By Crystal Price, Paul Guzzo, and Gwendolyn Herndon, University Communications & Marketing
The 51做厙 will award more than 2,600 degrees during summer commencement ceremonies on Saturday, Aug. 8, in the Yuengling Center on the Tampa campus. The ceremonies include recipients of 1,714 bachelors, 760 masters, 132 doctoral and three professional degrees and one specialist degree.
The group features 22 undergraduate students earning a perfect 4.0 grade point average, 77 student veterans and graduates from 19 countries and 39 states. Among students earning undergraduate degrees, 801, or approximately 31 percent, are recipients of Pell Grants, a federal financial aid program for students from modest socioeconomic backgrounds.
At 18, the youngest graduate is earning a bachelors degree in history. The oldest graduate, who is 68, is earning a doctoral degree in communication.
USF President Moez Limayem will preside over all three ceremonies.
Tyvelle Dorvil - Bachelor of Science in Marketing
After overcoming scholarship setbacks and barriers associated with cerebral palsy, Tyvelle Dorvil achieved his dream of earning a college degree.
Discover how the USF St. Petersburg graduate is turning personal challenges into a passion for accessibility advocacy.
After coming up short in receiving a full-ride scholarship for a second time, it seemed college was unlikely for .
Trying to become the first in his family to attend a four-year college, the Take Stock in Children scholarship from the Pasco Education Foundation was essential to secure his future. Those who know Dorvil knew he wasnt going to let disappointment stop him.
Dorvil was born with spastic cerebral palsy and has used a wheelchair for the past 10 years. His experiences navigating inaccessible environments have given him perseverance and a drive to improve accessibility for others.
I like to say that my journey is like a bumble bee you dont look like you are meant to fly but that is what I have been doing, Dorvil said.
So, he worked even harder in high school, where he was named the most involved student by his class. He applied a third time to the competitive scholarship during his senior year, received it and then, through public speaking and fundraising, helped raise $60,000 in scholarships for other students along the way.
Once enrolled, Dorvil made the most of his opportunity. He earned both an associate and bachelor's degree in four years, captured first place in the state in an impromptu public speaking competition by the Florida Business Leaders of America and advocated for transportation solutions that better serve people with disabilities.
He is leaving USF St. Petersburg with a bachelors degree in marketing, achieving a dream of a higher education that was instilled in him by a mother who would go back later in life to earn her GED, and a sister who graduated with her associate degree before her death.
He hopes to one day start his own marketing consulting firm focused on disability and accessibility issues. He believes his condition and experiences where so much of his world was navigating sometimes-complicated terrain such as getting to a class, boarding a bus or moving through a building have given him the adaptability and perseverance to navigate whatever lies ahead.
Ria Arora Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences
What began as a desire to help amputees evolved into a bold vision for the future of medicine.
See how Ria Arora is helping lead the future of prosthetics.
For Ria Arora, her 51做厙 education was never just about earning a degree. It was about finding new ways to serve others.
My whole life, Ive been taught to help people, Arora said. Growing up in India, my parents took me to orphanages so I could spend time with the children there. They always encouraged me to find ways to be involved in my community.
That commitment to service ultimately brought her to USF.
This summer, Arora will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical sciences and plans to pursue a career developing technologies that improve the lives of people with disabilities.
Long before graduation, however, she was already putting that mission into practice.
During a summer internship at a rehabilitation clinic between her freshman and sophomore years, Arora worked closely with amputees and gained a firsthand understanding of the challenges they face every day.
Thats when I decided I wanted to dedicate my life to making better prosthetics to help amputees, she said.
When she returned to USF, Arora searched for a student organization focused on prosthetics and rehabilitation but couldnt find one.
So, along with fellow student Naman Sehgal, she co-founded PROSTHEX, a student organization focused on prosthetics, rehabilitation and community service. Members volunteered in the homes of amputees, assisted with household projects and worked to develop new technologies.
Members of PROSTHEX
Within two years, PROSTHEX had grown to more than 500 members, and its impact extended beyond volunteer work.
Among the groups projects was the development of an environmentally adaptive prosthetic foot designed to eliminate the need for amputees to switch between attachments based on the terrain they were navigating.
While the prototype remains in development, the project led Arora to a bigger question: What if prosthetic limbs could someday be replaced altogether?
We couldnt really find a way to make the best prosthetics for amputees, Arora said. So we started asking, How can we find a root cause that eradicates the use of prosthetics? What if we can bioprint human limbs and surgically attach them to an amputees leg so they dont ever have to wear a prosthetic again and they just get their leg back?
