09/14/2026
Students from Adjunct Professor Richard Czerniawski’s Competitive Brand Positioning course at the University of West Florida's Lewis Bear Jr. College of Business recently had the opportunity to experience one of their client assignments firsthand with a visit to The Arc Gateway.
The Arc Gateway provides life-changing programs and services to more than 1,200 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The visit was arranged and led by Stephen Rampersad, Chief Advancement Officer, who, along with members of The Arc Gateway leadership team, shared an inside look at the organization’s programs, practices, and the impact they have on the people, families, and community they serve.
Students heard from MaryAnn Bickerstaff, Director of Children’s Services; Kari Cashio, Lead Occupational Therapist; Alyssa Eadler, Speech/Language Pathologist; and Dawn Von Stein, Pollak Training Center Program Director.
Experiences like this give students the opportunity to directly translate and apply what they learn in the classroom to impact the organizations, customers, and communities they serve as future business leaders. This High Impact Practice course advances the LBJCOB Competitive Brand Positioning Strategy: Building Dreams. Creating Impact."
Students included Abbey Nebarez, Aaralyn Eaton, Karlie Bailey, Ben Menzi, Jackson Williams, Jack Hambright, Logan Haymon, and Naya Hilliard.
