For Florida State University’s graduate students, commencement marks not just the end of a program, but the start of work shaped by years of research, service and professional training.
These graduates leave with advanced degrees shaped by hands-on research, clinical training and real-world experience.
Florida State University will hold spring commencement ceremonies May 1-2 at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, where thousands of graduates will cross the stage to mark the milestone.
Among them are graduate students whose work reflects the depth and purpose of their time at FSU.
Alycia Savage is graduating with a doctoral degree from the College of Medicine. She will graduate this semester and continue her training in general surgery.
Originally from Minnesota, Savage served in the military as a Marine Corps pilot before starting medical school. At FSU, she built on her foundation of leadership, teamwork and decision making under pressure — skills she developed in the military — through her work in the Leadership in Medicine program and her service as class president, where she contributed to curriculum improvements.
She is also proud of her work in research and quality improvement, particularly efforts to improve medical education and time to treatment in oncology care.
Savage chose FSU for its mission-driven focus on serving underserved communities, along with its community-based training model and strong faculty mentorship. At FSU, Savage found a strong sense of community among faculty and peers. She credits the collaborative and supportive environment with shaping her medical education experience and says she will miss the close mentorship and daily learning alongside classmates.
“Walking at commencement represents the culmination of a long and nontraditional journey,” Savage said. “There were moments along the way where the path forward was uncertain, and this milestone reflects perseverance, adaptability and trust in the process.”
After graduating, Savage will continue her medical training in general surgery with the FSU College of Medicine at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. Her goal is to become a surgeon committed to improving patient safety, access to care and outcomes, especially for vulnerable populations.
Rebekka Friborg, a graduating master’s student, has spent the past six years engaged in the Florida State University community. She will graduate with an M.S./Ed.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, marking the end of a journey that began when she first stepped onto FSU’s campus as an undergraduate.
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at FSU prepares students for therapeutic work through a blend of academic theory and hands-on clinical experience. During her time in the program, Friborg specialized in trauma-informed care, completing her internship at Mosaic Creative Counseling and beginning her Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) basic training to better support individuals through recovery.
In addition to her clinical work, Friborg has made an impact as a leader and mentor. As an undergraduate, she served as the director of programming for Realizing Everyone’s Need for Emotional Wellness (RENEW), an experience she credits with sparking her passion for mental health advocacy. More recently, she served as a Graduate Assistant for the Noles Everywhere program, where she worked to connect out-of-state and off-campus students. Under her leadership, the program was nationally recognized with the 2025 NODA Innovative Retention Program Award.
“FSU became more than just a place to study; it became a place where I built meaningful relationships and discovered the path I wanted to pursue professionally,” Friborg said. “Walking across the stage is not just about finishing the degrees; it’s about honoring the experiences, relationships, and hard work that made this milestone possible.”
Originally from Denmark, Friborg moved to South Florida as a child and chose FSU for its beauty and strong sense of community. She credits her supervisors and mentors with providing the support to excel both as a student and a professional.
After graduation, Friborg plans to work as a full-time therapist, with a focus on holistic and creative approaches to trauma counseling. While she has called Tallahassee home for over half a decade, her long-term goals include returning to Denmark to continue her career.
“My goal is to create a supportive space for clients to process trauma, build resilience and feel empowered in their own lives,” Friborg said. “I’m excited to carry that work forward.”
Madison Kellenberger will graduate this semester with a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction, specializing in special education, from Florida State University’s Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences.
An Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Predoctoral Training Fellow at the Florida Center for Reading Research, Kellenberger studies how children develop word reading and spelling skills and how targeted instruction can accelerate learning for students at risk for or identified with dyslexia. Before coming to FSU, she taught in Florida public schools in both special and general education settings.
Originally from New Smyrna Beach, Florida, Kellenberger chose FSU for the opportunity to work alongside faculty at the Florida Center for Reading Research and contribute to work she once relied on in her own classroom. She was also drawn to the program’s interdisciplinary approach and its focus on developing strong research skills.
“This milestone is deeply meaningful to me,” Kellenberger said. “My grandmother immigrated from Nicaragua so that her children and grandchildren would have greater opportunities, and this journey wouldn’t have been possible without the challenges she faced and her unwavering belief in me. I am proud to be the first in my family to devote my career to education, with a deep commitment to improving reading instruction and reading development for students with the highest needs.”
At FSU, Kellenberger has led research projects and mentored undergraduate students through data collection in local elementary schools. She is especially proud of her growth as a mentor and the way her students took on more responsibility over time. She was nominated for FSU’s Undergraduate Research Graduate Mentor Award and received a Dissertation Award from Anne’s College.
Kellenberger said she will miss FSU’s strong sense of community, especially springtime in Tallahassee, working with colleagues and friends, and living with her sister.
After graduation, she will join the College of William & Mary as an assistant professor of literacy. Her work will focus on using advanced quantitative methods and research-practice partnerships to better understand how students learn to read and to design instruction that improves outcomes for students with reading difficulties and those from historically underserved communities.
Lia O’Malley is graduating this semester from Florida State University with her master’s and education specialist degrees in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
Originally from Atlanta, O’Malley first fell in love with FSU’s campus, community and vibrant environment while visiting her best friend during her undergraduate years. When it came time to choose a graduate program, FSU stood out as the ideal place to grow both personally and professionally in the counseling field.
Throughout her time at FSU, O’Malley focused on sharpening her clinical skills and gaining extensive hands-on experience. She served as a Graduate Assistant and Academic Success Mentor with the Proactive Referral and Engagement Program, supporting student success and mental health on campus. She is especially proud of completing over 700 clinical hours across two internship sites: the Center for Couple and Family Therapy and the North Florida Treatment and Evaluation Center.
“Walking in commencement represents a meaningful milestone in my academic and professional journey,” O’Malley said. “It reflects years of hard work, growth and commitment to becoming a counselor, and it’s also a celebration of the mentors, supervisors and peers who supported me along the way.”
Looking ahead, O’Malley’s long-term goal is to pursue a doctorate and become a licensed psychologist specializing in psychological assessment, with a particular focus on ADD and ADHD. She is passionate about improving accurate diagnosis and increasing access to quality assessment services so individuals can receive the tailored support and treatment they need.
“I hope to use assessment to better understand people’s unique needs and help guide effective, personalized care,” she said. “Ultimately, I want to make a meaningful impact by expanding access to these vital services in the mental health field.”
More information about commencement is available at commencement.fsu.edu.