, noting that KPMG Family for Literacy has provided more than 7 million new books to children in low-income communities since 2008.

The more employees get involved, she said, the more fulfilled they feel.

鈥淓ven before Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica, KPMG had a match set up for hurricane assistance, and participation was incredible.鈥�

Philanthropy, she added, is considered an obligation as employees advance.

She also described the KPMG Lakehouse, a learning and innovation center where employees and clients engage with emerging technologies and leadership training.

鈥淲e train every day on AI,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e invested $2 billion in Microsoft to keep our data safe and to be more efficient and effective.鈥�

The evening closed with remarks from Rodney M. Grabowski, 麻豆原创鈥檚 senior vice president for Advancement and Partnerships and CEO of the 麻豆原创 Foundation.

鈥淭his is our fifth year for Crossroads,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e are grateful to Dr. Phillips Charities, to Mariana Guerrero, and to KPMG and Jennifer Flynn Dear for sharing their stories. Thank you for joining us. Go Knights and Charge On!鈥�

Amy Larner Giroux, associate director of the Center for Humanities and Digital Research (CHDR) in the College of Arts and Humanities, has been researching burial sites in St. Augustine National Cemetery through her work with the National Cemetery Administration. She came across two separate graves, each containing a group burial of six warriors marked with a headstone inscribed 鈥淪ix Unknown Indians.鈥�

鈥淎s a historian who works in cemeteries, it bothers me when a headstone has incomplete or unknown information about the person buried there. They deserve to have their names restored,鈥� Giroux says. 鈥淭hey deserve to be recognized for who they were. And you can鈥檛 get that from a headstone that says 鈥楽ix Unknown Indians鈥�.鈥�

After five years of digging through U.S. Army records and correspondence dating back more than a century, Giroux discovered the names of 10 chiefs and warriors from the Cheyenne, Kiowa and Comanche tribes who were imprisoned and died in Fort Marion between 1875 and 1878.

The names of the recovered individuals are:

• Chief Grey Beard (Cheyenne), who is buried in Piney Grove Cemetery in Baldwin, Florida
• Chief Co-a-bo-te-ta, or Sun (Kiowa)
• Chief Lean Bear (Cheyenne)
• Chief Mah-mante (Kiowa)
• Ih-pa-yah (Kiowa Warrior)
• Big Moccasin (Cheyenne Warrior)
• Starving Wolf (Cheyenne Warrior)
• Spotted Elk (Cheyenne Warrior)
• Nad-a-with-t (Comanche Warrior)
• Chief Mo-e-yau-hay-ist, or Heap of Birds/Magpie Feathers (Cheyenne)

Based on Giroux鈥檚 research, the National Cemetery Administration plans to replace the 鈥淪ix Unknown Indians鈥� grave markers with headstones that list the names of the fallen warriors, their death dates and their native nation affiliations.

During the Plains Wars, Fort Marion was used as a prison for prominent warriors and chiefs in hopes of demoralizing their nations into surrendering to the U.S. Army. Prisoners were forced to suppress their native heritage and become a military company in order to assimilate, drilling and performing guard duty for themselves. Capt. Richard Henry Pratt instituted and enforced the policies of forced assimilation that started in St. Augustine, and continued through boarding schools like the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, which Pratt founded in 1879.

鈥淚t’s important to me to make people understand that all these prisoners had families, it wasn鈥檛 just that they died here 鈥� their families lost them here,鈥� says Giroux. 鈥淚’m hoping that the information I鈥檝e found can help give the descendants of the prisoners some understanding and closure about what happened to their kin when they were here in Florida.鈥�

鈥淲atching Norene interact with her ancestor鈥檚 face on a touch screen and study the family resemblance was powerful.聽That was one of the defining moments of all the work I have done.”聽鈥� Amy Larner Giroux, 麻豆原创 faculty

The National Park Service put Giroux into contact with Norene Starr, outreach coordinator for the Cheyenne and Arapaho peoples鈥� executive branch and a direct descendant of Chief Heap of Birds and Big Moccasin.

Part of Giroux鈥檚 research resulted in a 3D digital model of the 1877 bust created from Cheyenne Chief Heap of Birds, the great-great-great-grandfather of Starr. The bust was created from a life mask of Heap of Birds鈥� face, created only three months before his death.

