Dear Friend,
My UCF story started long before I stepped onto campus as an undergraduate student in 2008.
In fact, my dad, while raising three kids with my mom and working full-time, went to UCF in the 1990s. I remember playing on campus, rolling down Reflecting Pond, and looking for children’s books at the main library. I also remember my dad’s commencement ceremony; I was just four years old, but what he achieved as an immigrant and a dad truly inspired me. And we didn’t do it alone—the UCF community was there alongside us, supporting my family and helping my dad reach that finish line.
Fast forward to 2007. It was time to start applying for colleges and figure out what life would be like post-high school. To be honest, I’ve always valued academics, but I didn’t have a plan for the future. My mom passed away in 2004 after a long fight with cancer, and it was hard to navigate life without her. At the time, high school theatre had become my safe space, and though I knew I needed to go to college, I did not have a grasp on what I wanted to study. If it wasn’t for my government teacher Mr. Norris, I don’t know if my spark for advocacy would have been lit. But he helped me see the potential of our community if we all get more involved, and that pushed me to start thinking about college with more intent.
Growing up in Orlando, many of my friends wanted to leave the area for college. But not me. Even though I wasn’t sure what I was going to study, I knew where I wanted to study: the University of Central Florida. At this point, not only had my Dad went to UCF, but my big brother was going too — and soon my twin sister and I would join him.
When I got to UCF in 2008, everything started clicking. I remember watching a video during orientation featuring former President Dr. Hitt, where he encouraged students to do good while at the University but not just stop at good. Do good, “and then some.” The notion of going the extra mile, to get the job done and then some, resonated with me and set the gold standard for my time at UCF.
Once on campus, I focused on my academics and started to get more involved with student groups, from cultural organizations to environmental advocacy, to the College Democrats at UCF. I started volunteering with local nonprofits like Dress For Success, Coalition for the Homeless, and Planned Parenthood. In 2010, when our local Public Broadcasting Station announced they were closing their doors, I worked with friends to launch a campaign to Keep PBS in Orlando and it worked—leading to the creation of WUCF-TV.
UCF helped to build my leadership skills and showed me how each one of us is capable of making a difference.
Once I graduated with my first two degrees in 2012, I knew I wanted to learn more. So while working at Planned Parenthood, I launched into my master’s, and then after completing my dual master’s in Nonprofit Management and Public Administration, I started my PhD in 2016.
Little did I know that I would run for public office two years later, or that the world would face a global pandemic in 2020. Despite passing my qualifying exams in December 2019, I would not start my dissertation until two years later. This was due to my responsibilities as a State House Representative and all the additional dynamics that come with public service, policymaking, and political organizing.
It was not an easy process to restart. It required taking the GRE again, re-applying to UCF, and applying for waivers; some of which were not approved. But with every barrier came a sense of grit and determination to get it done. And this afternoon, after 16 years of being a student at the University of Central Florida, I can finally say that I have completed my PhD in Public Administration, which is the highest academic degree someone can achieve within their field of study.
My PhD program made me a stronger problem solver, researcher, and collaborator. My graduate degrees awarded me practical skills to serve my community, and my undergraduate program set the foundation for everything else to be built upon. I owe so much to UCF, my professors, mentors, and classmates, for building me into who I am today. For giving my immigrant family a shot at the American Dream.
When I fight for policies like funding for public education, access to Bright Futures, and preserving academic freedom, it’s not about politics for me; it’s personal. Because I know the power of public education and how essential it is at an individual level and at a community level.
When I cross the commencement stage today, it will be my last day as a UCF student. It’s bittersweet, but I leave with immense gratitude and a promise to carry the UCF spirit of doing good, and then some, into every chapter of my life.
Go Knights! Charge On!
Representative Anna V. Eskamani, PhD