The latest graduates of Florida State University’s Republic of Panama campus were encouraged to aim high and persevere through hardships during a commencement ceremony Dec. 4 at the City of Knowledge Convention Center in Panama City, Panama.
Rector Carlos Langoni presided over the ceremony and congratulated the 14 graduates and their families. He was accompanied by vice rectors, members of the FSU Panama Board of Directors and faculty members. Damon Andrew, dean of the Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, delivered the keynote speech to FSU Panama’s Class of 2024.
“Every commencement is a very special event,” Langoni said. “It’s a celebration of students’ success in reaching a very important milestone in their careers. To help celebrate this success, this year we had the honor of having as guest speaker Damon Andrew, dean of the [Anne Spencer Daves] College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, who delivered a very inspiring speech to the graduates. His presence, together with a delegation of six faculty members from the college, made this a very special occasion.”
Andrew earned a doctorate in sport administration from FSU in 2004 and has served as dean of the Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences since 2018. During his remarks, Andrew shared his inspiring origin story with attendees, highlighting his mother as the one who inspired him to pursue higher education.
“It was an honor to be a part of the commencement ceremony at FSU Panama,” Andrew said. “I am a firm believer that learning is a life-long endeavor, and I know the transformational power of education firsthand. As I shared with the graduating class, education is something no one can take from you and one of the best investments a person can make, and I know these latest graduates will go on to live an unconquered life, inspired by the excellent education they received at FSU.”
FSU has more Panamanian alumni than any other U.S. university. With more than 130 countries represented throughout FSU’s student body, Panamanians make up the largest non-U.S. population group among undergraduate students.
“Florida State University embraces the concept of being a global university, and the Panama branch campus plays a pivotal role in the life of our institution,” said Louisa Blenman, interim director of International Programs and president of the FSU Panama Board of Directors.
Many students from FSU Panama participate in commencement ceremonies in Tallahassee as recipients of the 2+2 scholarship, which allows citizens of Latin American or Caribbean countries to complete their undergraduate studies on FSU’s main campus while paying in-state tuition.
FSU Panama also offers five undergraduate degree programs (computer science, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, international affairs, social science and environment and society) and a master’s degree program in international affairs. A commencement ceremony is held each year in December to celebrate those graduates.
While they may have never set foot in Tallahassee, the graduates are now members of the FSU Alumni Association and part of the larger FSU family.
FSU first arrived in Panama in 1957 through a contractual agreement with the U.S. Armed Forces to establish an education center in the former Panama Canal Zone. FSU Panama became a degree-granting branch of FSU in 1967 and moved to its new location in the City of Knowledge in 2009. In 2014, FSU Panama was authorized to offer a master’s degree in international affairs.
To learn more about FSU Panama, visit panama.fsu.edu.
The graduates, along with their awarded degrees, are:
Adrian Castillo, Bachelor of Science in International Affairs
Daniel Clemente, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
Konstantin Lukin, Bachelor of Science in International Affairs
Eduardo Maitin, Bachelor of Science in International Affairs
Adel Muhammad, Bachelor of Science in International Affairs
Alan Muhammad, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
Diego Panay, Bachelor of Science in International Affairs
Victoria Perez Luque, Bachelor of Science in Environment and Society
Melania Ferrari, Master of Science in International Affairs
Elizabeth Frazier, Master of Science in International Affairs
Danielle Hazelrigg, Master of Science in International Affairs
Noemi Montenegro, Master of Science in International Affairs
Jose Moreno, Master of Science in International Affairs
Evan Yoak, Master of Science in International Affairs