Broward College Celebrates Spring 2017 Commencement

Sunrise, FL (May 11, 2017) – The atmosphere was electric and full of anticipation as graduates, their families, and friends arrived at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla. for the 86th Broward College Commencement Ceremony. On Tuesday, May 9 the College conferred more than 2,800 degrees and certificates to graduates while City Furniture, Inc. President Keith Koenig offered sound advice during his keynote commencement address.

Koenig delivered an energizing speech filled with practical wisdom, including six post-graduation tips: work hard, keep a good attitude, keep learning, volunteer, save your money and find balance in your life. “Graduating from Broward College is a big achievement. Investing in your education is the best thing you can do…what you’ve done for yourselves is very important,” he stressed.

During the ceremony, Broward College President J. David Armstrong, Jr. conferred 2,007 associate degrees, 164 bachelor’s degrees and 687 technical certificates to students who represented nearly 100 countries. The oldest graduate was 72 and the youngest graduate was 16.

“While Broward College offers the academic courses and programs needed to succeed, you choose what to do with that information. Your success is our greatest accolade, and our greatest reward,” said President Armstrong as he spoke to the graduates.

During the ceremony, President Armstrong recognized outstanding stories of triumph, grit and perseverance from the graduating class, including:

• Francis Fagunleka and his son, Samson emigrated from Nigeria to pursue an education. The 52-year-old and his son took courses side-by-side and motivated each other. Fagunleka plans to continue his education in hopes of receiving his bachelor’s and graduate degrees. His son will pursue nursing, a high demand career.
• Twin sisters Quratulain and Sana-Abida Amin graduated with Associate of Arts degrees. Born in Karachi, Pakistan the sisters were active members of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at the Robert ‘Bob’ Elmore Honors College. Quratulain Amin will pursue a bachelor’s in Microbiology/Bacteriology and become a cardiac surgeon while her sister plans to major in Computer and Information Science. Their hard work has paid off in the form of numerous scholarships and accolades. Both sisters were named to the Florida College System 2017 All-Florida Academic Team. Quratulain Amin was named a Jack Kent Cooke Scholar while her sister, Sana Abida Amin was a semi-finalist.
• Patricia Gallagan is only 20, but she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Exceptional Student Education. She was among the first graduates from the 10K Degree Program, an affordability challenge set forth by Governor Rick Scott in 2012. The program paid for her remaining three semesters and provided additional funding for some of her textbooks. “What could be better than leaving school debt free? This is a great program, I tell everyone about it,” she says.

Participating in the ceremony were graduates from the College Academy at Broward College, a full-time, dual-enrollment high school established in 2001 as a combined effort of The School Board of Broward County and Broward College. Students attending College Academy complete their last two years of high school and simultaneously graduate with both a high school diploma and an Associates in Arts Degree.

The ceremony culminated with a rousing celebration, complete with confetti and smoke cannons, as graduates waved glow sticks and danced to a mix of party songs. Graduates of Broward College will continue their education within the College and at sister universities, or will enter the workforce prepared to meet the needs of the business community. According to Economic Modeling Specialists Intl. (EMSI), the annual economic impact of Broward College is $1 billion, and a student may see a return in future earnings of up to $6.20 for every dollar spent on a Broward College degree.

Registration is now open for Summer 2017. For more information about programs and degrees at Broward College, please visit  www.enrollbc.com.

High resolution photos available via  Flickr (Courtesy: Downtown Photo).