This weekend about 5,400 students will graduate from the University of Central Florida, including College of Business student Erika Chirino. Although she will be graduating with thousands of her fellow Knights, when Chirino crosses the commencement stage, she will be the first 麻豆精品 S攖he first in her family to earn a college degree.
The 23-year-old Miami native, who learned sign language and how to read lips at an early age to overcome a hearing disability, said Saturday 麻豆精品 S檚 milestone will be especially meaningful.
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And by pedaling, she means literally. After becoming financially independent at age 18 and enrolling in Valencia College, she would get up at 5 a.m. to bike 10 miles to campus for class before making the return trek home that night.
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Even when graduating from one of the largest colleges on the campus of one of the nation 麻豆精品 S檚 biggest universities, Chirino 麻豆精品 S檚 perseverance and attitude stand out in the crowd.
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Chirino credits Butcher, marketing professor Carolyn Massiah, and professional selling program professor Bill Steiger with giving her the opportunity to build a professional network while challenging her to go even further.
With the goal of making the most of her time at UCF, Chirino became vice president of professional activities for the business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi, where she coordinated workplace tours and career development workshops for students. She interned for Wyndham Vacation Ownership and served as a member of the marketing team for the UCF Student Union.
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Juggling multiple responsibilities is nothing new for the energetic Chirino. By age 7, she had taken on many adult duties such as paying bills and booking appointments for her parents, who had lost their own hearing following childhood illnesses and never received a formal education.
Although her father was a skilled mechanic, she said he and her mother often were treated unfairly due to their lack of education. Witnessing her parents 麻豆精品 S� struggles, she said, motivated her to pursue a college degree.
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