As Giroux connected with the National Park Service and the Cheyenne and Arapaho people, several events were conducted in November (which is Native American Heritage Month and National Veterans and Military Families Month) to memorialize the fallen warriors and educate the public. Alison Simpson, command historian of the Florida National Guard, Denny Medicine Bird, Veterans Affairs coordinator and Giroux acted as liaisons to the National Cemetery Administration on events in the cemetery to honor the prisoners鈥� military service. Through these events, Giroux met more descendants of the prisoners she researched from the Cheyenne and Arapaho nations.

鈥淚’ve been working in cemeteries for most of my career,鈥� Giroux says. 鈥淏ut this is the first time, other than my own family work, that I’ve impacted living people. And that emotional impact has been extremely rewarding.鈥�

The first of the memorial events was held on the evening of Nov. 15, 2022, in Piney Grove Cemetery in Baldwin, Florida, to honor Cheyenne Chief Grey Beard. In 1877, Chief Grey Beard jumped out of the window of the train bringing prisoners to St. Augustine. 鈥淔reedom was more important than living,鈥� Giroux says. The guards were told to recapture him, but he was shot instead.

For Chief Grey Beard鈥檚 memorial ceremony, Giroux met with Marcy Galbreath, retired associate lecturer in the Department of Writing and Rhetoric (DWR), and members of the Cheyenne and Arapaho nations at the cemetery. The members sang for Chief Grey Beard to assist him on his journey to the next life. Giroux and Galbreath were honored to be included in the ceremony.

The next morning, Gordon Yellowman, Peace Chief of the Cheyenne and Arapaho nations, spoke with National Park Service rangers about how they could better educate the public about the experiences of the prisoners at Fort Marion. The exhibit on the imprisonments of 1875 through 1878 is changing based on input from native nations to include stories told from a native perspective. Previously, exhibits were mainly told from the perspective of the U.S. Army.

鈥淔uture visitors to the fort will be able to see both sides of the story,鈥� Giroux says.

Throughout Nov. 16-17, 2022, Flagler College presented a series of events entitled, 鈥淗i Vi Mitz Mak a be o ta, Honoring the Historic Footprint of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Warriors at Fort Marion, 1875鈥�1878.鈥� During the events, Giroux gave a presentation, 鈥淪o Many Miles Towards the Rising Sun: Cheyenne, Kiowa and Comanche Burials in Florida 1875鈥�1877,鈥� in which she spoke of the 10 men who died in Florida.

Throughout early November 2022, flags flew over the Castillo de San Marcos to represent each of the families of the native nation members who died there. On the afternoon of Nov. 17, 2022, a final ceremony was held in the courtyard of the fort to honor them. A riderless horse was brought in wearing the moccasins of Helen Heap of Birds, granddaughter of Chief Heap of Birds. Then, a National Park Service ranger performed a roll call, naming each of the Cheyenne who died during their imprisonment and whose names were discovered. The ceremony concluded with a three-cannon salute.

“He called the name of Chief Grey Beard 鈥� silence. And then he went through each of the names of the dead to the end of the roll call. It was very emotional,鈥� Giroux says. 鈥淧eople need to know what happened at Fort Marion and understand why it happened. I hope sharing these stories makes people less likely to forget what happened there.”

The events ended with a keynote presentation given by Dorothy Firecloud, the National Park Service Native American Affairs liaison. At the end of the reception, Giroux and others were honored by being wrapped in a Cheyenne blanket.

The findings of the 麻豆原创 and Flagler College research teams have left a lasting impact on families and future visitors to the fort, but their work is far from over. Giroux, Galbreath and 麻豆原创 collaborators Mike Shier, research specialist in CHDR, and Jeremy Carnes, postdoctoral scholar in DWR, are continuing their work with Starr and Yellowman. They continue to search for the names behind the unmarked headstones in St. Augustine National Cemetery, hopefully bringing more indigenous stories to light. Max Bear, director of the Historic Preservation Office of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes, has invited Giroux to Oklahoma to speak with the native nation about her research and the experiences of their ancestors.

History is never static or set in stone. The story of America鈥檚 past is continuously unfolding; it carries a heavy impact on contemporary life. New research allows us to challenge the ways we have come to understand the world around us. As once-buried stories are unearthed, the dissemination of new perspectives brings the public closer to the truth, and families closer to peace.

Is today the day I am going to have to care for someone infected with the virus that has the whole world quarantined?

While most of the world is practicing social distancing and avoiding contact to protect themselves and their families, there are a handful of people running straight into the storm.

As a nurse, I am one of those people.

As a person of faith, I put my fate into God鈥檚 hands and pray for the best, but it doesn鈥檛 take away the lump in my stomach when I walk into work, or the racing thoughts of worst-case scenarios and what-ifs.

