SPRING GRADUATES START THEIR JOURNEY
Students celebrated Spring Commencement as they commemorated earning their diplomas amid fanfare from family and friends .
• More than 1,700 students were eligible to graduate with almost 600 walking across the stage during two ceremonies at the King Center for the Performing Arts on the Melbourne Campus .
• Among the graduates was Tre ’ Mayne Giscombe who spent his senior year at EFSC as part of the Early Admission Dual Enrollment program .
• The 18-year-old earned both an Associate in Arts Degree and Bachelor Degree in Organizational Management , plus his high school diploma from Palm Bay ’ s Heritage High .
• “ I have always been an educational child — I always liked reading , liked finding information about things so school came along a little easier for me ,” said Giscombe who also had parental approval to live in the EFSC student housing on the Melbourne campus during the past school year .
• “ I had teachers advise me and help me with what the next step should be . There are a bunch of people who have helped me along the way .”
• Another Dual Enrolled high school graduate who maximized her time at EFSC was Victoria Hopkins : “ I am graduating from Cocoa High School , and I earned my A . A . today and I got a full ride to Notre Dame for Aerospace Engineering .”
• Graduate Deatay Karto of Melbourne stayed at EFSC to earn a nursing degree after receiving her Associate in Arts Degree .
More Than
1,700 STUDENTS WERE ELIGIBLE
TO GRADUATE
• “ I like that EFSC is small . You get the one-on-one attention with your professor and not only that , but they have great , great professors who are willing to help and that ’ s important ,” said Karto .
• Also earning an A . A . degree was Te ’ Quan Ross who is moving on to the University of Central Florida through the DirectConnect transfer program to major in computer science .
• “ I was able to do my first two years and then step into the next chapter of my life ,” said Ross . “ It ’ s a good stepping stone and opens up the door for a lot of opportunities .”
• The students were applauded by President Dr . Jim Richey , who noted their journey took them through the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic and that getting to this day had been extremely hard .
• “ You stayed the course despite the severe stress and unprecedented challenges you faced ,” said Richey .
• “ In doing so , you reached deep down inside yourselves and found strength you may not know you had .
• “ That fortitude is not something that can be taught in the classroom . Rather , it speaks to your character , to who you really are , in a way that you can draw on again and again in the years ahead .
• “ If COVID couldn ’ t stop you , nothing can . I am immensely proud of every one of you ,” he said .
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