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On Friday, the University of Tampa graduated 982 students in two ceremonies held on the university’s campus.

At 9:30 a.m., graduates from the College of Arts and Letters and the Sykes College of Business were recognized. At 1 p.m., graduates from the College of Natural and Health Sciences and the College of Social Sciences, Mathematics and Education were honored.

Lily Canoy ’24, allied health major, delivered the morning’s challenge speech to graduates.

The only guarantee, she told the audience, is that they will fail.

“When life gets hard, I dare you to fail; because I know that after your time here at the University of Tampa, you were taught how to meet adversity head-on, knowing you would come out on top,” Canoy said.

She added that failure does not define a person, it shapes them and encourages them to prevail.

Canoy then introduced Eric Freundt, professor of biology and the recipient of the 2023-2024 Louise Loy Hunter Award, which is given annually to a faculty member for excellence in teaching and cumulative contributions in service and scholarship.

“You have learned many things on this journey, but I am confident that each one of you has learned resilience, the ability to bounce back from difficulties and challenges – and the resilience you’ve learned will be important throughout your lives,” he said.

He spoke about his teaching of viruses, and what they can teach graduates: the importance of failure, but the necessity of persistence; the importance of embracing change, and lastly, finding your niche.

“By embracing failure, welcoming change and finding your niche, you can make a difference,” he said, “You are not too small to have a huge impact on your community and the world.”

In the afternoon ceremony, Kristen Cox ’24, a sport management major, issued the challenge to graduates.

She urged graduates to retain the unwavering self-belief many of us experienced as kids.

“As we grow older, the notion of saying, “Yes, of course I can” becomes increasingly daunting. We fear judgment, embarrassment or rejection. We become so preoccupied with staying within the lines that we unconsciously limit ourselves from exploring new possibilities,” Cox told the crowd.

“I challenge you to confront the world with confidence. Embrace new opportunities with an unwavering ‘Yes, of course I can,’” she said.

“When faced with challenges, change or the unknown, let this mantra guide you. Believe in your ability to rise to the occasion, to overcome obstacles and to seize every opportunity that comes your way.”

See some images from the 2024 graduates at utampa.edu/utampagrad.

UTampa Graduates by the Numbers

Total graduates: 982
Countries represented: 6
Percent of graduates from Florida: 51

Undergraduate students
Total bachelor’s degree candidates: 688
Summa cum laude (GPA 4.0): 11
Magna cum laude (GPA 3.75 or higher, but less than 4.0): 87
Cum laude (GPA 3.5 or higher, but less than 3.75): 100
Most popular undergraduate majors: allied health, finance and marketing

Graduate students
Total candidates: 294
With highest honors (GPA 4.0): 36
With honors (GPA 3.9 or higher, but less than 4.0): 38
MBAs awarded: 35