UCF College of Business | Fall 2020 Virtual Commencement
[Music] [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] things are a little different this year a little different and a little distant they say it's unprecedented we say it's a chance to show our strengths through innovation ingenuity patience and generosity things nights are known for your time at ucf ended differently than we all thought it would but here's the thing graduation doesn't make you a night you've always been a knight ever since you stepped on campus maybe long before then and nothing will ever change that you have years of experiences that no one can take away from you exciting memories moments challenging triumphs and dreams come true unbeaten 13-0 no one will ever have the same college experience as you and that's a wonderful thing classes beginning for the first time at ucf downtown the 15-acre campus is the new home to more than 20 degree programs the future is yours to shape too no matter what your focus was in the classroom you are now a better version of yourself ready to make an impact right here in our community for a small group of ucf students their bi-weekly trip to downtown orlando is a chance to connect with those less fortunate across the country the limitless solutions team at ucf helping to design a 3d printed ventilator that requires no electricity around the world we have scientists we have engineers we have others who could be thinking about how do you test how do you diagnose how do you cure and out beyond the stars determined to return to the moon by 2024 ucf is a critical part of that plan right now we celebrate you the class of 2020 in the best way we can and simply ask that you take care of yourself and others stay strong stay curious and as always charge on [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] hey welcome to the 162nd commencement exercise of the university of central florida i am dr paul jorley dean of the college of business administration to begin our ceremony our vocalist jose velez and our organist andrew walker will lead us in singing our national anthem [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] streaming [Music] that our flag was still there o say those that star spangled on the motherboard [Music] mr president the fall 2020 graduating class of the university of central florida's college of business administration is virtually assembled [Music] thank you and thank you all for being with us online today obviously this virtual commencement is not our preferred way to honor your achievements all of us at ucf hope we are able to provide a recognition worthy of your successes in person when it is safe together together again this is a big milestone in the lives of our graduates and i am very pleased that so many friends family members and guests are able to join us virtually to help celebrate their accomplishments it took a lot of hard work for them to get where they are and i am honored to reward them with the degrees and certificates they are here to receive they have definitely earned them i know you are proud of your graduates and i also know that a good part of their success is because of your love and support family and friends thank you for all you have done to help get them this far and for all you will continue to do today is a celebration of your success too before we continue i'd like to acknowledge some special members of the ucf family who may not be with us online today ucf's brave men and women who have been called away to active military duty i would also like to acknowledge two additional groups of graduates graduating members of our rotc programs who have just been or are about to be commissioned as officers in our armed forces and are graduating student veterans all of these graduates deserve our special thanks and congratulations to ucf's faculty you are the foundation of our great institution and mentors to the next generation of pioneers and innovators thank you for your contributions and impact the dedication you and all educators have displayed in these unprecedented times is nothing short of amazing our commencement speaker is the founder and ceo of fat merchant a payments and technology innovator under her leadership fat merchant has experienced explosive growth raising a hundred million dollars in venture capital funding and employing over a hundred people known as the netflix of credit card processing the company's integrated technology has disrupted what was once a stagnant industry offering a radically simple all-in-one payment experience for established businesses across the nation she has been named the most influential woman in payments ceo of the year and one of florida's most influential business leaders in addition to her recent recognition as one of fortunes 40 under 40. she has spoken at money 2020 collision and tedx she's also an active writer for forbes and the entrepreneur network please welcome sanera madani welcome faculty parents friends relatives zoom invaders but most importantly welcome graduates to the 2020 commencement ceremony of the university of central florida whether you're watching the ceremony from your living room social distancing at a small home celebration with your loved ones or secretly wearing pajamas under your cap and gown you truly deserve to have the biggest celebration today graduates you did it you're finally here today on your commencement day a day you have been looking forward to for years a day you have worked so incredibly hard for this day has finally arrived so for the next 24 hours i ask that you mute the world set aside the craziness and the uncertainty of what comes next soak in all your well-deserved glory for this is one of the greatest moments of your life one that no pandemic can ever take away so own this moment feel that energy that excitement that celebration and take credit for your success unscathed and unhindered by the toils of 2020. thank you president cartwright and thank you ucf for this extraordinary honor to be the commencement speaker for the graduating class today and for the next 24 hours allowing me to take part in this moment in 2020 as 6 500 bright talented brilliant dreamers prepare to embark on the next chapter of their journey this honor i