As the research and discovery of this pandemic continues, there is no way to ensure the safety of anyone, but there are easy ways we can increase our safety and others鈥�.

“I have cared for multiple people that have had airborne illnesses such as tuberculosis, influenza, chicken pox, even older strains of coronavirus.”

I have cared for multiple people that have had airborne illnesses such as tuberculosis, influenza, chicken pox, even older strains of coronavirus.

One in particular was a patient who tested positive for coronavirus prior to the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. They had recently come from a cruise and were vacationing in Orlando. They had no respiratory symptoms, but we did a respiratory swab to find out what was going on, and the test came back positive for coronavirus.

For the two nights I cared for this patient, I did not wear the personal protective gear that nurses and doctors are now armed with because it was not a necessary precaution then. My only defense was using standard nursing precautions, which include washing your hands with sanitizing foam upon entering and exiting a patients鈥� room. Although the patient may not have had the same strand as the current COVID-19, there was still the possibility of transmission.

“These hygiene practices aren鈥檛 only effective inside the hospital. Outside, you can use them to help prevent the spread.”

Luckily, I did not contract the virus. I attribute that to washing my hands and using numerous other hygiene practices, which we do constantly as health professionals.

But these hygiene practices aren鈥檛 only effective inside the hospital. Outside, you can use them to help prevent the spread elsewhere by being constantly aware of yourself and your surroundings. This includes cleaning any and every type of surface after contact and equipment after use; avoiding exposure to other people鈥檚 bodily fluids; as well as practicing consistent environmental cleaning habits, respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette, which include coughing into a tissue and disposing of it immediately and distancing yourself from others if you鈥檙e experiencing symptoms.

“As a healthcare worker, I am obligated to show up to the frontline every day to do my part to help.”

As a healthcare worker, I am obligated to show up to the frontline every day to do my part to help. Scientists, government officials and nongovernmental organizations are hard at work to better understand this virus and set us up for the best possible outcome.

But at the end of the day, we all have to come together not as a city, not as a state, not even as a country 鈥� but as a species to defeat this virus and keep each other safe. And that starts with you, me and all of us doing our part to stop it from spreading farther.

Michi Leonardo ’18 studied nursing at 麻豆原创 and worked for Orlando Health at the Orlando Regional Medical Center before accepting a nursing position in San Francisco to treat COVID-19聽patients. 聽

麻豆原创 cancer researcher Alicja Copik created the therapy that stimulates the body鈥檚 natural killer (NK) cells with nanoparticles to increase their numbers and killing ability.聽 Kiadis Pharma, one of the world鈥檚 largest pharmaceutical companies, has licensed the technology and has it in clinical trials as a therapy for cancer. Now, with $9.5 million in funding from the Department of Defense and the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute鈥檚 (ARMI) BioFabUSA program 鈥� which specializes in tissue engineering 鈥� Kiadis has begun clinical trials using NK cell therapy as a potential treatment for COVID-19 patients with weakened immune systems. The study will also see if the therapy protects high-risk patients against respiratory infections like influenza, either alone or in combination with vaccines and antibodies.

鈥淲e鈥檝e lost more than 200,000 Americans from this terrible disease and so there is a great need to develop innovative medicines,” says Robert Igarashi, Kiadis Pharma鈥檚 vice president of discovery and preclinical development and a former 麻豆原创 faculty member. 聽鈥淲e know the body鈥檚 natural killer cells surveil and suppress the virally compromised cells, so then we considered the potential of our NK cells as a possible therapeutic for COVID-19. And in our current situation, nationally and internationally, what better time could there be to apply this because there are so many people in need of innovative medicines to fight this pandemic.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檝e lost more than 200,000 Americans from this terrible disease and so there is a great need to develop innovative medicines.鈥� 聽– Robert Igarashi, Kiadis Pharma鈥檚 vice president of discovery and preclinical development

鈥淭he NK cells are like the immune system鈥檚 assassins,鈥� she says. 鈥淲ith our technology, we supercharge them with nanoparticles to not only increase their numbers but we make them deploy with bigger and heavier guns to better target and kill the bad guys which are invaders like viruses and tumor cells.鈥�

Igarashi was a part of Copik鈥檚 team of researchers who developed the NK cell technology in 2016. The researchers later co-founded the company CytoSen to take the concept to market.聽In 2019, CytoSen was acquired by Netherlands-based Kiadis Pharma, which is now in clinical trials and hopes to see if the amplified NK cells have the ability to enhance a patient鈥檚 antiviral immunity against COVID-19 and other viruses that could cause pandemics.

