As Florida State University celebrates the summer class of 2025, more than 2,850 graduates are stepping into the next chapter of their lives, joining a global network of over 407,000 FSU alumni.

This summer, the university will award 1,692 bachelor’s degrees, 881 master’s and specialist degrees, 183 doctoral degrees, 4 Juris Doctor degrees, 93 Juris Master’s degrees, and 2 LLM degrees. Roughly 1,850 graduates will participate in person, marking a proud moment for the FSU community.

This summer’s graduates have had a variety of experiences, mentors and moments that shaped their individual academic journeys. From groundbreaking research to personal transformation, these stories reflect the resilience, curiosity and drive that define the spirit of FSU.

Miguel Garcia-Salas is graduating with a doctorate from FSU’s School of Communication Science and Disorders. His work focused on speech-language pathology with an emphasis on family-centered interventions.

During his time at FSU, Garcia-Salas published in top-tier journals, presented at national American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) conferences, earned multiple awards and taught undergraduate courses.

A highlight of his research was the development of the DREAM Program, Dialogic Reading Education through Accessible Modules. This online initiative helps families implement dialogic reading, a proven technique that fosters language development through interactive storybook reading. Garcia-Salas piloted the program with 42 families and reported promising outcomes in his dissertation.

Beyond academics, Garcia-Salas raised his young family in Tallahassee, an experience he describes as deeply meaningful.

“This is all my family knows, this FSU community,” Garcia-Salas said. “The FSU Childcare and Early Learning Program, the Florida Center for Reading Research my school, the library and university grants have all played a role in helping me balance fatherhood and scholarship.”

After graduation, Garcia-Salas will join the University of Arkansas as an assistant professor. He plans to continue working with historically underserved families and community organizations to promote language and literacy development through home-based interventions.

Carlton Wier, a Marine Corps veteran born and raised in Tallahassee, is graduating this semester with a degree in interdisciplinary social science from Florida State University’s College of Social Sciences and Public Policy.

Wier chose to attend FSU for its tradition, culture and the outstanding reputation of the Student Veterans Center.

“It is an honor to walk in this semester’s commencement ceremony and join close relatives as Florida State alumni,” Wier said. “The history, culture, tradition and the people I had the privilege to meet set Florida State apart.”

During his time at FSU, Wier found support through the Student Veterans Center, which he described as a model of integrity, inclusion and expertise in navigating VA benefits.

“The Student Veterans Center is an example of what selfless service truly means,” he said. “It improves character, performance and confidence in a veteran experiencing college life after and during military service.”

He said he will miss the staff, facilities, athletics, academics, professors, students and alumni most from his time at FSU.

After graduation, Wier plans to start a business or organization dedicated to supporting veterans, law enforcement, first responders and their families with a broader mission to serve the community in any way possible.

“I look forward to continuing to uphold the title and responsibility that comes with being a graduate of Florida State University,” he said. “Go Noles!”

Zahria Moore, a first-generation college graduate from Boca Raton, Florida, is earning her degree in criminology with a minor in African American studies from Florida State University’s College of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Moore chose Florida State for its standout academic programs and vibrant campus life. Criminology, one of FSU’s top-ranked majors, caught her attention early on, but it was the university’s spirit and support systems that made it feel like home.

“My journey has been very unique and challenging,” Moore said. “Walking in this commencement ceremony is something I’ve always dreamt of, but never fully imagined happening until this week. Getting the email that I would graduate made my heart do a backflip.”

Throughout her time at FSU, Moore found a strong sense of community through the Unconquered Scholars Program and CARE (Center for Academic Retention & Enhancement). These programs provided her with more than just academic support—they gave her a village.

“These programs feel like drinking from a wishing well,” Moore said during her keynote address at the 2025 Unconquered Scholars Awareness Banquet. “Everything that I wanted, everything that I came to college looking for, I found in this remarkable program and these amazing people. My family, my home away from home, my safe space, my confidants.”

Moore’s proudest accomplishment was not only growing within the Unconquered Scholars Program but also helping it grow. Serving on the executive board became a defining part of her college experience.

“Joining the board was possibly one of the best things I could have done in my college career,” she said.

When she reflects on her time at FSU, Moore lights up at the memory of football season and spontaneous campus events.

“Something I love about FSU is the spirit of football season. It unites everyone—no matter who you are or where you came from,” she said. “And I’ll miss the random events on Landis. Waking up to a carnival being built genuinely made me smile.”

After graduation, Moore will begin her career as a youth counselor at a juvenile detention center in New Hampshire—her first step toward a long-term goal of positively impacting the criminal justice system.

“I earned this,” she said. “And I’m excited for everyone to see that.”

