FAU Celebrates Fall 2019 Commencement
(Photo by Alex Dolce)
Florida Atlantic University will confer more than 2,600 degrees today and tomorrow during five commencement ceremonies in the Carole and Barry Kaye Performing Arts Auditorium, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton campus. The new graduates will join more than 175,100 alumni who have graduated from FAU since the University opened its doors in 1964.
“Congratulations to the class of 2019,” said FAU President John Kelly. “It is a great pleasure to celebrate the accomplishments of our fall graduates. I know they will make FAU proud and I look forward to hearing about their future successes.”
Carly Asher Yoost, ‘09, founder and chief executive officer of Child Rescue Coalition, will be presented with the President’s Distinguished Service Medallion on Friday, Dec. 13 at 9 a.m. Child Rescue Coalition is a partnership of child exploitation investigators, police officers, digital forensic experts, prosecutors, child welfare agencies, and corporate and private philanthropy. Yoost won the L’Oreal Paris national competition and was named the 2016-2017 L’Oreal Paris Women of Worth National Honoree. In 2016, Carly received the U.S. President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for her lifelong commitment to building a stronger nation through volunteer service. In 2015, Carly was awarded the M&A Advisors 40 Under 40 Emerging Leaders Award.
Fall commencement also highlights the accomplishments of outstanding graduates, including:
- Carlos Leon, 35, will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering on Thursday, Dec. 12 at 1 p.m. Leon successfully survived a tour of duty with the U.S. Marine Corps in Iraq only to suffer a traumatic accident that left him quadriplegic upon his return home. Following his accident, he won several medals during his time as a Paralympic athlete and after retiring decided to pursue his goal of receiving his college degree.
- Jessica Baran, 18, will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and behavior on Thursday, Dec. 12 at 5 p.m. Baran is the first person in her family born in the United States, and she will be the first to receive her college degree. She will be of one of the first students to graduate from the Max Planck Honors Program through the Max Planck Institute at FAU. Next on her list is to become the first person in her family to attend medical school and become a doctor.
Some interesting statistics regarding the fall graduating class include the fact that 79 of the degree recipients are over the age of 50 and 15 are over the age of 60. The oldest graduate is 71 and the youngest is 17. The graduates represent 39 countries.
For the convenience of family members and friends who cannot attend the commencement ceremonies, the proceedings will be cybercast at www.fau.edu.
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