Igarashi explains the vast majority of COVID-19 patients have lymphocytopenia, or a shortage of lymphocytes 鈥� a type of white blood cell that helps protect the body from infection. The severity of the COVID-19 infection has been correlated to a reduction in the number of NK cells, a type of lymphocytes, in the body. The clinical trials are determining if injecting energized NK cells into ill patients can help them fight COVID-19.

Kiadis Pharma is working in partnership with the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children鈥檚 Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. That institute received approval for an Investigational New Drug from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to study the treatment of viral infections like COVID-19 with the NK cells therapeutic. Igarashi says the potential drug therapy is currently in phase one of clinical trials and could take several years before the drug is approved.

Since the spring, 麻豆原创 聽has聽worked聽with the Florida Department of Health in Orange County to conduct contact tracing in COVID-19 cases with聽links聽to the campus community.

It soon became clear there was a need for more contact tracing.聽Over the summer, a call went out to聽麻豆原创聽undergrad students in聽health-related programs inviting them to become registered volunteer contact tracers.

More than 700 students applied for the unpaid positions, says Jascinth Lindo, associate professor of nursing聽who helped coordinate聽the effort to recruit 麻豆原创 student聽volunteers.聽鈥淲e were not surprised that so many Knights were interested in helping their fellow Knights during this challenging time.鈥�

The聽six students 鈥斅燚ePaz, Hannah Arias, Sarahi Monsalve, Xuxa Major, Desiree Rivera and Alex Zamora 鈥� applied and became聽registered聽volunteer contact tracers to amplify聽麻豆原创聽efforts to stop the spread of the disease.

The students received聽training from the DOH regarding聽contact tracing processes, privacy and confidentiality protocols,聽and also聽had to pass a background check聽before they could begin talking to patients, who are not just聽麻豆原创 employees and students, but a broad range of individuals who live within聽the 麻豆原创 area.聽Each student聽committed聽to volunteering聽10 hours a week聽conducting contact tracing.

When the Orange County Health Department receives notification of a positive test in聽the 麻豆原创 area, the information is uploaded onto a database聽from which聽DePaz聽and the other student tracers are then assigned patients.

When Xuxa Major聽calls聽patients聽to聽tell聽them聽they have tested positive for聽COVID-19, she聽anticipates their reaction.

鈥淭hey聽almost always聽tell me they聽鈥榙on鈥檛 have time for this,鈥欌�澛爏ays Major, a senior biomedical sciences听蝉迟耻诲别苍迟.

鈥楾his鈥� being聽the 14-day isolation period that accompanies a positive test聽and the聽process of establishing where each patient has been and identifying聽others they鈥檝e聽had聽close contact with聽so that contact tracers can聽help encourage those at risk to also get tested.

Receiving a phone call from one of the contact tracers is not the only way聽someone聽is notified,聽but it could be the most important way,聽Major says.聽鈥淭hey are also emailed, but students never check their email,鈥� she says with a laugh.

Major was inspired to become a contact tracer because she聽knows the impact of large-scale devastation. She experienced聽the聽2010聽earthquake聽in Haiti,聽her childhood聽home, which聽resulted in聽an estimated聽250,000聽deaths.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 want anyone to go through聽anything聽like that,鈥� Major says.

As聽a result of her聽experiences聽with聽devastation and loss, Major says she tries to聽approach each patient on her list with compassion聽and understanding.

Often, after the initial shock of learning they have tested positive for the virus, her patients express regret and guilt聽when聽remembering places where they may have聽encountered someone who had the disease, or聽for聽spreading聽it聽to聽others before finding out they were positive.

鈥淚 get it,鈥� Major says. 鈥淚 tell them that I鈥檓 a student, too. I want to go out, I want to see my friends. I鈥檓 tired of staying inside every day.鈥�

The student tracers then reach out to the people with whom the patient may have聽had contact with, and they inform them聽of what to expect and what precautions to take.

When Major talks to聽patients, sometimes they are asymptomatic.聽Other聽times,聽they are already feeling sick. Her role is not to provide medical advice, but聽to direct聽them聽to聽various services available to聽students on campus, which include things like聽Wellness Meal Plans, a three-meal a day plan for students who have already purchased a meal plan, and counseling services from .

