UNF celebrates Spring 2024 Commencement
More than 1,900 students are walking across the stage today during the University of North Florida’s Spring 2024 commencement ceremonies at the UNF Arena.
Graduates range in age from 19 to 69, they come from 25 countries including the US, 29% are the first generation in their families to attend college, many have 4.0 GPAs and 130 are connected to the military. Degrees will be awarded from 154 different combinations of majors in total.
Graduates from the following colleges will move directly into careers with notable companies including:
- Brooks College of Health: Ascension, Baptist Medical Center, Florida Department of Health, Mayo Clinic, Florida Blue and UF Health
- Coggin College of Business: Dell, Dun & Bradstreet, Johnson Lambert & Co., The Klotz Group, Walt Disney Company, Deloitte and Ernst & Young
- College of Arts & Sciences: Amelia Island Marina, AmeriCorps, Cathedral Arts Project, City of Jacksonville, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, Brightway Insurance, Department of Justice, Jacksonville and St. Augustine historical societies, Wounded Warrior Project
- College of Computing, Engineering & Construction: Ajax Building Company, Kimley-Horn, CSX Transportation, David Weekly Homes, Fidelity, JEA, Johnson and Johnson
- College of Education & Human Services: Associated Interpreters for the Deaf, North Florida School of Special Education, Jacksonville Jaguars, River City Science Academy, Florida School for the Deaf and Blind and Florida Department of Corrections
The Senior Service Award is presented by the UNF Alumni Association to one graduating senior each semester for their outstanding service to the University and community through volunteerism. This year’s recipient is Armani Brunson.
Brunson is a first-generation college student graduating from UNF’s College of Education and Human Services with a bachelor's in early childhood education and a minor in psychology. She was vice president of recruitment and a member of the UNF Presidential Envoys, president of the Mu Theta Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, president and chair of the NAACP UNF Chapter, the second vice president for the National Pan-Hellenic Council and served an ambassador role for both COEHS and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. Committed to creating a positive impact in her community, Brunson organized an education cleanup effort, led a food drive for the Lend-A-Wing Pantry, reconstructed the UNF Preschool's garden and spent many hours volunteering at local organizations, such as Wolfson Children's Hospital, Ronald McDonald House and Clara White Mission. Brunson has also received Orientation Leader of the Year during the summer of 2022, the 2024 Notable Undergraduate Award and the 2024 Osprey Community Engagement Medallion. She will begin her graduate studies at Florida State University in the fall.
The Albert D. Ernest Jr. Caring Award seeks to recognize a UNF student who embodies the spirit of caring, volunteerism and humanitarianism. Two recipients will be recognized at commencement, Isaiah Dorado and Teleauba Revels.
Dorado is a graduate student and assistant resident life coordinator for UNF Housing and Residence Life who is receiving his master’s degree in criminal justice with a dual minor in business management and leadership. He was an active member of several clubs and organizations including the Criminology and Criminal Justice Club, Alpha Phi Sigma Pi Omega Chapter at UNF and he is a founding member of The Brotherhood at UNF, an organization that promotes the success of minority men professionally, personally and academically. He plans to enter the criminal justice field and later teach at his former high school to trailblaze a criminal justice academy.
Revels is receiving her bachelor’s in social work and has dedicated her life to serving vulnerable families in her community. Her journey began as a recipient of the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition's Azalea Project, which offered her invaluable knowledge on parenting, health and wellness. Driven by a desire to give back, she transitioned from recipient to volunteer, and then to a pivotal role on the Coalition's Board of Directors. In 2018, she joined the Family Preservation team at Family Support Services and has since been providing essential peer recovery services to families in crisis. Her unwavering dedication to service was recognized when she was awarded the Exchange Club Family Center's Award of Excellence for outstanding work in child abuse prevention and advocacy in Duval County. Revels will begin UNF’s Advanced Standing Master of Social Work Program this summer.
Nine students in The Arc Jacksonville On-Campus Transition Program at UNF were also recognized at graduation. This innovative program provides young adults with intellectual differences a transformational college experience as an integral part of their transition to independence.
The UNF Class of Spring 2024 will join the Osprey alumni nation’s current 110,482-member total. As of fall 2023, UNF has issued 95,657 bachelor’s, 23,408 master’s and 1,541 doctoral degrees since first opening in 1972.