Life after graduation

Ewa Dworakowski, a senior majoring in mass communications, will be one of thousands who will walk to receive her diploma on Dec. 15. Dworakowski said she will miss all the good times with her friends she has made and a few of her professors.

“I was excited to get my cap and gown because, for one, I am graduating with honors,” she said. “It is also the last thing of my whole academic career until I receive my masters.”

Dworakowski said her family is planning to attend the ceremony and afterwards they will got out to dinner and celebrate.

“After that I will probably go hang out with my friends,” she said.Dworakowski said she plans to relax and take things slow for once.

“I am planning on looking for a job, I figure it is long overdue for me to relax, and since the economy is so bad right now I will take it slow and do it (job hunting) the right way,” she said.

The fall commencement will also recognize those who have outstanding GPA’s and have earned other degrees besides their bachelors such as their honorary doctorate degree.

Anne Cash, the program assistant for commencement, said there will be seven King/O’Neal Scholars this commencement.

The King/O’Neal Award is named after two charter class graduates, Lucas King and Evelyn O’Neal, and is awarded to students who have a 4.0 cumulative GPA.

Cash said the outstanding senior will be Jill Reagan. The outstanding senior award is presented by the Alumni Association to Reagan.

Michael Reich, director for Media Relations, said there would be three students who will receive their honorary doctorate degrees. Connie Mack, a member of the Board of Trustees and a former U.S. senator, Lynn Lindsay, a USF alumnus and Sketch Henderson, who is involved with music and has worked with Bing Cosby.

As far as any grad festivals or other related activities, the fall graduates will have to wait until the spring.

“There are no other activities for seniors graduating this month,” Reich said.

Reich said that despite having no activities such as Grad Fest, the graduates can get a reduced rate in joining the Alumni Association.

“They have the opportunity of applying for the Alumni Association and getting a big bag full of USF merchandise,” he said.

This year’s fall commencement on the Tampa campus will take place at the Sun Dome on Friday Dec. 15 at two different times. One ceremony will be at 2:30 p.m. for Architecture, Arts & Sciences, and Visual & Performing Arts. The next ceremony will be at 7:30 p.m. for Business, Education, Engineering, Nursing, Public Health, and Medicine Masters and all Ph.D.s. The St. Petersburg campus will have their ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 16, at Mahaffey Theater at 2:00 p.m. for all graduates, and the Sarasota campus will hold their ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 18, at the Sarasota Opera House at 7:00 p.m. for all graduates.