Rivera, who is also a student volunteer contact tracer, echoed some of Major鈥檚 sentiments.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very personal for me and for the students,鈥� she says.聽鈥淪ometimes, they are reluctant to share what they think might be embarrassing details, but聽we聽assure聽them that everything is held in confidence聽鈥斅爋ur goal is simply to protect the community.鈥�

搁颈惫别谤补,听补 communication sciences and disorders student,聽has聽spoken with patients of all聽ages聽and all walks of life. She聽sees the experience as beneficial to her future career as聽a speech-language pathologist.聽Some of聽her clients may include survivors of COVID-19,聽who can face challenges with breathing,聽speaking and swallowing after聽ventilator use,聽and聽her clinical training will help play a role in their聽physical聽recovery.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been surprising to see how far-reaching this has been,鈥� says聽Rivera. 鈥淚 think that 麻豆原创 students have banded together as best we聽can,聽and we will continue to Charge On.鈥�

鈥淏efore we officially took the position, we started thinking about what should we do for 麻豆原创? What should we do for everybody that鈥檚 here?鈥� 鈥� President Cartwright

鈥淏efore we officially took the position, we started thinking about what should we do for 麻豆原创? What should we do for everybody that鈥檚 here?鈥� President Cartwright says.

Within the first couple weeks of arriving on campus, the Cartwrights donated $25,000 to emergency relief funds to help immediately, and then pledged an additional $225,000 to the university to provide for the future.

鈥淲e gave to the areas that we value most,鈥� Cartwright says, which includes scholarships for first-generation students, as well as STEM research, the humanities, athletics and an unrestricted fund to be used for the university鈥檚 greatest needs.

The Cartwrights met at the University of Iowa, where Alex earned a bachelor鈥檚 and a doctoral degree in electrical and computer engineering and Melinda earned a bachelor鈥檚 in music education before going back to earn a second bachelor鈥檚 degree in computer science. Both were first-generation students who received funding through Pell Grants, which are subsidies provided by the U.S. government for students who demonstrate exceptional financial need. That is, until Melinda鈥檚 Pell funding ran out, and she was forced to take out student loans, working as a waitress and finding other ways to make ends meet.

鈥淚 somehow didn鈥檛 qualify, so that鈥檚 when I started taking out student loans and working jobs as a waitress and doing whatever I could to try and make it through,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e hope to take that burden away from other students, so they can focus on their studies.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 just one small way that we could pay back to future generations what was given to us by people who were generous,鈥� President Cartwright says.

鈥淚 knew I had to counter my incarceration with something positive. Education would be the ticket to get my life back on track.鈥�
鈥� Jason Fronczek 鈥�16

鈥淎 straight line isn鈥檛 true to life,鈥� says Jason Fronczek 鈥�16. 鈥淢ake scribbles. Give them time. They鈥檒l eventually look beautiful and real.鈥�

Fronczek鈥檚 students have names. But if you saw their clothes and where class is being held, you wouldn鈥檛 ask for their names. You鈥檇 just call them prisoners. The teacher has a different perspective, though.

鈥淚鈥檝e been in your shoes,鈥� he tells the students incarcerated at the Central Florida Reception Center in Orlando run by the Florida Department of Corrections.

He has their attention.

鈥淎nd I鈥檓 about to finish my master鈥檚 degree at 麻豆原创.鈥�

And with that, their eyes are open wide 鈥� just as eyes should be.

Fronczek is still trying to process this himself. He was released from prison 10 years ago but is still releasing himself from the trap of his own story. Photography has freed him to see the world in a whole different way. And teaching art through the Florida Prison Education Project (FPEP) is his way of giving others hope while they鈥檙e still incarcerated.

鈥淛ason is an amazing person,鈥� says Keri Watson, associate professor of art history at 麻豆原创 and director of FPEP. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 see him as a 鈥榝ormer felon.鈥� He鈥檚 a father, a student, an artist. To see what he鈥檚 gone through 鈥� he鈥檚 an illustration of success.鈥�

Fronczek tells his students to keep those eyes open wide. Because if he can see himself in their shoes, maybe they can also see themselves in his.

Finding a Positive Perspective

Fronczek doesn鈥檛 avoid the uncomfortable truth. 鈥淚 was convicted, imprisoned.鈥� Just get it out of the way so the talk can go from small to very large. 鈥淚 want people to realize that my mistakes are not my identity. I鈥檝e moved forward. We should all move forward.鈥�

鈥淎 straight line isn鈥檛 true to life. Make scribbles. Give them time. They鈥檒l eventually look beautiful and real.鈥�

To do that, he鈥檒l first give the details you鈥檙e wondering about. He went to jail in August 2006 for burglarizing a neighbor鈥檚 home. Sentenced to five years, he ended up serving four years and three months.

