By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic
MIAMI GARDENS | St. Thomas University celebrated the accomplishments of the largest graduating class in its 60-year history as more than 930 students gathered at three in-person ceremonies to receive their Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctoral and Juris Doctor degrees.
The May 13, 2022 graduates numbered 200 more than those who participated in the conferral ceremony in May 2021.
Graduating students earned their respective degrees from St. Thomas University’s Biscayne College, College of Business, College of Health Sciences and Technology, and College of Law. The ceremony was streamed live on STU's website. (Watch a longer clip here.)
The keynote speakers at the three ceremonies were:
Judge Tarlika Nunez-Navarro of the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, who spoke at the College of Law degree conferral. An STU College of Law alum (Cum Laude, 2010), she has notable experience in practicing law as a prosecutor and as a defense attorney. Between 2011 and 2014, she served as an assistant state attorney for the 17th Circuit before her appointment to the bench in 2018, where she presided over domestic violence, family law and drug court cases. Judge Nunez-Navarro has been presiding over a myriad of criminal court cases since being appointed to the Ninth Judicial Circuit in 2021, where she continues her legacy of promoting mental health and wellness to law students and the judiciary.
Andrew Elisburg, senior vice president of Basketball Operations and general manager of the Miami Heat, who spoke at the doctoral/graduate commencement ceremony. He joined the Miami Heat franchise in its inaugural 1988 season as an intern in the public relations department ultimately rising through the ranks to his current position. Elisburg earned a B.A. in Sports Administration (1989) from STU’s College of Business and was honored by his alma mater in June of 2004 with its first Leader for Life Award to highlight his significant contributions to his chosen profession. He was inducted into STU’s Athletic Hall of Fame in November 2017 and presented this year with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, awarded to recipients for their significant contributions to society.
Michael Leach, special assistant to U.S. President Joe Biden, who delivered the keynote at the undergraduate ceremony. Leach currently serves as the first-ever Chief Diversity & Inclusion director for the White House. His responsibilities include developing and implementing good practices designed to promote the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility into the federal workplace. Leach received his master’s degree in sports administration in December 2010 and also was presented with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at the graduation ceremony.
The university also paid tribute to Mother Adela Galindo, founder of the religious community Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary, by granting her an honorary Doctorate in Philosophy Honoris Causa, In Theology and Leadership degree. Born in Nicaragua, Mother Adela founded the Pierced Hearts in 1990, its lay branch, the Apostles of the Pierced Hearts, in 2000, and its male branch, the SCTJM Brothers and Priests, in 2018. She is also the foundress of the Veritatis Splendor Institute and the VIVET Youth and Young Adult Ministry. She has traveled to over 30 countries imparting talks on a wide range of topics of faith and leads pilgrimages to the Holy Land, Marian and Eucharist shrines, while promoting the lives of the saints.