Alison Cole has always been drawn to the roar of engines. Growing up in Jupiter, Florida, she was captivated by a nearby facility that assembled and tested military helicopters.

“I grew up down the street from where they built the Blackhawks, and I’d always watch them get tested, and you could hear the engines going,” Cole said. “It was just really fascinating to me.”

That early fascination led her to pursue a Master’s in Business Administration at FSU, which she will receive this month. After graduation, she will work in Orlando for Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control department.

Cole credits her success to the support she received from professors and mentors, especially Larry Giunipero, one of the nation’s top supply chain experts.

“Without Dr. Larry Giunipero, I don’t know where I would be,” she said. “His connections and his love of the supply chain really helped me focus on where I wanted to go after graduation.”

Giunipero praised Cole’s intelligence, business acumen and drive, noting her potential to help solve complex supply chain challenges.

Cole said her MBA experience helped her understand business dynamics and corporate strategy, giving her the tools to navigate the professional world.

Outside of academics, Cole recently completed the London Marathon, a personal milestone she describes as one of her proudest accomplishments.

“It was the hardest thing I’ve probably ever had to accomplish, but I’m really proud that I did that,” she said.

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Florida State University’s Childcare & Early Learning Program will soon offer more support to parents pursuing a degree.

The FSU Childcare & Early Learning Program will receive $5,413,600 from the U.S. Department of Education over the next four years to increase the retention and graduation rates of low-income students with children by providing accessible, affordable, high-quality childcare at the program’s center. The funding is part of the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) grant, which supports the participation of student parents in postsecondary education through the provision of campus-based childcare services.

“This grant will help us expand our services and continuity of care for children,” said Shannon Staten, executive director of University Housing and FSU’s Childcare & Early Learning Program. “We are excited to provide higher support for students who have children throughout their FSU college experience. The staff and faculty at the center are excited for the future of childcare on campus.”

FSU’s Childcare and Early Learning Program has received the CCAMPIS grant since 2001, when it established the Infant and Toddler Child Development Center to serve children under the age of two. Previously, the maximum award of the grant was capped at 1% of the total Pell grant funds awarded to an institution. This year, however, the U.S. Department of Education increased the cap to 3%, allowing campus-based childcare centers to expand services to student parents.

“Student parents are a unique population on university campuses and often face many barriers to successfully completing their degrees,” said Tiffany Karnisky, director of operations for FSU’s Childcare & Early Learning Program. “We were fortunate to develop a partnership with Institutional Research to gather some preliminary data on the numbers of student parents on campus. With this grant, our goal is to gain a deeper understanding of the specific needs of the student parent population and help remove some of those barriers through financial assistance and support services. Our goal is to see our student parents stay in school and walk across the stage to receive their diplomas.”

The increased funding is a major win for student parents as it allows the program to expand its ability to meet their needs. With these funds, the program will be able to pay 100% of childcare fees for student parents with children enrolled in the program. This funding will also enable the program to pay a portion of childcare tuition for siblings enrolled either in another childcare center in the community or an after-school program.

FSU medical student Cylena Stewart’s 5-year-old son is flourishing in kindergarten after graduating from FSU’s Childcare & Early Learning Program.

“The FSU Childcare Center and the CCAMPIS grant have given me the ability to focus on my graduate studies while knowing that my kiddos — now five years old and one year old — are safe, loved, and learning,” Stewart said. “My son recently graduated from FSU Childcare and is thriving in kindergarten. As a student, the grant has helped relieve the huge financial burden of childcare, especially during COVID. I couldn’t be more thankful.”

The program is exploring its ability to assist student parents on their waiting list and the greater student body with funding to pay for childcare services in the community. The program currently prioritizes enrollment for student parents in the program. Under the priorities of the grant the program will give priority enrollment to single student parents, who face more challenges in completing their degrees. Part-time and full-time students are both eligible.

Doctoral student John Paul Fraites said the grant offers additional benefits that would normally be out-of-pocket expenses.

“While we were doing our initial search for daycare, we learned about the CCAMPIS grant, and that grant funds could help pay for childcare supplies,” Fraites said. “In addition to the proximity of the daycare to our jobs and classes and the reviews we received about the quality care at the daycare, the CCAMPIS grant for FSU students was a major determining factor in applying.”

The funding also allows the program to hire six additional full-time faculty teachers to continue increasing enrollment for infants and toddlers and to provide continuity of care for children and support to student parents.

FSU’s Childcare & Early Learning Program will begin assessing the needs of student parents and providing services on campus and in the community, such as free health screenings for children, counseling and informational sessions about services, such as Medicaid and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.

To learn more about FSU’s Childcare and Early Learning Program, visit childcare.fsu.edu.

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