Fronczek could easily have chosen to become bitter or jaded. He chose instead to read 鈥� one or two books every day. The longer books, like etymological dictionaries, took three days. By the time he got out in 2010, he鈥檇 consumed about 2,000 books.

鈥淚 knew I had to counter my incarceration with something positive,鈥� says Fronczek. 鈥淓ducation would be the ticket to get my life back on track.鈥�

The Bible made such an impact that he first thought about going to seminary school. But shortly after his release, the mother of a friend gave Fronczek a used camera. It brought back memories 鈥� good memories. He wanted to learn more.

So less than a year after leaving prison, Fronczek enrolled at Valencia College and through the earned bachelor鈥檚 degrees in visual arts and emerging media management and studio art. The two majors piqued his interest in the power of art, so in 2016 he applied to the emerging media MFA program. A year later he reapplied and was accepted.

Fronczek absorbed concepts and applied them to his own photography. He took a few of Watson鈥檚 courses because something at the core of her teaching connected with him, he says. She also told him the hard truth about his thesis.

鈥淚t was too general, too focused on research,鈥� she says. 鈥淔or art to be universally understood, you need to start with your own story.鈥�

Although Fronczek is willing to share his story in casual conversation, he also knows how hard it is to understand. It takes perspective.

And that鈥檚 just it. Art is perspective, right?

鈥淏ringing personal experiences into my thesis makes all the difference,鈥� he says, 鈥渂ecause I want a way to influence attitudes and behaviors.鈥�

Personal perspective is especially true with his photography, which can be traced back to the point-and-shoot camera he bought for $10 as a kid, the Nikon he got from his brother in a sweet trade, and the gift from his friend鈥檚 mother after his incarceration. Perspective allows him to marvel through his lenses at things the rest of us might ignore. Chaos in leaves. Empty bicycle racks at Walmart. The construction on I-4, of all places.

鈥淚 look at the juxtaposition of the pylons and the angles of unfinished bridges,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t all has something interesting to offer.鈥�

Sharing His Story

Even with his bachelor鈥檚 degrees and a master鈥檚 nearly in hand, Fronczek finds it challenging to find a place to rent or to score job interviews. It鈥檚 the box he has to check on the applications. Ever been convicted of a felony?

鈥淎rt has a way of showing the potential you never realized you had. Look at me.鈥�

But even the box has opened up a something marvelous. There were things Watson and Fronczek didn鈥檛 know about each other through their first few semesters together at 麻豆原创. He didn鈥檛 know she鈥檇 taught art to prisoners in Alabama and in 2018 launched the FPEP. She didn鈥檛 know where he鈥檇 been, either.

鈥淚 could sense there was something special Jason had to offer,鈥� she says, 鈥渂ut I didn鈥檛 know he鈥檇 been incarcerated until I saw the box he had to check when applying for our master鈥檚 program. That鈥檚 when I asked him to teach in the FPEP program.鈥�

Fronczek is more likely to say he spends three hours a day 鈥渆ncouraging鈥� incarcerated students rather than teaching.

鈥淎rt has a way of showing the potential you never realized you had,鈥� he says. 鈥淟ook at me.鈥�

He says he still hasn鈥檛 grasped the gravity of this: Jason Fronczek, MFA. But that isn鈥檛 his identity, either. His life is a bunch of scribbles, like the world around us. That鈥檚 the message of his story: When he started to find beauty in a world of scribbles, it found beauty in him, too.

鈥淗onestly, I was shocked at how fast the Navy was able to move,鈥� says Duprat of his first deployment and call to serve full-time since joining the U.S. Navy Reserve eight years ago.

Duprat and his fellow reservists are part of an unprecedented and massive military response, including nearly 1,000 medical professionals and thousands more nonmedical professionals deployed to New York City as part of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While some of the military are serving at the Javits Center or have served on the U.S.N.S. Comfort, Duprat鈥檚 team is working directly in the city鈥檚 hospitals.

鈥淭his allowed us to get help where it was needed most, in the fastest way possible,鈥� he says.

He admits that it鈥檚 a bit frightening to work on the front lines because you never know who will become the next statistic.

鈥淏ut this is what I signed up for. People need the skills I have and I want to be there to help them,鈥� says Duprat, a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA). 鈥淚 have been blessed to remain healthy and COVID-free.鈥�

A Call to be Challenged and to Serve

Being a nurse wasn鈥檛 Duprat鈥檚 original career plan. After working in hospitality, he went back to school for a career that would serve others and push his limits. After completing an accelerated second degree program in nursing at 麻豆原创, he joined the Navy Reserve and went on to complete a master鈥檚 in anesthesiology from Barry University.