will remember for life and i hope that my address to you today will leave you a bit more inspired a bit more driven and feeling a ton more empowered as tomorrow you take on a new world a world that is actually new to all of us my name is sanera madani and i was given the honor to be your commencement speaker today because years ago i was a student just like you with big dreams aspirations and a vision to change the world in my own way like many of you today i was in search of something i didn't know how to get but never wanted anything more in my life you see i am an entrepreneur an entrepreneur that just like you today had every card stacked against them and against all the odds i turned a rejected idea into florida's most successful startup fat merchant a payment technology company now doing billions in payments i became an overnight success eight years in the making i became the most influential woman in payments in a complete male-dominated industry i raised over 100 million dollars in venture capital when less than one percent of venture capital goes to minority founders it's hard to win against the house when the odds are stacked against you but i want you to know that it doesn't mean that it's impossible it is possible if you play your cards right and today in the spirit of everything stacked against us in 2020 here are just a few of the top lessons that i have learned in business that can help you beat every odd that ever comes your way lesson number one know your why i am the daughter of immigrant parents who came to this country with absolutely nothing to their name having an education was not an option for them so achieving the american dream was dependent on their own success they worked hard extremely hard they built their lives and sacrificed all they had to give me and my brother an education so that their kids can live the american dream the dream of freedom opportunity and most importantly privilege that comes with that dream much like some of you listening today i was the first person in my entire family to graduate college and i did it with honors i did it not for me i did it to make them proud and to ensure that all their sacrifices did not go to waste i wanted to ensure that my privilege that came from the backs of my parents sacrifices meant something greater and that it was my duty no matter what career i ended up choosing i do it with 100 percent joy 100 dedication and 110 for a bigger reason than just me your why is the reason you worked so hard to get here and to become a nurse or an engineer or an entrepreneur in business that why is what keeps you motivated consistent and showing up it separates the winners from the losers the power in your why is mightier than the challenge stacked ahead your why is the reason you choose to do what you do and it should be what guides you as you execute the why is what keeps you charging on even on days when there is nothing left to give when you show up for that why you will win every single time lesson number two bet on yourself without a lot of resources and by that i mean zero dollars in my bank account i quit my steady benefit paying full-time job and decided to present my idea to other companies in the industry because truthfully i completely lacked the confidence to venture out on my own if this were a feel-good movie i would then tell you that one of these companies thought the idea was brilliant and i went on to rise in the ranks of ceo that is not what happened or at least it didn't happen in that order i pitched the idea to 12 companies and 12 companies told me no no one believed in me my vision for the first subscription-based processing company my record-breaking billion dollar idea and quite frankly i almost didn't believe in me either it wasn't until i had no other options left and the push of my brother that i had to take the final bet on me i gave myself six months moved back into my parents house and sold payment terminals out of the trunk of my volkswagen beetle to find any business that would be willing to trust a 26 year old with their hard earned money looking back now thank god i took that bet on me and i'm even more grateful that others took a bet on me too 130 of the most brilliant humans who joined my team over 6 000 businesses venture capitalists pe firms and even investors took a bet too and my younger brother who pushed me to take that first bet and go against the odds joined me as my partner and co-founder but i needed to take a bet on myself first and you should too believe in yourself and in your vision even when others tell you no or it seems you're the only one put aside your self-limiting beliefs and do not be afraid to bet on you be confident in your vision and you'll be surprised at how soon others will follow but always always be the first to bet on yourself for this next lesson lesson number three i thought long and hard of what defines people that are successful if you look at your favorite athlete entertainer or anyone you look up to and admire you'll notice all the greatest leaders have this one trait in common a growth mindset so class of 2020 your next lesson for today lesson number three is you can't be committed to your dream and your comfort zone comfort is the enemy of growth and everything and i truly mean anything you want in life is 100 waiting for you on the other side of consistency the power of habit journaling physical activity meditation goal setting and the sheer will of showing up is a big part of achieving success and putting your plan to action once you set your goals break them down into micro goals to make attaining your overall goals more manageable and less intimidating think of it this way if you want to run a marathon you're not just going to show up and run it you have to train this applies to goals spend time and prioritize put in the effort to break your goals down into micro goals and work on them every single day i wish i could sit here and give you the magic one liner to inspire your overnight success story but you know i can't what i can tell you is the truth and if you take anything away from the speech today remember this there are zero shortcuts to success hard work is the shortcut lesson number four there is an african proverb that reads if you