Florida State University’s Panama campus held its commencement ceremony on December 3 at the City of Knowledge Convention Center in Panama City, Panama. The event marked the graduation of 11 students, a smaller group compared to the nearly 3,000 graduates at FSU’s main campus this fall.
Rector Carlos Langoni led the ceremony alongside vice rectors, board members, and faculty. Suvranu De, dean of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, delivered the keynote address. De spoke about how education prepares graduates for a world that is changing rapidly due to technological advances.
“The world you enter is changing quickly, but your education has prepared you to meet complexity with insight and resilience,” De said.
He also emphasized the importance of character and support systems amid ongoing change: “In an era of constant transformation, it is the strength of your character and the support of those who guided you that will steady your course.”
FSU has operated its Panama campus since 1957 as part of its International Programs initiative. The campus serves students from over 30 countries and offers four undergraduate degrees and a master’s program in international affairs. Louisa Blenman, executive director of International Programs and president of the FSU Panama Board of Directors, attended the ceremony. She highlighted FSU’s strong relationship with Panama.
“There’s significant interest across the university to explore ways that we can better serve this beautiful country while expanding our presence here through teaching, research and community-based projects,” Blenman said.
Langoni noted during his remarks: “These graduates today are joining the select group of individuals who have earned an FSU degree.”
Valedictorian Ana Cristina Domingos Rodríguez encouraged her classmates to remain hopeful and resilient: “If we can learn something about the Seminoles, it is to never lose hope during the difficult times, and most definitely to never stop fighting.”
Many FSU Panama students participate in Tallahassee commencement ceremonies through a scholarship program allowing them to complete two years at FSU’s main campus while paying in-state tuition rates. Each December, a commencement is held in Panama for local graduates.
De concluded his address by reminding graduates: “Your judgment, your integrity, your curiosity and your ability to be flexible and adaptable — those will be your anchors.”
The following students received degrees:
– Laura Angélica Nouvet Arauz – Master of Science in International Affairs
– José Daniel Blanco Del Río – Bachelor of Science in International Affairs
– Lucía Patricia Dillon Correa – Bachelor of Science in International Affairs
– Ana Cristina Domingos Rodríguez – Bachelor of Science in International Affairs
– María Paula Gutiérrez González – Bachelor of Science in International Affairs
– Clara Honoré – Bachelor of Science in International Affairs
– Luis Enrique Mata Rivas – Bachelor of Science in International Affairs
– D’Andre Knight – Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science
– Isaías Josué Quintero Argeñal – Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science
– Hussein Farhat – Bachelor of Arts in Computer Programming and Applications
– Stefano Buglione – Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
More information about FSU Panama can be found at https://panama.fsu.edu/. Details about International Programs are available at https://international.fsu.edu/.
