Goodwin’s 2023 Valedictorian, Damaris Florian, Shares Her Inspiring Story
“No one is going to believe in you more than yourself. You have to believe in yourself, have determination, and keep going.”
These are the inspirational words of Damaris Florian, who graduated as valedictorian of her 2023 Goodwin University class with a BS in Business Administration. Damaris’s achievement is particularly impressive considering that she might not have gone to college at all if it hadn’t been for Goodwin’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP).
The EOP is an initiative at Goodwin University dedicated to providing “access, academic support and financial aid to students who show promise in succeeding in college but might not have been otherwise offered admission.” When Damaris graduated from high school, she found that her status as a DACA recipient made her ineligible for Pell Grants and other forms of federal student aid. That was when Nicole Miller, who currently serves as Goodwin’s Dean of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, invited Demaris to apply to the EOP.
Damaris credits the EOP with helping her succeed despite the challenges of adjusting to college coursework while also working a full-time job. In addition to helping her financially, the EOP team provided emotional support. Damaris met with members of the EOP team one-on-one every week to share her progress, to talk through her questions, and to receive advice and encouragement. Damaris also took advantage of Goodwin’s counseling service. “It was great having someone to talk to,” she says.
Damaris explains that Goodwin helped her in other ways, as well. “Goodwin was so flexible,” she says. “Online classes helped me make up my own schedule.” Although she originally enrolled as a Human Services major, attending a career fair convinced her to change her major to Business Administration. Her business classes helped her find her passion. The opportunity to shadow working professionals, Damaris says, was particularly meaningful to her, since it provided her with real-world experience. “I’m really happy with the degree that I chose,” she reports.
Damaris currently works in the Human Resources department of SCA Pharmaceuticals, and she likes it so much that she says, “I see myself doing HR long-term,” and she looks forward to continuing to develop her managerial and leadership skills.
Her advice to current students? “Don’t give up! You can get overwhelmed by questions like, Am I doing this right? Is this really what I want to do? It can get mind-boggling. But have determination and keep going. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.” Damaris’s amazing success at Goodwin and beyond testifies to the truth of her inspiring words.