want to go fast go alone if you want to go far go together take a few seconds right now to look around you the faces you see and the relationships that are celebrating you now and tomorrow they matter there have always been and always will be selfless loving people in your life that support you cheer you on and be there for you these relationships should be prioritized on the top of your list after you leave today your friends family neighbors co-workers and even future friends your future spouse and your future co-workers matter in your success story and for our next lesson lesson number four i give you one of my favorite discoveries which is one team one dream surround yourself with others who share your passions and values no matter what life throws at you having an inner circle you can lean on is important when the time gets rough and celebrate with you in those moments you've just crushed the odds who will hype you up and remind you of your why who will bet on you and those critical moments you may forget to bet on yourself nurture these relationships and future ones as you venture out into the world to do great things and become a great leader become a great leader in every aspect of your life and lead lead with an open heart lead with vulnerability and most importantly lead with empathy let go of resentment don't be afraid to be the first to say i'm sorry and most importantly be kind be kind to all be inclusive for those that are left out and stand up for those that don't have a voice winning is fun but winning with friends is even better lastly for my final lesson today i wanted to share something really personal my dad would explain my success by saying sonny you have it i would annoyingly respond by saying dad what does it even mean ever since i was a little girl he would remind me that i have it every single day and luckily even as an adult i didn't understand the meaning of having it until he passed away this year the it factor is that hard to define quality that makes someone special and outstanding it is a magic inside all of us a feeling of confidence and a steadfast belief in yourself ruth bader ginsburg had it malala and beyonce have the it factor oprah and serena williams have it too don't worry guys it's not the feminist in me saying that only women have the it factor as much as i'd like to feel that way elon musk john legend and of course kobe bryant had it too people from all walks of life and all backgrounds have it so for the final biggest lesson of all as you enter into this next phase of life know that you also have it it is your superpower but the x factor is what you do with it so go out there and make things happen execute tomorrow on your vision and dreams of today and don't give into excuses have the resilience and the drive to make an impact and trust in your it factor remember success isn't something that happens overnight it takes will dedication and hustle be consistent put in the hard work and you will get the results and for all of you aspiring entrepreneurs in the ucf class of 2020 remember too that there is no such thing as a billion dollar idea only a billion dollar execution as you figuratively and literally close the book today on this chapter know that tomorrow is day one and the real work begins remember to know your why always to win with friends to continue to learn and of course to bet on yourself and your superpowers when you do that no matter what it is that you do in life the odds will always be in your favor charge on nights and congratulations to the ucf graduating class of 2020. stay humble and stay hungry thank you senera the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit that you exhibit are defining values of ucf we are amazed by your story and what you've been able to accomplish your ingenuity and commitment shines through and you have transformed a key segment of society in an impactful way thank you and now the exciting time in our program when degrees are conferred and we read our graduates names given the number and diversity of names at ucf we apologize if there are any mispronunciations will dr michael johnson interim provost and vice president for academic affairs please commence with the conferral of degrees [Music] the doctoral degree represents the highest academic achievement a person can earn to receive the doctorate candidates must demonstrate proficiency through advanced graduate coursework and examinations and demonstrate to their university professors and peers that they can engage in substantive research that adds to the body of knowledge in their fields of study dr elizabeth klonoff vice president for research and dean of the college of graduate studies will present the candidates for the doctoral degree mr president on behalf of the dean and the faculty i am pleased to present these candidates for the degrees for which they qualify and recommend that they be conferred thank you dr klonoff candidates by virtue of the authority vested in me by the state of florida and with the concurrence of the ucf board of trustees i confer upon you the degree for which you have been recommended and for which you have qualified with all the rights and responsibilities thereto appertaining congratulations the hooding ceremony is traditional for the conferral of a doctoral degree the academic hood is a ucf hood as its black and gold colors denote and the velvet lining represents the field of study regrettably we cannot perform this ceremony at this time but we will read the names of all those who have qualified for this distinction to all of our doctoral candidates congratulations christopher michael stein dr klonoff will you present the candidates for the master's degree mr president on behalf of the dean and the faculty i am pleased to present these candidates for the degrees for which they qualify and recommend that they be conferred thank you dr klonoff candidates by virtue of the authority vested in me by the state of florida and with the concurrence of the ucf board of trustees i confer upon you the degree for which you have been recommended and for which you have qualified with all the rights and responsibilities thereto appertaining congratulations to those who have earned this distinction pedro ariza [Music] stephen james baker spencer eugene barnes tyler david barwick robert wyatt bennett [Music] steven w bowers michelle boya cheyenne ferreira cabral ashley brooke callahan kelsey ann chapman matthew chu [Music] edward gene clutter jennifer paulette kraft ashley eve christantiello travis j downing savannah nicole dye carter james kenneth ellis dylan napoleon gladney [Music] karen lorenz guzman salazar ashley marie horosius yvonne robert quinn hudson john robert kirkland lauren rachel lucy jasmine kira macko malika mali haley beth mchenry allison ashton moores david edwin morin nicholas with tabby alex t nguyen tulupe emmanuel um gabriela grace pachetti eleni vasaliki alberto rafael piedra jr robert john potts gabrielle sarah reef vishal shahran sanatharain paul nicholas libon simundok paola eliza soria herrera stephanie marie tartalia craig thompson angus sunsingto [Music] kathleen elizabeth travison grant aaron troyanowski aaron tyson samir antar uden andre vasquez mi joo wang brandon michael williams ernest howard huang will dr paul jarley dean of the college of business administration present the baccalaureate candidates from the college i am proud to present the baccalaureate candidates from the college of business administration interim provost johnson it is my pleasure to recommend that these students be granted the degrees for which they qualify thank you dean mr president the baccalaureate candidates have been recommended for graduation by the dean and faculty of their college i concur with these recommendations and present the candidates to you for the awarding of degrees by virtue of the authority vested in me by the state of florida and with the concurrence of the ucf board of trustees i confer upon you the degree for which you have been recommended and for which you have qualified with all the rights and responsibilities thereto appertaining we will begin with our honor recognitions these names are available in the online program a printed version will be mailed to graduates with your diploma will dr sheila amin gutierrez de penieres dean of the burnett honors college start us off followed by dr johnson the brunette honors college which represents the top students at ucf is committed to cultivating talent and inspiring excellence brunette honors scholars are prepared to not only tackle the future but also fundamentally change it they further the intellectual mission and the tenets of the ucf creed through outstanding accomplishments to those students who are graduating with university honors or who have completed an honors undergraduate thesis congratulations and best wishes we are very proud of our distinctive leed scholars academy the only one in the state university system and one with few peers across the country during their years at ucf lead scholars have a unique opportunity to engage in the academic study of leadership to lead others and to serve our community to these students please accept our congratulations honor medallions are presented to the students who have achieved the highest grade point averages in their colleges to these students and their families thank you and congratulations we are also very proud of our distinguished president's leadership council whose members are selected on the basis of scholarship leadership service and the ability to function as ambassadors and hosts for the university thank you to our graduating presidents leadership council members and congratulations and lastly in 2001 the university established the order of pegasus an honor that recognizes outstanding senior and graduate students who have demonstrated overall excellence in university involvement leadership academic achievement and community service because of the breadth of accomplishments required for this award the order of pegasus is the most prestigious and significant student award that can be attained at the university these names along with the names of all of our honor graduates are available in the online program and the printed version that will be mailed to graduates with their diplomas thank you and congratulations we will now recognize the top honor graduates followed by the baccalaureate candidates from the college of business administration in alphabetical order followed by closing remarks from the honorable sabrina larosa student body president and member of the ucf board of trustees and president cartwright congratulations graduates alfredo abdulhadi daniel sam abelman pedro omar abreu brett samner achaean anthony mauricio acevedo alexandria maria achanaprura allison eileen anchor grace y acosta yazan al-khari rodney terrell allen jr jenna nicole allison sarah christina almeida marquis devone alston amrit amara singh christian xavier anderson brianna beth andrews max dimitri antonio hunter robert arbit daniel arcalone daniel arnone alexis noel arroyo sarah marie arroyo maria camilla asparilla paredes angelo anthony atardo jimmy gianni ultron iv jacqueline carolina avendano crystal ashley elea tyler scott ayer monisha ayagari christian nicholas aznar cassandra r bachmann mutasm espadawi carrie lynn bagnato emmanuel baker zoe brook bala tyler james balmer diana mayor barakat kiana barbieri emily jane barth brianna elaine bashore adam michael bass kyle austin bieber gregory beers phillip alexander bertigur corey stephen bergeron cody m bergman alyssa rose binder jonathan michael bishop heather ashley bavona jordan alexander blanco andrew richard blanton rebecca renee blunt kevin jacob bogle christopher bogstad david andrew bond jr nathan alexander boswell zachary bonik adrian eric bonilla rivera jillian marie boos christian salvatore borac michaela marlene boring nathaniello boring jonathan james baroka caitlyn rachel bauer blake hunter bowman bryce miguel bowman brandon dean boyd katie denise boyd ryan anderson bozek nino giovanni brancato joseph timoney brennan stool eric herman brenner amy marissa breslin aaron danielle brickfield nyla denise bridges jacob nguyen brooks heather danielle brown cadeta lashon brown andrew evar brush tyler james buccalo frankie bucclock brandon cedric boudoir [Music] jack james boogalin victor alonso bula kevin burnham turner austin berwick helen cabanellos sebastian daniel cabrejo brandi nicole caucho jordan calcio dedrick