Commencement Ceremonies Celebrate Student Achievements
December 12, 2024
More than 500 Eastern Florida State College students celebrated with family and friends Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024 during two Commencement Ceremonies at the King Center for the Performing Arts, including a brother and sister who completed their associate degrees at EFSC after fleeing the war in Ukraine.
18-year-old Yelysei and 20-year-old Anastasiia Shkirpan came to Brevard County with their mother Julia and took part in the U.S. government's Uniting for Ukraine program thanks to sponsorship through Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in Indialantic.
“We feel very happy that we made it,” said Anastasiia, who along with her brother, earned the Computer Programming and Analysis A.S. degree after enrolling at EFSC in April 2023.
“It wasn’t easy sometimes, but we are really thankful that Eastern Florida gave us the opportunity to study in their college, pursue a degree, and continue the education after we graduate with the associate degree. We had wonderful teachers.”
In January, both of the Shkirpans will begin EFSC's Bachelor of Applied Science program in Computer Information Systems Technology - Data Science specialization.
“Most of our friends are in the computer science sphere so it’s cool to be in the same sphere with all your friends that you've been growing up with,” said Yelysei.
“Also, it was one of the dreams of our father who passed away just a week before the war started,” added his sister.
More than 1,700 students were eligible to take part in Commencement, with nearly 1,100 of those Fall Term candidates for associate or bachelor degrees or certificates and the rest Summer 2024 graduates who can participate because there is not a summer ceremony.
College President Dr. Jim Richey congratulated all the graduates, telling the crowds at the 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. ceremonies, “Today, as we celebrate you and your accomplishments, I am reminded that we should never underestimate the strength of the human spirit.
“You are the best and brightest, and are now an integral part of the legacy of success that is EFSC.”
Zach Devaney is living that legacy following a four-year stint as a canine trainer and handler in the U.S. Marines.
He walked in the December commencement as a Summer Term 2024 recipient of an Associate in Arts degree and is now taking bachelor prerequisites by working toward a Chemical Technology A.S. He plans to transfer to UCF to pursue a bachelors in Biology after he earns the second associate degree in Spring 2025.
“I have to give a lot of credit to my advisor, JC. He advised me on how it would be if I decided to transfer to UCF before getting these prerequisites done. You're going to be in a classroom full of 60 to 70 people, relatively big classes. You're really not going to get too much individual time with the professor, one-on-one time,” said Devaney, who also took advantage of more time at EFSC to be a work-study student at EFSC's Military and Veterans Center.
“I'm hoping I can work down in the Everglades on invasive species and things like that. I've always been a big nature boy, always loved being outside, being out in nature. I love fishing like it's my passion.”
It was not just family and friends traveling to be here for this special day. Organizational Management Bachelor of Applied Science graduate Daniela Dinolfo flew in from Chicago where she finished her accounting specialization program online while working as an international Italian language interpreter.
“I traveled overseas and was in Spain over the summer and kept doing my assignments,” said Dinolfo, who started at EFSC while living in Florida and could move to Chicago because the degree could be earned 100% online.
Both ceremonies were broadcast live on WEFS-TV and livestreamed via YouTube.
Commencement replays can be viewed on the College’s YouTube channel at bit.ly/efscwatch.
Graduates, family, and friends can post their photos and videos on social media using
the hashtag #EFSCGrad so they can be part of the virtual social wall.
EFSC's newest alumni join more than 125,000 others who have earned their diplomas from the college since it opened in 1960 with one campus.
Today four campuses span the Space Coast from Titusville to Palm Bay with almost four dozen programs also available completely online.
To learn more about EFSC and the nearly 150 programs it offers, visit easternflorida.edu.
- Media Contact: Suzanne Rains, APR, CPRC, Associate Vice President, Communications
- Office:321-433-7022
- Cell:321-537-6986
- Email:rainss@easternflorida.edu