Student Stories Archives | University of Florida Online

From Fighting Fires with the Air Force to Building an Identity for U.S. Olympic Weightlifting

June 29, 2020

Going to school while serving in the Air Force can seem difficult. But as Xavier Leal, a former firefighter in the U.S. Air Force, shares his story, it becomes clear that serving in the U.S. Military has helped shape him into the successful student he is today in UF Online: one who can overcome hardships

UF Fire & Emergency Services Alum Balances His Education, Career, and Family

June 19, 2020

Anthony Moore, 40, wears many hats. Besides being a regional safety and risk manager at Anheuser-Busch InBev, one of the world’s largest brewing companies, he is also a father, husband, UF Online Student Ambassador, and a graduate student. While Anthony’s schedule has always been busy, his life significantly changed after getting his UF degree in

Army Veteran Earns His B.S. in Microbiology & Cell Science via UF Online

May 29, 2020

Courage, ambition, and perseverance are just a few words to describe U.S. Army veteran Kennedy Musembi, who at 27 years old has accomplished so much. One of those big accomplishments was graduating with his UF bachelor’s in Microbiology & Cell Science: a degree he wasn’t sure would be possible at the time while he was

Gator Mother and Daughter Both Earn UF Bachelor’s in Criminology

May 8, 2020

Great accomplishments rarely happen overnight. For Julie Cochran, the journey to earning her Bachelor of Arts in Criminology has taken ten years. She never imagined that she would graduate at the same time, from the same university, with the same degree as her daughter Emily. Julie, 51, is a mother of three, works a full-time

UF Online RN to BSN Nursing Alum Continues to Further Her Education

May 6, 2020

The phrase “not all heroes wear capes, some wear scrubs” is one that Amelia Nichols Alava may hear more than once as a nurse at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida. At the hospital, Amelia serves as a clinical leader for the Burn Center, which specializes in helping post-surgical burn patients. Outside of her

America’s Got Talent finalist, Dariel Liakhovetski, makes his mark as a UF Microbiology & Cell Science student

April 24, 2020

It’s not every day that you find out one of your Gator peers was a finalist on America’s Got Talent. As surprising as it may be for his classmates and professors, Dariel Liakhovetski, 19, was a viral sensation along with his brother for their impressive musical performance on the hit television show. While Dariel continues

Future Forensic Anthropologist Digs Up Her Future with UF Online

April 16, 2020

As unusual as it may sound, there is nothing that Hannah Golden would enjoy more than sitting for hours on end examining and cleaning human remains. The 27-year-old Austin, Texas native discovered this passion while studying for a bachelor’s degree in bioinformatics. At Baylor University, Hannah took her first forensic anthropology course. On one fateful

Emily Fraysier’s Story: Going to college with a chronic illness

April 14, 2020

Having a chronic illness does not need to make a college education impossible. For an example of this, look no further than Emily Fraysier, a 24-year-old student who has been battling Lyme disease for the past six years. With complications such as chronic pain and a compromised immune system, traditional colleges were out of the

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

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