kennedy brandon danielle candela harris elder carlson brianna carpentier christy louise carr kristen lin carr elsa teresa carruthers ryan evan carter zachary randall carter ricardo carvajal lucas carvajal braga kayla j casella francis james casey madison hope cassidy ashley madeline castellin anna raquel castellanos brenda castillo juan castillo so lisa inorza castrolon alexander zeus castro jillian lawrence catino peter anthony certo pamela cervantes brendan david chamberlain [Music] taylor gage chandler drew garrett charles philip e charles kevin enrique chavez haley marie chenoweth kevin chion-chen william hayden clark nicholas lee clay john robert clements nathaniel scott clemons brianna anja clemens brendan jennings klein jordan ashley cohen [Music] courtney charisse coleman joer h coleman jr scott patrick coley christopher matthew condon john clarence cook austin david cooper nicholas mitchell cooper michael peter quarry [Music] sydney marcarian coven kenneth lewis cowley iii william carly cox jr elizabeth coyne kelton d crane mackenzie andrew kreger mary catherine crevello kyle thomas croatia andrews eduardo cruz jacqueline justin cruz logan downey curry patrick james curtis sophia catharina the imperial martinez chloe nguyen dong joanne d dong jocelyn daniel kenneth new home daniel ashley monet davenport kyle ronald davis scott christian davis parker jeffrey day [Music] luis fernando de la medabarros renee philippe de la mera barros alyssa marie de cuatro bradley carlton deroy cody j dearborn jack stevenson decius eliana del orisco catherine sophia delgado thomas augustine demarco julianne deng dominic jeffrey dispersive samir diab alex joel diaz brian hunter dylan dickey natasha alexia default aaron joseph dishman claudia dominic kevin william donahue kyle donahue claire marie donnelly christopher lazlo dosa mihalio dossen jake robert dowd kiana diana dowling kayla mary dubuck jared robert dugan delaney denise duquette jeanalin wood duna elmos duperville valentina pilar durango brandon alex duvan diani kelly michelle devaraznek maxwell robert diell andrew c edwards neil escosola brandon j eckles michael turnett ellison joseph nicolo eplete simon is a esparza cedric lee evers jonathan carl faber waldorf calvar fracundo jafar jahed fadel kevin cody fargo jaime ray farrels madeline mary fatella nima fazelli emma lopresti fazio brielle alexa feyron noah ari feldman lynn feliciano cooper john feltes nicholas ryan fenwick jose manuel ferrer david horton findlay thomas walter fisher dominic joseph fiomura ethan lee florey christina marie follis danielle fonseca michael jonah fortish michael justin felsh gabrielle evan ferrari [Music] brian franco michael fritz justin aaron frolick austin jeffrey fudge shane ryan furman tanner james gabrielle jacqueline gailey julia jean gallagher leone fernando gallego dylan reed gamache teresa carmen gamba juan philippe gamboa william paul gan salah eden gara alexandro garovito alexander hauntos garcia brenda lees garcia hector emmanuel garcia shannon garmer allison lee garner brianna nicole gassman justin devonte gale hannah nicole gear flasa eagle ludnir georges ariel rose germano amanda carolina kigalia justin daniel giamo shakayla andrea gialisi alexander joseph anthony james giuliano elaine laurene glatz emily aaron glenn brian golembeski austin mitchell golov fausto gomez emmanuel gomez geraldo michael arthur goodliff tonya smith goring thomas michael gotz adriana marie gowski tyler steven graff tiffany nicole grant [Music] roxanne alexander gravely keegan dean greaves tyrus summer green [Music] kevin michael grinewalt tays gerald grevin joseph matthew griffith sophia valentine romeros gomez stephen guerrero isabella gravara szechulin talisia gomes marissa gutierrez jocelyn paolo gutierrez aguilar nyla nurim haleem alexis renee hall amanda nicole hall hunter allen hall danielle jeannette handler [Music] robert matthew hankin peter hannah maxwell tucker hardwick ethan monroe harris malik akeem harris brianna michelle healing naomi hector omar waleed help me henry karim kimberly henkel khalib andrew henry alexis ruth hernandez javier hernandez jose joelle hernandez samuel jose hernandez gabrielle hernandez pracastigue alexander herrera dalton lee herring andrew harvey hester sarah day hetlage hunter mackenzie hickman madison elizabeth hickman alondra he ryan austin heinz donald lee hearst iv anabella stephanie short tara shanice hodge emily ann hodgson kyle jawan hong ranjit singh hook sarah ann horvath brett edward hulk lauren michelle huff daniel casimo huli michael oakley howard zechariah augustine two so he who zou huang logan edward hughes leah heard aaron dwayne christopher hyde sophia atlanta ayanna cohn alexander robert ibrahim danielle eli edie mohammed ibrahim idwan marcus jeffrey ireland samiha islam jocelyn anastasia marie jackson eric john jacobson mahendra dave jaglao violet joshene claudia mercedes sierras [Music] johnson cameron k johnson nolan paul johnson david andrew johnston kai haley johnson carly angelis [Music] tyler alexander jolly christian jordan alex bruno joseph valencia m joseph megan marie juranic [Music] [Music] daniel victor kendo zachary robert caskey ariel maria kemp brady reid kemp kellyanne kennedy gabriella michelina kenniston garrett rock ketchum sydney patrick kinch kevin darrell kissenberg jacob clarice michelle emily clements jonathan james knight matthew james kurtner hala kutali [Music] heather lee kramer ellie crystal krantz aaron robert kravitz alexander braden krueger [Music] ty harrison koblikas jonathan kyritz cheryl lalanni j christopher la liberty bianca lom cruz jonathan gerald landrum aguero just menelane jonah adam langbert solomon lapko morgan alexis lagrospada xavier francisco la torre hui jian lao michael joseph lee jr amy lee anna lee austin michael leach christian isaiah leach hilda milagro lebron ortiz christian harley lee lindsay daniel lee madison brooks lee michael elliott lee andrea maria limer vanessa renee lemanski giovanna lincefsky taylor simone lewis dedra leo matthew david licari steven matthew leotard brian james lynn jaclav le perez fifth minnelli jessica lariano vincent liu austin taylor lloyd christie marie locker kyle matthew logan taylor champagne lomas ricardo alberto