That question sparked her interest in bioprinting, an emerging field that uses living cells in a process similar to 3D printing to create biological tissues.
I just want to continue to help people, she said. Its all I ever want to do.
Danh Nguyen - Bachelor of Science Degrees in Supply Chain Management
What started with delivering donated school supplies has led one USF student to improve food distribution across Tampa Bay.
Here's how Danh Nguyen is using supply chain management to make a difference.
A high school community service project showed Danh Nguyen how logistics can change lives.
With the help of friends, he launched an initiative that connected donated textbooks and school supplies with local students in need in his home country of Vietnam. Nguyen even turned his home into a distribution hub, collecting, sorting and delivering the materials.
I saw how improving supply chains could help people, he said. I wanted to learn more about it.
So, Nguyen enrolled at the 51做厙 and graduates this summer with dual Bachelor of Science degrees in supply chain management and econometrics and quantitative economics.
While at USF, he served as program chair of the Supply Chain Professionals Club, expanding opportunities for students to connect with industry leaders. He organized guest speaker events, company tours and networking opportunities each semester, helping strengthen students' career pathways.
He also applied lessons from the classroom to benefit the Tampa Bay community.
Nguyen began volunteering as a freshman with Feeding Tampa Bay, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting food insecurity across West Central Florida. Impressed by its mission, he looked for ways to improve its operations using his supply chain knowledge.
One of his most impactful projects focused on reducing waste in the organization's perishable food-sorting process.
Nguyen spent weeks observing volunteers, researching food expiration guidelines and studying workflows before recommending changes. His improvements included providing volunteers clearer guidance, redesigned workflows and updated food categories reducing duplicate work.
The results helped save an estimated 100 pounds of food each day from being discarded while making operations more efficient.
That means more food for the community, he said.
For Nguyen, the project reinforced what first attracted him to supply chain management: The ability to solve problems that directly benefit others.
Everything I have done at USF is about one mission giving back, he said. Giving back to the community, giving back to the next generation of students.
Britlee Yant - Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
A lifelong dream of earning a college degree has grown into a commitment to helping children thrive.
Learn how psychology graduate Britlee Yant is building on her Honors College experience to improve outcomes for vulnerable youth.
I want to learn as much as I possibly can during my lifetime.
A lifelong dream turned into a lasting milestone, as Britlee Yant prepares to earn her bachelor's degree in psychology this summer. She's already looking ahead to her next academic goal: a master's degree in child and adolescent behavioral health. For Yant, a Judy Genshaft Honors College student whose undergraduate research focused on academic outcomes among foster children, graduation marks not an ending, but the next step in a lifelong pursuit of learning.
Yant always knew she would go to college but didnt know where. She said, Picking USF Sarasota-Manatee was the best decision I ever could have made. Everyone who attends or has attended USF is proud to call themselves a Bull. I wanted to be a part of that legacy.
She maximized her college experience and opportunities for growth by stepping out of her comfort zone and going after what her campus offered. Beyond the classroom, Yant sought leadership opportunities that helped her develop confidence, communication skills and a deeper connection to the university community. She served as president of USF Ambassadors, represented students through USF Student Government and participated in the Honors Music Ensemble playing the flute. Of all Yants experiences, she said that becoming a USF Ambassador was my favorite. The shared love for USF that I experienced in this program is infectious.
I have learned so much both inside and outside of the classroom.
Looking back at her time at USF, she reflected on how her experience at the Judy Genshaft Honors College challenged her to think critically and pursue hands-on research opportunities that aligned with her goals as a psychology major specializing in children's behavioral healthcare.
I love the Honors College because the classes are smaller, which allows professors to really get to know their students," Yant said.
Yant partnered with All Star Childrens Foundation to do capstone research on foster children and academia, making pivotal advancements towards her career goals.
That perspective confirmed that I want to work with children, particularly those with developmental and behavioral challenges, and ultimately pursue graduate studies and a career focused on improving outcomes for vulnerable youth, said Yant, adding that she plans to remain in Florida where she hopes to apply her knowledge and experiences to bring a difference to the community.
I was given research and networking opportunities, met amazing people and gained a sense of pride for my alma mater that will last a lifetime.
Yants academic pursuits won't stop yet.
I am pursuing my masters in child and adolescent behavioral health starting in August. I plan to get my doctorate as well, she assures.
Yant hopes to set an example for other first-generation college students as her younger brother will begin his college journey with USF soon after her graduation.
Her advice to all new college students, Step out of your comfort zone. Get involved, attend an event you normally wouldnt. You never you who you will meet, and who will change your life.
