Â鶹ŮÀÉ Stories

Owls are making a difference in their communities and around the world. The University is extraordinarily proud of the accomplishments of our students, faculty, staff and alumni.
Student Stories
Yeni
First and Proud
Yenileisy, like many Â鶹ŮÀÉ students, is the first in her family to attend a four-year university. Originally from Caibarién, Cuba, her family moved to the United States in search of better opportunities for both their children. As a result of their many sacrifices and consistent support, she attributes her accomplishments thus far to both her parents and older sister, Yesenia. Inspired by her academic journey and her Father, Yenileisy intends to pursue Law in hopes to work for the United Nations.
Two students lean over the side of a boat in the ocean and pull a black tip shark up to them using a rope. A female student is tagging the shark's fin.
Tracking Black Tip Sharks
Student Danielle Bartz has always loved sharks, so she jumped at the opportunity to intern with an Â鶹ŮÀÉ professor who is an expert in shark migration.
Male student standing outside next to palm trees
Award-Winning Undergraduate Research
Neuroscience major Wayne Robinson discusses Â鶹ŮÀÉ’s award-winning undergraduate research program in his feature on Amazon’s The College Tour series. Watch to find out how Wayne made connections and found new ways to share the research knowledge he learned with his peers.
Student standing smiling against a graffiti wall art
Creating an Inclusive Community
Kennedy Mckinney, journalism major and founder of The Paradigm Press, Â鶹ŮÀÉ’s first Black student-led newspaper, shares how she is creating an inclusive community at Â鶹ŮÀÉ in her feature on Amazon’s The College Tour.
A manatee swimming through the ocean.
FPL Manatee Experts
Florida Power and Light's Manatee Lagoon invites the public to observe manatees in the wild and employs Â鶹ŮÀÉ students to serve as manatee experts.
Cristina Silva walking with coast guard helicopter in background.
Preparing to Pilot
Cristina Silva earned her degree in mechanical engineering from Â鶹ŮÀÉ as an active member of the U.S. Coast Guard College Student Commissioning Initiative (CSPI).
Student standing against a sunny background
Â鶹ŮÀÉ Innovators and Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneur Aiden Natalie shares his story of starting a business by combining an idea with his passion on Amazon’s The College Tour series. Learn how student innovators can use the resources at Â鶹ŮÀÉ to turn their dreams into reality.
Alumni Stories
Two men staning in from of heap of garbage in a warehouse with shirts that say 4Ocean and the 4Ocean logo in the background on the wall.
Fighting Ocean Plastic
While on a post-graduation surf trip, Â鶹ŮÀÉ alumni Andrew Cooper and Alex Schulze were devastated by the amount of plastic they encountered on remote beaches. The experience inspired them to launch a company that has pulled more than 5 million pounds of plastic from the ocean.
Three students looking at a laptop working.
Lock-it Plates
Alumni-founded lockable food container company, Lock It Plates, has eliminated more than 8,000 foam plates and 75,000 foam boxes from Â鶹ŮÀÉ's dining hall in one year.
Two women standing in fromnt of a poster smiling
Music Therapy for Alzheimer’s
Two alumnae created an organization, Mind & Melody, that uses music to improve the quality of life for individuals with neurological impairments including dementia and Alzheimer's.
An older man fixing the lapel of a younger man
Community Change Maker
Alumnus Jervonte Edmonds talks about his organization, Suits For Seniors, and its success helping students prepare for college.
Five people posing with beer kegs in front of the Islamorada Beer Company sign
Islamorada Beer Company
Inspired by the South Florida lifestyle, four alumni founded a craft beer company that has become a well-known name in the region.
Jan Bednar in warehouse
Reinventing eCommerce
The brainchild of alumnus Jan Bednar, ShipMonk helps small businesses grow by offering technology-driven solutions to fulfill orders. What started as an award-winning business plan has become an international operation.
Frantz Junior Cherilus
Rich Men Looks
Frantz Junior Cherilus combined his affinity for fashion with business savvy to bring affordable fashion and the mobile boutique trend to South Florida.