His continuous pursuit to be challenged and get out of his comfort zone didn鈥檛 stop there. After working as a CRNA under physician supervision at a hospital in Orlando, Duprat moved to New Mexico and opened his own practice. After an acquaintance consulted him about using ketamine for treatment-resistant depression, his career took another turn. He opened New Mexico鈥檚 first and only CRNA-owned ketamine infusion clinic to help patients with PTSD, chronic pain and depression. He also launched the Ketamine Academy as well as the Healthcare Entrepreneur Academy podcast.

鈥淚 have always had great respect for the men and women who serve our country,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hat deep respect 鈥� and a desire to be a part of something greater than myself 鈥� inspired me to join.鈥�

Being Part of a Solution

Surrounded by coronavirus-patients in the worst-hit part of the United States, Duprat feels fully prepared thanks to his education and training.

With his years of critical care experience and experience as an anesthesia provider, Duprat brings an extremely versatile skillset to the front lines, allowing him to serve in a variety of roles including being part of the respiratory therapy team and as an airway expert on the code team.

鈥淚 truly feel that 麻豆原创 laid my foundation for an exciting career in healthcare and in the military,鈥� says Duprat. 鈥淭he demands of the accelerated second degree program gave me the discipline, knowledge and confidence that I needed to be able to take on anything in life. For that I am truly grateful.鈥�

When he returns home from being a part of this historic healthcare effort, Duprat plans to continue doing what he does best 鈥� serving others and solving healthcare problems. And he鈥檒l bring with him the lessons he鈥檚 learned from the front lines.

鈥淏eing part of this response has been an amazing experience, and I have learned that flexibility is the key to success,鈥� he says.

In light of the world鈥檚 COVID-19 pandemic, Wilk has turned the kitchen of her small studio apartment in New York City into a full-blown bake shop. Her inspiration: The brave first responders passionately dedicated to the safety of civilians. The treat: A variety of gooey, sweet cookies that Wilk considers to be her forte.

鈥淚 have no medical training, but I can bake a really, really good cookie for the people who do,鈥� Wilk says.

鈥淭his concept may have started with the coronavirus, but the sprinkling of joy made with love in the kitchen will go on forever.鈥�

After being furloughed from her job as a chef and instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education, she decided to use her time to provide tasty treats for local medical employees working long hours. Then she created#BAKEITFORWARD, a social media initiative to encourage others to give thanks through food to those on the front lines of the pandemic.

So far, Wilk has raised more than $3,500 on GoFundMe that will go toward a #BAKEITFORWARD cookbook, made with the intention of share her recipes to others so that they, too, can spread positivity during this time.

鈥淭his concept may have started with the coronavirus, but the sprinkling of joy made with love in the kitchen will go on forever,鈥� Wilk says. 鈥淲hen you have a bad day, or you want to bring someone else some happiness, this cookbook will serve as a template for doing that.鈥�

Despite her experience as a professional chef, Wilk鈥檚 degree in political science from the 麻豆原创 is what she points to as an important influence in #BAKEITFORWARD.

鈥淵ou wouldn鈥檛 think I鈥檇 be using a degree in political science as a chef,鈥� Wilk says, 鈥渂ut it is the perfect degree to blend my passion for nonprofit work with my passion for food.鈥�

Wilk鈥檚 love for both food and helping others began at a young age. When she was old enough to choose a university to attend for her bachelor鈥檚 degree, there was no doubt in Wilk鈥檚 mind 麻豆原创 is where she wanted to be.

鈥淚 loved everything about the school,鈥� says Wilk, who is from Miami. 鈥淔rom the experiences 麻豆原创 offers, to the campus, to being right around Disney, I was drawn from the get-go and I knew in my heart that this is where I wanted to be for school.鈥�

While in Orlando she also had the chance to frequent vegan restaurants in the area. When she decided to attend culinary school, she wanted to attend one where she knew she鈥檇 be making nutrient-dense food akin to that approach, leading her to the Natural Gourmet Institute.

But as her career progressed, Wilk says she learned that sometimes classic eggs, butter, and sugar cannot be beat.

鈥淭he cookies that I鈥檓 making for #BAKEITFORWARD are not vegan or nutrient dense, but right now that isn鈥檛 my focus,鈥� Wilk says. 鈥淢y focus here is to bring joy, and there is nothing more joyful than a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookie made with classic pastry ingredients.鈥�

When she鈥檚 finished baking up batches in her kitchen, she hand delivers her goods to local hospitals and service departments. What Wilk loves most about this ritual is the humanity she gets to see on her walks to her destinations.

