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

Life before becoming a Florida Gator

Originally from Flint, Michigan, Anthony has spent most of his life in Florida. Since Anthony was initially working in the hospitality field, he decided to earn his A.A. degree focused in Business Administration Management from Valencia College. After some time, Anthony wanted to change career paths and went on to earn his A.S. degree in Fire Science from St. Petersburg College.

While Anthony was making changes in his life, he also had many hardships to overcome. This included losing ten family members and friends within two years and overcoming substance abuse problems he had in the past before becoming a firefighter. Some of his brightest moments during this time were the births of his two daughters, one of whom he delivered himself since he is a trained paramedic.

After overcoming many challenges, Anthony wanted to set an example for his family. “I knew I needed a degree,” Anthony said. “It’s one of those things that even with my previous experience, I need that degree to move up the chain.” With this in mind, he found UF Online’s flexible program and applied, starting his journey to his bachelor’s degree.

Earning his bachelor’s degree from home

When it came to Anthony starting school, he and his wife decided to switch the roles they each occupied in their home. While he stayed at home with his daughters, his wife was able to pursue her career. “I would operate during the day, take my daughters to daycare, and clean the house,” Anthony said. “They would go to bed around 7:30 p.m., and that’s when I would do my homework.” During this time, Anthony also worked a few part-time jobs and even completed an internship.

One of Anthony’s favorite parts of UF Online was the flexibility he had to fit in his schoolwork at times that worked best for him. In some of his classes, he was able to work ahead, which was beneficial for him as a father. “You have to be disciplined because you’re kind of monitoring yourself,” Anthony emphasized.

Working hard as a full-time student, Anthony graduated Summa Cum Laude. He is grateful for the guidance of all his professors, and especially for his FES academic advisor, Keith Collins. Keith also shares this sentiment. “Like Anthony, most of my students are juggling life, families and careers while making time to pursue their dreams in the Gator Nation,” Keith stated. “I am always in awe of students like Anthony who commit themselves to excellence and graduate with highest honors while balancing the rigors of our curriculum with the demands of their lives.”

UF Online Student Ambassador

Anthony is currently living in California, but he continues to show his Gator pride. He is part of UF Online’s Student Ambassadors who work to support and engage with other UF Online students. Anthony particularly enjoys mentoring several UF Online students, giving them words of encouragement and advice daily. After everything Anthony has been through in his life, the role of being an ambassador is very important to him. “You never know how someone can impact your life for the better,” Anthony said.

Josh Steele, Associate Director of Academic Advising and Student Affairs at UF Online, has worked closely with Anthony. Josh is impressed with Anthony’s persistent devotion even as he is managing a distribution team across the country during a global pandemic. “Anthony has often dropped everything to jump on the phone with a fellow student to provide words of encouragement and wisdom,” Josh said. “He has taken it upon himself to not only be a stellar student, husband, father, boss, and employee, but also a personal mentor and coach for others.”

Safety & Risk Manager and graduate school

When Anthony first received his bachelor’s degree, he didn’t expect to work in a safety and risk position. However, having majored in Fire and Emergency Services, his skill set and education are well suited for the needs of safety management.

Anthony’s position with Anheuser-Busch InBev requires him to train employees, follow the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance, handle workers compensation, environmental hazardous materials, and many other tasks. What Anthony didn’t realize when he accepted the position was that the California location he is overseeing was the organization’s third worst for injuries and accidents. After Anthony’s guidance over the past six months, a recent audit revealed the location received the highest score to date with a 40% reduction in accidents.

Anthony worked tirelessly to acclimate himself to the position when he first started, even working over 21 days straight. While he is dedicated to his work, he does miss his family who hasn’t been able to make the move to California due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Not having my family here allows me to dig into what I need to get done, so that’s just the opportunity I’ve taken,” Anthony said.

In his free time away from work, Anthony loves FaceTiming with his daughters. He is also working towards his Master’s in Emergency, Disaster, and Crisis Management from the American Military University. Anthony hopes to transfer over to UF’s master’s program in the future.

Anthony’s advice to future Gators interested in pursuing their FES degree through UF Online is to “do it!” He goes on to say, “the worst thing in life is to live with regret, and time is irrelevant when you’re working on bettering yourself.”