For new Flagler College President Joseph Joyner, education has been in the family for four generations. His grandmother taught first grade for 40 years. His father and mother were both teachers, and his father went on to become a school principal.

Flagler student Kiara Montes spent her summer unearthing the story of an enslaved cook at historic 19th-century home Sandusky Plantation in Lynchburg, Va., as part of an archaeological project she worked on with Assistant Professor Dr. Lori Lee. 

I love listening. It’s not only one of the most important traits a leader should have, but it’s also one of the favorite parts of my job. As the new president of Flagler College, it’s a joy to hear stories of students, faculty, staff and alumni who are doing incredible and inspiring work.

It’s a Wednesday night at a sandy vacant lot in downtown St. Augustine and people are lining up along a wooden fence decorated with signs that read “Bring peace” and “Compassion for all.” On plastic tables under white tents, Flagler students pass out slices of pizza, pile mounds of spaghetti on plates and hand out cupcakes.

Flagler grad Patrick Perkins, ‘02, is heading up Microsoft’s marketing efforts in the company’s Education division, and his rise in the Fortune 500 company is in no small part due to two core principles he’s practiced since college: work hard and trust your instincts.

In the seventh grade, Flagler College alumna Terri Samson, ‘05, watched a film that shaped the trajectory of her life. “Mr. Holland’s Opus” is a movie about a music teacher obsessed with leaving behind a musical legacy. Only, it wasn’t the main storyline that grabbed her, but rather a subplot about the lead character’s difficult relationship with his deaf son.

On Oct. 9, 2004, Grayden Moore, ‘03, was skateboarding down a long, steep road on the Gold Coast in Australia when his board wobbled and gave way beneath him. He bounced on his head three times and was knocked unconscious, leaving him without a heartbeat and blood flowing from his ears and mouth. He was not wearing a helmet.