鈥淥n my way to drop off the cookies, I always see chalk on the sidewalk and free coffee deliveries being made, stuff like that,鈥� Wilk says. 鈥淚t reminds me that we are all human and all going through something totally new to us, not to mention terrifying. It鈥檚 the little things we do as human beings that can make a difference in someone鈥檚 life right now.鈥�

鈥淚 want to make sure everyone has the same level of care that I鈥檇 want for my brother or for myself. Everyone deserves that. It鈥檚 why I like working at the VA.鈥�
鈥� Paul Kohler 鈥�20MSN

He鈥檚 used to pressure. While he speaks over the phone from Charleston Air Force Base, he has only a few hours to polish up some papers for his Masters of Science in Nursing degree and pack his duffel bag. By evening he鈥檒l be flying over the Atlantic Ocean to a country he cannot mention.

As a flight nurse with the Air Force Reserves, Captain Kohler doesn鈥檛 know how long he鈥檒l be gone or where he might be told to go next. Only that he鈥檒l be putting his experience and his graduate-level education to work in a venue few of us can imagine.

The motto of Kohler鈥檚 934^th Air Medical Evacuation Squadron spells out their mission at this very moment: 鈥淒eny death鈥檚 victory.鈥� In other words, save the lives of COVID-19 patients on the other side of the world. While we see stories of healthcare heroes working around the clock in hospitals and convention centers, Kohler鈥檚 team of critical care and infectious disease specialists will carry out their work 30,000 feet in the air.

鈥淭his type of mobilization for COVID-19 is unlike any that the Air Force has ever done,鈥� says Kohler, 38. 鈥淲e鈥檙e writing history.鈥�

This is the second time an emergency call from the Air Force has superseded Kohler鈥檚 graduation plans. Before he could complete his capstone last fall, he was deployed to the Middle East. Then, in early April, while working his full-time job at the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, he received a call he knew was coming. Kohler had 48 hours to spend time with his wife, two young daughters, and their horses in Gainesville, and speed up his remaining master鈥檚 requirements online before leaving for pandemic training.

鈥淚鈥檓 close enough to the finish line for my degree this time,鈥� he says. 鈥淢y instructors understand the situation. They鈥檝e been flexible.鈥�

The usual situations for a reservist have been coming up since before Kohler enrolled in 麻豆原创鈥檚 MSN program in 2017. He鈥檚 required to spend anywhere from three to seven days every month at a base in Minneapolis, with longer assignments in places like Qatar, Afghanistan, and locations most of us barely know how to pronounce. Kohler admits it鈥檚 difficult to leave his family, but he also knows someone has to deny death鈥檚 victory.

鈥淚 go where the emergencies are,鈥� he says.

Some sort of frontline has always drawn Kohler close. He entered the Army out of high school and, up until the age of 25, had his sights set on one goal.

鈥淚 wanted to be a firefighter,鈥� he says.

Everything changed in 2007 when his younger brother, Michael, was seriously injured during a military operation in Iraq. Michael couldn鈥檛 remember much about the ensuing hours and days, but he did know that certain medical personnel kept him as comfortable as possible while he鈥檇 been transported out of harm鈥檚 way and back home to the U.S. Those people? They were flight nurses.

鈥淲hat I鈥檓 doing now is exactly what the flight nurses did for my brother,鈥� says Kohler. 鈥淗is experience had a big influence on my decision to go this route.鈥�

Michael鈥檚 long recovery in VA hospitals also left a mark on Kohler. 鈥淚 want to make sure everyone has the same level of care that I鈥檇 want for my brother or for myself. Everyone deserves that. It鈥檚 why I like working at the VA.鈥�

Kohler has known he needs to be in a leadership role to ensure people who are hurting receive the best care possible, and to be in a leadership role he鈥檇 need an advanced degree from a well-respected nursing school. He found his first step up the ladder at 麻豆原创.

鈥淚f I need to go to school in person, it鈥檚 only 90 minutes from our house,鈥� he says. 鈥淯nless I鈥檓 doing something like this.鈥�

As you read this, Capt. Paul Kohler is saving lives and helping to rewrite history somewhere far away. 鈥淭his has to be my singular focus,鈥� he says. When he returns home at an unknown time, he鈥檒l come back to his wife, daughters, horse trails, and a MSN diploma with his name on it. His writing of history will have just begun.