As Yant transitions from undergraduate student to graduate scholar, she carries with her the lessons, relationships, and research experiences that defined her Honors College journey. She hopes to be a role model for anyone hoping to maximize their college potential.
My time at USF Sarasota-Manatee has made such an impact on the person I am today.
Alisha Thomas Bachelor of Science in Criminology
A Navy veteran, single mother and first-generation college graduate, Alisha Thomas refused to let others define her future.
Click here to read how perseverance and purpose led her to a USF degree and what's next.
When Alisha Thomas walks across the stage at the 51做厙s summer commencement ceremony, shell receive more than a Bachelor of Science degree in criminology. Shell receive the best birthday present of her life.
I turn 31 that day, she said. How great is that?
For Thomas, a Navy veteran and single mother of a 9-year-old daughter, the degree is also proof that she was right to believe in herself.
She grew up in a lower-income neighborhood in Memphis. Her grades were high and her work ethic was obvious, she said, but many people doubted someone from their neighborhood could succeed in college.
When I was a kid, I had a lot of people in my life telling me that college wasnt something we could do, she said. But I always knew I was better than the situation I was raised in. I knew I could do things with my life.
After high school, Thomas enlisted in the U.S. Navy where she served six years as a culinary specialist on both coasts. Following her military service, she enrolled at Florida State College in Jacksonville, earning an Associate of Science degree in computer-related crime investigations.
While pursuing that degree, Thomas worked for the Disabled American Veterans, a nonprofit organization that provides support and advocacy for veterans and their families. She helped veterans navigate the benefits process and secure the compensation they had earned through their service.
Being able to help veterans and their families get what they deserved was a jewel in itself, she said.
With the help of the GI Bill, Thomas enrolled at USF in 2024. There, she learned that balancing college and single motherhood meant making the most of every spare moment.
No matter if my daughter is in gymnastics, volleyball or basketball, I take my computer with me, Thomas said. I do my homework in the strangest places.
Her daughter became her greatest motivation.
I want to give her a better life, Thomas said. I remind her that she can do anything, and I want to make sure she has every opportunity.
Shortly after commencement, Thomas will move to Texas to live near her sister while studying for the LSAT and apply to law school. Her ultimate goal is a career in federal law enforcement.
USF graduation is exciting, but it will not be my end, Thomas said. It is not where I will stop.
Tatiana Vanegas Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Health Care
Tatiana Vanegas thought she had to choose between becoming an author and helping others. At USF, she discovered she could do both.
Find out how she is building a career that blends storytelling with mental health advocacy.
For most of her childhood, Tatiana Vanegas thought her future was mapped out.
A lifelong lover of literature, she often told teachers that one day she would become a bestselling author.
Then, personal experiences sparked an interest in mental health and a desire to help people facing their own struggles. As that passion grew, Vanegas found herself wondering which path she should pursue.
At the 51做厙, she discovered she didn't have to choose.
USF's wide range of academic programs allowed her to blend both interests, and this summer she graduates with an ambitious academic portfolio: a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology, a Bachelor of Science degree in behavioral health care and a minor in literary studies.
I love writing, but I also love helping others, she said. USF had everything I wanted.
As a teenager, someone close to Vanegas struggled with mental health challenges and often leaned on her for support.
I always did my best to listen and let them know I cared, Vanegas said. But I wished I knew how to do more to help.
She enrolled at USF as a psychology major with a minor in literary studies. During her freshman year, while Vanegas was taking a course on addictive disorders, a person close to her was working to overcome alcoholism.
I did my best to be there for them through it all, Vanegas said. I wanted them to know their addiction didn't make them lesser or something they should be ashamed of. They just had to grow from the experience and come out stronger.
Vanegas grew from the experience as well. Realizing she wanted a deeper understanding of addiction and recovery, she added behavioral health care as a second major.
She doesn't plan on slowing down.
Vanegas hopes to find a position in a group home or residential treatment setting, helping adults facing mental health and addiction challenges. At the same time, she still plans to pursue her childhood dream of becoming an author.
I want to combine my passions, Vanegas said. I would love to write childrens books about mental health.
Ceremony schedule
Saturday, Aug. 8 | 9 a.m.
Doctoral and masters degree recipients from all colleges
Saturday, Aug. 8 | 1:30 p.m.
Bachelors degree recipients from the following colleges: Behavioral and Community Sciences; Muma College of Business; Education; Nursing and Public Health
Saturday, Aug. 8 | 6 p.m.
Bachelors degree recipients from the following colleges: Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing; Arts and Sciences; Design, Art, and Performance; Engineering and the Office of Undergraduate Studies