A specialized Lake County college is growing so rapidly, it's renovating its campus in historic downtown Leesburg.
- Beacon College is in downtown Leesburg
- College caters to students with learning disabilities, differences
- It leads nation in student growth, according to school president
Beacon College offers degrees exclusively to students with learning disabilities and other learning differences.
This year, 325 students will attend Beacon, including 28-year-old Cicely Sheffield, who is visually impaired and relies on Dorothy, her seeing-eye dog, to get around campus.
"The teachers are very focused on the students," Sheffield said. "They care about you."
"We have grown 71 percent over the course of the past three years, which is leading the nation in student growth," President Dr. George Hagerty said.
To deal with the growth, Beacon College is renovating and expanding its student center, fitness center and the Compass Center, which offers students life coaching and career development.
The college also renovated its popular cafe, which is now the Starbucks at the Navigator.
College Magazine ranked Beacon College as the second best college for students with learning disabilities.