lopez [Music] valeria lopez ray lorenzo paige jonathan la sapio ahmed khaled mohamed lofty edward christopher lozada alessandro lozi odalus lucero taylor alicia lugo jean f lumene tristan carlo luzad shane alexander laina cruz anthony madero neil anil maharaj eureka maiden chase william major akshay d makan jacob aladdin mccoolion michael giles malone dolce maria mancilla diaz eric ruben mangual joseph lilly colani monterez carla marci [Music] ludmila marcondes daniel benjamin margot scott andrew marion alexandre markovich [Music] madison lynn marlow taylor carol marrero christopher nelson martin abdel martinez [Music] evan daniel martinez jared david martinez ronda martinez raul fernando martinez lopez fabiano martinez reyes luis fernando martini parilli raymond michael mosquerela iii yani sebastian mateliere lucy matthew devin nicholas matos jason matos caitly lynn matzky samantha a maurer daniel eduardo may benjamin robert mayo leona eunice mazur patrick sam mazzella andrew todd mcdowell andrew garrett mekolini timothy r mckee colin patrick mcclinchy sean wesley mckinney kelsey lynn mcmaster robert blaise mcsweeney grace ellen mcwhorter harrison jeffrey mckay christopher javier medina stephanie marie milara cornelius melvin zachary thomas melvin dylan robert mendowitz is metropolis anthony joseph mignon matthew malokovic jordan michael miller max miller chase andrew mills edward wallace mills iii jeremy matthew milon mishnari tyrone minsi zaina nisha mikara mohammed hamid mizura brandon willard mayor bryce allen minklin cole samuel macklin alexa sierra maggio james moyes emmanuel santos montalvo nicole alejandra montoya keenan mateo mora christian emanuel morales kailyn lin morrow abu bakr saleem mostly omar tarek mustafa saeed muhaden paul jeremy motut caesar james munoz joshua enrique munoz abigail nguyen murray stefan timothy myers iii daniel nanceram jason navarro d'alissa mara nelson laura clark nelson sonny charles newman man m nguyen matthew lewis nguyen tan du tuak nguyen edward daniel nichols caitlyn nicole nicholson taylor rose nielsen patrick francis nolan taylor nicole nolan jacob ryan north luisa fernando nunez sean brian nunez courtney ann o'henry miles stephen o'neill jana christopher hotel laura selen okay francesca maria oliveiras samuel lee orcat ryan jose ortiz jr cesar alfredo ortiz rosa deja monet overs stephanie pashon dominique bernard pius manuel alexander pagan pena shaveem di prakamur panda joseph danielle panic michael joseph parente marcelo anthony parisi camilla parker j jitendra parmar karen mindesh patel nicholas roy patricio jacob wesley penta [Music] danica ariane pereira cesar enrique perez andrea heather perner sebastian perol john carl perrin iv brandy j pettinger joshua jarrett panzullo eric fann maya ha fan rachel min huang fan anil fanis naren michael anthony pierce evelyn pierre trevor darnielle pinon calallen anthony pino alfred and jumiel pinto lynn catherine pohl forrest john popov zarya portillo samantha alexis post james dylan powell joseph lewis proffman christopher richard raffone chelsea ravina ramfal tiffany marie ramsey antoine raphael kelsey anne rapp fonchika ratra marcus julian ravaglia nada rafael david antonio retriera jr zachary steven ruther darien reyes ryan michael rice sabrina rivas alex christopher rivera christopher rivera kevin rivera [Music] keon christopher roach allison ann roberts zachary andrew roach levi lynn rodriguez emmanuel jose rodriguez jorge rodriguez ortiz john austin rockstad holly marie rohan carla cristina rojas de la aguila tiffany michelle rollins ricardo augusto romero quentin isaiah roser richard roose kyler de nero sebastian roseau jasmine dominic rudd rodrigo alex ruiz connor stephen russell craig lasalle rutledge jr christian nicole ryan mohamed sabor jeffrey eduardo mi secostum aaron richard sanchez ruby sanchez christopher george sanders karen elizabeth sanders nicholas rafael sansone natalie priscilla santino justin edward sapp alberto juan carlos arabasa andrew michael sawyer danielle catherine scaffidi terran james scala eric joseph scalera [Music] hannah elizabeth scarlock joseph julian shiraldi nicole yvonne schmeider chase michael schnure justin philip schroeder shannon schutke callum loyal schumacher catherine virginia schwarzer chase michael scarotto janika glenn's self sharon jeet sethi [Music] jessica lynn shane lucy miranda shaw brendan lane sheets patrick chu corey prescott schill jake robert shipe daniel abraham celiano garcia keith anthony cincula terry james skinner harrison douglas skonlick morgan kathleen scrabblock robert allen slamming junior andrew benton smith morgan smith richard michael smith iii tabitha marie smith carleto jonathan soraken sarah elizabeth sparks christian john speranza francesca dianne sparebeck james links patterson saint cyr cameron arena astana bridget sharon stark ryan matthews denmark austin tyler sternberger michael john stewart daviana stewart kelsey renee stinson julianna e stoufflett bradley jared strauss son msu maxwell michael suarez [Music] london victoria swanson antony zigbeck casey elvira swatz michael andrew taff [Music] jia quantong marcus james tarantino [Music] tahitareen john robert tauber jr cameron austin taylor jason robert taylor nikita luisa terrejo christopher michael twos haley achillia thompson lindsay rose thompson jenner james chernagle ivonne toledo brian torres casey ann torres melvin andrew torres austin blake toby rachel lane tow peter tron blake albert troger brittany helendra thralter john philip truitt clara erendira trujillo tulang v lee tuong dominic anthony tucciarone matthew thomas tucker schuyler alicia tufo mitchell robert tunsin damaris lisette ubilis andrea ugarte bonnie gene urbano ole valculenko jason valdez espinosa christian camilo valencia stephen charles valentine erica vargas ernesto andres vasquez emily karen velez nicole in vazozi alexis danielle villanueva ariana villanueva emily catherine walker james lewis walker iii jingwen wang anthony lee ware jr logan michael ware michael lewis weber [Music] chu kuau wei colton tanner weissent elior weissman cohen christian elizabeth wicconi trevor gage wellman david eric wente lucas anthony west jake morrison wechsler michael spencer weymouth john paul wiry chad michael white shannon mary white karen andrea wilhelm lia nicole wilkie [Music] andrew williams chase james williams craig aaron williams matthew christopher williams renee session williams [Music] stephanie williams jorge d williamson reese patrick winkler eric ryan winograd ryan winslow lauren elizabeth wisniewski justin alex wollman zachary freeman wood caitlyn marie wright zumwan zoo jacqueline ann ian koski douglas neil yaxley ashley santa ronello brittany santa ronello xinjiang jian molina another level robert brent zlaucus colin riley zuke braden jeffrey zupek hello and welcome to everyone tuned into this ceremony friends family and the graduating class of 2020.
