Graduation season is a time filled with a whirlwind of emotions. The bustle of seniors in and out of the
registrar and financial aid office, scrambling to get every credit counted and every dollar matched. It is
both a bittersweet time and an era filled with uncertainty about what is to come next. Students often
question what they’ll do after college throughout the semester, but it doesn’t fully sink in until they cross
the stage in December, May or August. It can be difficult for some students to understand if they’re
investment in higher education was worth the time and money spent. Recent graduates of Florida A&M
University share their feelings about their time at FAMU and whether it was a beneficial investment or
simply a time filler.
Jarius Pleasant, a Spring 2023 graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Performance and Sociology,
shares his thoughts on post-grad and how he feels his time was spent.
“I’m split 50/50, I do think my investment in higher education was worth it, but a majority of the things
that I learned from FAMU, were outside of classes,” Pleasant said. “I learned from the social world and
my other friends, so most of those big lessons came from them.”
Attending FAMU is an experience many students and alumni can attest to, the curveballs thrown our way
don’t solely stem from assignments and unexpected group projects. Most of those experiences students
overcome are in their personal lives and the people they’ve interacted with.
Tia Burgess, a Spring 2023 graduate with a Bachelor of Health Science in Pre-Physical Therapy, believes
the experiences she gained while at FAMU wouldn’t have been attainable anywhere else.
“I got more out of being at FAMU than just going to school and getting my degree,” Burgess said. “I
learned many other skills including how to communicate with others and myself, and how to be able to
both lead and follow. There were other things that went into being a student outside of the classroom that
helped develop myself.”
There is a reason why we promote “FAMUly” heavily in each speech, the support system students
develop on the highest of seven hills is something that lasts a lifetime. Being away from home is
challenging, so Burgess believes having faculty to turn to when times are tough is essential for a
successful academic career.
“At FAMU you get a different level of love, friends, family and staff that you can turn to at any given
point in time,” Burgess added.
Derrick Butler, a Summer 2023 graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, feels his time at
FAMU was a great investment.
“As a criminal justice graduate I wanted to work in federal law enforcement, so getting a degree was an
investment in helping me get there,” Butler. said
“It allowed me to make connections with people I would have never come across. It also helped guide me
so that I have a sense of direction and an idea of how I would want to navigate life,” Butler added.
“Thanks to FAMU, I have something substantial to go behind my name that’ll help me stand out in all my
future career choices.”
What comes with investing in higher education is a trajectory shift, most of the experiences are made
outside the classroom, but the impact stays with students and molds them into becoming something more
than themselves.