Nova Southeastern University Commencement Brings Heartfelt Stories to Kick-off Father’s Day Weekend

FORT LAUDERDALE/DAVIE, Fla. –– It’s safe to say that the past week has seen some very tragic news that has gripped the attention of our nation and the world. And while that coverage will continue, we all could use some good news right about now.

Well, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) has got you covered with some great uplifting stories.

NSU’s Abraham S. Fischler College of Education (FCE) will be conducting its commencement ceremony tomorrow at 4 p.m. on the main campus in Davie, FL. While commencement is always a time of joy and celebration, this one is really “kicking it up a notch!” That’s because of three truly amazing and inspiring stories that show a father’s love, a couple’s determination later in life and an individual’s desire to not give up on life.

• For 74-year old Simon Ramos, education was a family affair. At 74 years young, the Venezuelan native had always prioritized education during his careers as a businessman, economist and mathematics teacher.  As a father willing to teach by example, he will walk with his daughter, Rossi, in the Friday afternoon ceremony when they both receive their Ed.D. “I told her it was time to get her Ed.D and that I would enroll in the program alongside her,” Ramos said. Both father and daughter attended NSU’s Tampa Campus.
• Luis Prieto Oliveira and his wife, Rosa Uztariz-Prieto, aren’t typical college graduates. After 48 years of marriage, the Doral couple, 81 and 79 years of age, will walk across the stage together to receive their master’s degree in education! They attended classes at NSU’s Miramar and Miami campuses. Luis and Rosa were both born in Venezuela in the 1930s, where Luis’s father started the first teachers’ union in Caracas. That love for teaching has stayed with Luis throughout his life.

  In 1992, the Prietos moved to the United States and became naturalized citizens just last year.  The couple decided to pursue their degree at NSU’s Abraham S. Fischler College of Education so they could help teach the Spanish language and culture to children. Of the more than 7,500 graduates in NSU’s 2016 commencement season, Luis has the honor of being the oldest one to receive a diploma.

• Alvin Haywood from San Jose, California was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of cancer in his 60’s. His prognosis was not good. Undeterred, Haywood fought the disease head-on and after months of treatment, the cancer disappeared! At age 65, Alvin decided to check something off his “bucket list” – to get his Ed.D. So, he did what many NSU students have done – he logged on, registered and dove head-first into his studies. He has now completed his coursework and is flying in from California so he can walk across the stage to receive his degree.  This is truly an inspirational story that shows no matter the odds, or your diagnosis, you never, ever give up.

Media interested in interviewing these families should contact Marla Oxenhandler at 954-770-9204 for more information.

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About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): Located in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional degree levels. A private, not-for-profit institution with more than 26,000 students, NSU has campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, while maintaining a presence online globally. For more than 50 years, NSU has been awarding degrees in a wide range of fields, while fostering groundbreaking research and an impactful commitment to community. Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is 1 of only 50 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification, and is also the largest private, not-for-profit institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. Please visit nova.edu for more information about NSU and realizingpotential.nova.edu for more information on the largest fundraising campaign in NSU history.