today we celebrate all of your achievements as you become an official graduate of the university of central florida as we embrace our new normal we are reminded of what it means to be a knight knights are resilient innovative and determined as nights we learn to adapt to our surroundings we charge on this may not be the last time we face a challenge like this but we must continue to move forward let today be a reminder to you all that despite the roadblocks and the trying times you still cross the finish line when you first became a knight you entered a diverse community that celebrated our differences this community wouldn't be what it is without all of you and you have made your mark on ucf forever you have shown us perseverance courage and integrity each of you has impacted this university in more ways than one you are each an integral part of our night community and you will forever be a member of our ucf family today signifies that you have risen to the challenge and you have all succeeded and that's worth celebrating as this chapter closes reflect on your ucf journey and the course it took you to cross this line today but don't stop there look forward to tomorrow today is only the first day in this next chapter of your lives as you continue on your path you will always carry ucf with you this is a pivotal moment in your career and you have the knowledge and the wisdom to scale new heights if you ever find yourself lost just remember the tenants you've embodied in your time at ucf the creed integrity scholarship community creativity and excellence remember these core values and treat them as guiding principles as you go out into the world and accomplish incredible things with these values and the knowledge you've gained during your time at ucf you'll be unstoppable go out into the world follow your passions cultivate your talents and never forget your alma mater congratulations again class of 2020 go into the world and make us proud thank you president larosa we are living in extraordinary times and this class of 2020 finds itself in an unprecedented historic moment the fact that we are unable to safely join together in person today as planned to celebrate your milestone is a reflection of the many changes this year we do hope we'll be able to gather together again soon but until then i'd like you to reflect on what i'm beginning to understand as a defining spirit of this young institution the motto at ucf is reach for the stars people talk about having a 1-0 approach to tomorrow and when someone says go nights i always hear the reply charge on i know these are more than catchy phrases they sum up a philosophy at ucf when you say reach for the stars it's a call to push oneself to dream big to refuse to be limited by what others say is possible when people say want to know they mean that when you achieve a goal you set a new one a harder one cherish the victory but don't rest on it reset because the next challenge awaits and when like now there are obstacles when there are inevitable setbacks charge on some call that perseverance or tenacity but from what i've seen of this great university it's just part of what it means to be a knight ucf is a place where defying odds is not the exception it is the expectation so take this place with you as you go out to change the world you are needed now more than ever we will close our ceremony by singing the alma mater thank you for joining us for today's commencement ceremony go nights and charge on [Music] [Music] is [Music] will [Applause] [Music] forever [Music] [Music] [Applause] fellow knights nicole stott here wishing you happy graduation not the commencement you planned on i know but life is always an adventure i hope that you go forth and do great things and always remember that we live on a planet we are all earthlings and the only border that matters is that thin blue line of atmosphere that blankets and protects us all so live like crew not passengers here on spaceship earth and i wish you all the best hi i'm orange county mayor jerry dimmings congratulations on your recent graduation from the university of central florida we're very proud of you we look forward to working with each of you i know that things are different this year but i offer you this bit of advice pray first aim high and stay focused thomas fisher's school of business this is ally i love you i'm so proud of you congratulations congratulations tina for all your hard work we're proud of you christina follis for your degree in business marketing good job and everybody's excited for uh your future christina we're very proud of mom and i of you your persistence and congratulations congratulations tina cody dearborn school of business cody you've made me the proudest grandmother in the entire world working and going to school the way you did it's just been incredible work i i love you so much congratulations [Applause] congratulations class of 2020. this has been a difficult year but you guys made it my name is eunice taylor i'd like to congratulate my nephew cameron a taylor in the class of business congratulations and may god bless you all i would like to say congratulations to my son diedrick kennedy class of 2020 bachelor's in business administration finance degree you've worked so very hard son and i'm so incredibly proud of you you never cease to amaze me go forth and do good things and keep god first go nights charge on hi this is rob and jennifer henlen and we just want to wish natasha to put congratulations on her graduation college of business congratulations congratulations natasha