Spring Hill’s Mercy Figueroa Graduates Summa Cum Laude
ST LEO, FL – More than 1,100 new degree recipients celebrated their success on Friday, April 29, and Saturday, April 30, at University Campus during Saint Leo’s commencement ceremonies. Friday’s commencement speaker resides in Hernando County, FL.
Saint Leo WorldWide seniors kicked off the weekend with a Friday evening ceremony. About 325 students, mainly adult learners who studied online and on ground at the Adult Education Center at University Campus and Pasco-Hernando State College locations, as well as at University Campus, were awarded bachelor’s degrees.
Alumnus George Turner ’08, who retired as the chief of the Atlanta Police Department in 2016, addressed the graduates of 2017 at Friday’s ceremony. He served on the city police force for 35 years, and during his tenure as chief, the force grew to more than 2,000 sworn officers. On May 1, he became the vice president of safety and security for the Atlanta Hawks basketball team and Philips Arena.
U.S. Army veteran and mother of three Mercy Figueroa of Spring Hill, FL, gave the farewell address for Saint Leo WorldWide. Figueroa graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice: criminalistics.
A native of Havana, Cuba, Figueroa came to the United States at the age of 2. Her father was a political prisoner in Cuba, and the family escaped, first to Spain, and then to New York.
Her husband, Luis Figueroa, also graduated Friday night, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration: technology management. Their oldest son, Isaac, and Mercy Figueroa’s sister, Heavenly Aguilar, also are Saint Leo students.
“To the families in the audience, I would like to say thank you for your patience and support,” she said. “I know your student had to miss some family time to devote to studies. Your patience is rewarded today as you get to witness the culmination of your student’s hard work. You played an instrumental role in their success. I want to give special thanks to my husband who is graduating with me today; ours is a love story 25 years in the making.”
She saluted her fellow veterans, active duty military, and law enforcement personnel. “Some of you are battling injuries sustained as a result of your service, some of you are veterans of war and are coping with reintegrating into the civilian world as you get ready for the next chapter in your life,” Figueroa said. “I was honored to serve with you, and I am honored to graduate with you today. As veterans, I cannot imagine a better school to call our alma mater.”
Figueroa is continuing her education at Saint Leo and is enrolled in the master’s in criminal justice: critical incident management program.