Student Stories Archives | University of Florida Online

Out-of-state student achieves lifelong dream of becoming a Florida Gator

April 7, 2020

It’s not easy being laid off from a job. Woody Bass knows the feeling after he was let go from his last position as an internet service provider in the healthcare industry. When applying for a new job, he realized that the candidates that were hired over him all had bachelor’s degrees. Although Bass knew

A New Dream: Former college athlete aims toward MBA after earning UF business degree

May 24, 2019

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Growing up, Kyle McLaughlin loved baseball more than anything. So he was overjoyed at the news of being awarded a full-ride baseball scholarship, straight out of high school to be a pitcher at Division I Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. “My passion and priority was baseball,” said the recent UF graduate

Academic Excellence from the Big Apple: Gator Graduates with Honors while living and working in NYC

May 3, 2019

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – When Ashley Pria Persaud was young, she watched the movie “13 Going on 30” and fell in love with the New York City lifestyle. She dreamed that one day, she would be the one walking through the city’s crowded streets to get to work in her skyscraper office. Fast forward to age

UF Outstanding Scholar Paves His Own Way as First-Generation Student

May 1, 2019

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Phong Truong was born in a poor fishing village in Vietnam. His father had a 9th grade education and worked as a tailor while his mother, a seamstress, had a 6th grade education. When Truong was 2 years old, his family moved to the United States in search of better economic opportunity.

Academic Excellence is a Family Affair: Mother and Daughter Earn UF Degrees on the Same Weekend

April 30, 2019

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Sundays for the Pinkerton family used to mean calming fishing excursions. The family spent most weekends on the water, unwinding and soaking in the sunshine in their hometown of Ormond Beach. But what was once mother-daughter relaxation time turned into mother-daughter study time a few years ago. Instead of grabbing a fishing

Nayibis Pacheco, Psychology

January 11, 2019

Psychology graduate’s health classes helped her with personal medical challenge GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Nayibis Pacheco remembers sitting in the front row of graduates at commencement, dressed in her cap and gown. It felt surreal to look around and to see herself surrounded by a sea of faces waiting for the graduates’ names to be called,

John Chaffin, Psychology

January 11, 2019

Student’s personal experiences play key role in career decisions GAINESVILLE, Fla. – When John Chaffin (B.A. ’18) was in high school, he failed out of algebra. He didn’t understand basic concepts such as long division, fractions, or negative numbers. Fourteen years, three college programs, and three remedial math courses later, Chaffin graduated summa cum laude

Cynthia Tillman, Business Administration

January 11, 2019

Back in business: UF employee goes back to school for business degree GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Cynthia Tillman took a 33-year hiatus in her education before returning back to school for her bachelor’s degree via UF Online. The Gainesville native graduated in May 2018 with a degree in business administration. When Tillman first earned her associate’s

Jillian Purner, Business

December 14, 2018

Business student graduates as outstanding scholar at 18 years old GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In seventh grade, Jillian Purner was bored in her classes because she felt the pace of the curriculum was holding her back. Recognizing her potential to do more, she began taking online classes. As a result of that initiative, Purner finished ninth

Ashley Nicolls, Environmental Management

July 31, 2018

Student takes online courses to travel and pursue dream of becoming park biologist GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The first time 27-year-old Ashley Nicolls visited Redwood National Park in California, she cried from excitement. “Everything was breathtaking — the skyscraper-tall trees and you’re immersed in the middle of them; the trees are full of color and the

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