we are so proud of you brett congratulations congratulations justin sapp graduating from ucf fall 2020. congratulations to justin sapp and all the graduating class justin i am very proud of you and can't wait to see what the future holds i know you will accomplish great things i love you congrats congratulations happy graduation we're wishing you the best and we can't wait for an awesome future ahead congratulations justin for a job well done under very difficult conditions justin we're very proud of you for graduating ucf we love you hello justin i want to congratulate you for your endeavor i know it has not been easy but you have made it so from now on you have a degree to look forward to drop on and now you i know you're going to be successful let's celebrate when you have some time we can get all together we can go out to dinner it's gonna be on me don't worry you can go out and grab a burger whatever you like so we can celebrate and get together and enjoy your great accomplishment so hope to see you soon justin congratulations you've done really well in these times when everything is more difficult everything is harder you finished so proud of you now go and have a wonderful life god bless you love you brett congrats on graduation hey we love you bud we're so proud of you um i'm glad i'm not the only ucf grad in the family now so welcome to the club well done good luck i'm leon a finance alumni from the class of 2011 with julia and we want to say congratulations to danielle and the rest of the 2020 ucf graduates for the big accomplishment she and so many others have worked so hard and long to achieve go knights i'm chester taylor and i'm maureen taylor mpa class of 1992 congratulating our son cameron taylor on his 2020 ucl congratulations hey diedrick man i am so proud of you congratulations can't wait to see you and i love you very much to my dearest granddaughter congratulations class of 2020 college of business warmest congratulations as you celebrate your graduation and best wishes for all your tomorrows we are so very proud of you we love you bye hi natasha just wanted to take a moment and congratulate you on your graduation i want to let you know how proud i am of you and all your accomplishments this year i know it was been difficult but i just wanted to let you know that i'm very very very proud of you love you hi i'm rita capizzi godmother of cameron taylor the school of business graduating from ucf i'm so proud of you and i love you dearly and i'm looking forward to the next stage of your life love you hey business school graduates from the university of central florida and cameron taylor in particular i am so excited for you guys getting out of business school congratulations cameron i've known you for a long time and i can't wait to see what you do with your life and yes i did go to the nascar school of public speaking i'm lucille miaska i'm thomas fish's grandmother and i just want to wish him congratulations on his graduation from ucf i love him very much good luck hi i'm thomas miasga i'm thomas fisher's grandfather i am so proud of him for graduating from ucf and i love him very much [Music] congratulations to the class of 2020 and thomas fisher in the school of business we love you congrats guys keep it up we love you thomas congratulations to all the graduates at ucf and i'd like to give a really special shout out to our doctoral masters and undergraduate graduates i'm so excited for our graduates who are celebrating their successes today thank you for all of the energy and expertise that you put into your degrees thank you for representing ucf and our college as you go out into the world and make a difference congratulations to all of you for meeting this particular milestone in your life you have achieved so much and as nights we know that you will make your mark in the world and achieve much more congratulations burnett honors scholars we are so excited about the foot the future holds for you graduates i know this was not the graduation ceremony you wanted nor expected you've experienced an unprecedented disruption in the final year of your education i'm sorry that i cannot be with you personally but i know that you know you will be doing great but regardless you get to celebrate today and you need to be proud of all of the accomplishments that you have made the grit and perseverance you've shown these last few months will serve you well throughout your careers and lives you succeeded in historic times go forth and be strong stay healthy do good and live well well done congratulations class of 2020.
with all your accomplishments you've done throughout the years at ucf we are so proud to call you part of our knight family although we can't be together in person today i hope you know i'm always rooting for you as you go on in your years and as always go nights go nights go nights charge on and charge on and charge on [Applause] fall 2020 graduates congratulations what you've accomplished today is extraordinary there is no doubt that your last few semesters at ucf have been unlike what you ever imagined but you do not let this deter you from your goal you have proven that knights can always be counted on to rise to every occasion no matter the obstacle by continuing to excel in even the most trying times these are incredible strengths that you will carry with you helping you to succeed today and for many years to come that is why i remain so optimistic about your future you will positively impact society through your vision of what is possible the hard work necessary to accomplish that vision and the support of your friends loved ones and all of us at ucf because you show the difficulties that you face do not define you but help you grow in all the ways needed to unleash your potential and make our world a better place we have enjoyed watching so many of you walk across the stage during our grad walk and that you've been able to celebrate this milestone with your families in a safe way this semester all of us at ucf are so proud of you and all you have achieved and today we honor you and the exciting path ahead and we say to ucf's newest alumni go knights and charge on [Music] um [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] you
2020-12-24 16:09
