Special
For Al Día Today
ORLANDO — Keiser University hosted its fi rst statewide commencement ceremony to celebrate the accomplishments of its on-campus graduates throughout Florida and those that attend classes online across the nation. The ceremony took place on Saturday, Jan. 5 at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre located at 401 West Livingston Street in Orlando.
United States Congressman Daniel Webster (Florida) served as the commencement speaker. Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs provided welcoming remarks for over 400 graduates and the 2,500 expected guests.
Keiser also awarded two Top Employer awards which were selected among many outstanding nominations. Health First, Central Florida’s only fully-integrated health system that’s based in Melbourne has hired over 490 Keiser University graduates to date.
Manatee Memorial Hospital also received a Top Employer award having hired 102 graduates in nursing, radiologic technology, medical assisting, nuclear medicine and information technology from the Lakeland, Sarasota and Tampa campuses.
Selection criteria included the employers’ tangible impact on the local economy and businesses, commitment to community service and being an overall great place to work. Jessica Montanez of Frostproof was the Valedictorian. Upon graduating from high school, Jessica chose Keiser for her fi rst degree in Radiologic Technology. On Jan. 5, she received her bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences.
“My degrees from KU have helped to me get closer to my professional goals and have strengthened the foundation of my future in the medical fi eld,” said Montanez. I am currently employed in my fi eld and look forward to continuing my education so I can keep achieving my dreams, she added.
During her associate degree education, Jessica was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and she works full-time at Tower Radiology in Brandon. She is pursuing her license in CAT scans and plans to return to KU for the Physical Assistant program.
Keiser University http://www.keiseruniversity.edu/ is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award certifi cates and degrees at the associate, baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral levels. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Keiser University <http://www.keiseruniversity.edu/>