Graduates Reach The Finish Line At LoanDepot Park
After more than thirty years of waiting, Desiree Blandon has graduated from college.
When Blandon arrived in Miami from Nicaragua in 1987, she put her education on the back burner. For three decades, she worked for Swissport (a ground handling company) to support her two daughters.
But when the pandemic hit in 2020, Blandon was laid off. Unemployed, she pivoted to achieve her lifelong dream of attaining an education.
Saturday, the 60-year-old was one of the more than 14,000 graduates—not all of them walked— Miami Dade College celebrated during three commencement ceremonies at loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins.
“It’s a personal goal I always wanted to achieve since I was a teenager,” said Blandon, who earned her associate’s degree in business administration. “It’s never too late to learn.”
Prior to the ceremonies, DJs from local radio stations fired up the crowd while the stadium lights flickered to the vibrant tempo of the music. Graduates matched the atmosphere, gleefully waving blue and white pom poms, snapping selfies and posting messages on social media.
Some students stepped up their graduation game with decorated graduation caps adorned with roses, daisies, and lots of glitter.
The graduation stage was set up in center field. It featured college administrators such as student deans and campus presidents, members of the College’s Board of Trustees, Student Government Association presidents and the College’s executive leadership—Provost Malou C. Harrison and President Madeline Pumariega.
“In a year marked by uncertainty, unrest and loss we have collectively endured the test of time.” Pumariega said during the Wolfson, Medical and Homestead campuses’ commencement ceremony. “Colleges are custodians of the enduring tradition of learning.”
Keynote speakers included Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, (North, Eduardo J. Padrón and West ceremony), Florida Lieutenant Governor Jeannette Nuñez (Kendall and Hialeah ceremony) and United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy (Wolfson, Medical and Homestead ceremony).
Murthy warned graduates to not let their work life overtake their quest to build meaningful personal connections.
“What I wish you in the years more than anything else is rich, vibrant relationships,” Murthy said. “Your ability to give and receive love is your greatest gift and your greatest power.”
Upon entering the stadium, graduates sat side-by-side in front of the stage. It marked the first time since 2019 that social distancing was not practiced at the event. Masks were not required.
The graduates’ guests were seated on the lower deck of the stadium. For those who couldn’t attend, the ceremony was live-streamed and recorded.
“It was a great experience,” said 23-year-old Daniel Castro, who fought through muscular dystrophy to earn a bachelor’s degree in film from the School of Entertainment & Design Technology at North Campus. “I met a lot of good professors, a lot of great classmates and fellow filmmakers.”
The ceremony was filled with success stories like Castro’s and students like 20-year-old Dana Moreno, a first-generation college graduate, who earned an associate’s degree in electrical engineering on April 23.
“I feel like I’m always running,” said Moreno, who was awarded the Homestead Campus BOT scholarship, a $5,000 prize. “I feel like I always break one [barrier] so I [can] break another.”
Isabella Cunningham, the SGA president at Wolfson Campus, praised her peers for their zest to make it to the finish line—graduation day.
“We have demonstrated that we are resilient and have the extraordinary capacity to positively impact our communities, our nation and the world,” Cunningham said. “We are all changemakers.”
Staff writers Ammy Sanchez and Emily Paz contributed to this story.
