1,000 th Bachelor Graduate
EFSC DirectConnect Milestone
EFSC reached a milestone in its history when the 1,000th
Bachelor Degree graduate received their diploma at Spring
Commencement. (Student Enrollment, Diversity Initiatives,
Trustee Relations, Community Awareness) EFSC and UCF marked a milestone in DirectConnect when
UCF awarded its 50,000th Bachelor Degree through the
program, with more than 8,700 of the recipients EFSC
graduates. (Student Enrollment, Diversity Initiatives)
• In all, 164 students earned their four-year degree during
ceremonies at the King Center for the Performing Arts. • DirectConnect guarantees students’ admission to UCF with
an Associate Degree from one of UCF’s six partner colleges,
which includes EFSC.
• That brought the total number of Bachelor Degree
graduates to 1,112 since the College began its first two
baccalaureate tracks in 2013.
• Today, EFSC offers 24 Bachelor tracks in Business, Health
Care and Computer Technology with more in development.
• The student recognized as the 1,000th graduate was Derick
Pierre of Palm Bay, who earned a Bachelor of Applied
Science in Computer Information Systems Technology with
a specialization in Program and Software Development.
• Said Pierre: “At one point I did not think I was going to
graduate, and to graduate with honors and be No. 1,000 is
incredible.”
• The two institutions created the forerunner to the program
in 1968, creating a model that was adopted around Florida.
It became DirectConnect in 2005.
• About 1,000 EFSC graduates attend UCF annually through
the program, providing an important pathway for them to
pursue Bachelor Degrees, Master Degrees and Doctorates.
• The program has been recognized nationally for creating a
seamless pipeline of social mobility through access to higher
education.
• Publications including the Washington Post and the PBS
Newshour have said DirectConnect can be a blueprint for
other states to follow.
2019 College Accomplishments
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