Father Of 4 Heading To Med School Gives HCC Commencement Speech

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — Hillsborough Community College celebrated its 55th annual commencement ceremony May 3 in the Expo Hall of the Florida State Fairgrounds.

This year’s commencement speaker was Joseph W. Lopano, chief executive officer of Tampa International Airport and an HCC graduate.

Nearly 5,000 students were eligible to participate in the graduation ceremony, which included those who have completed coursework over the 2023-24 academic year.

Graduates included those receiving the associate in arts and associate in science degrees and college credit certificates.

The youngest graduate was 14-year-old Musa Islam, who earned an associate in arts degree. The oldest graduate was 79-year-old Carl Cosio, who earned a college credit certificate.

Also graduating were mother and daughter, Kemi Wallace and Jada Ringer. Ringer is a senior at Armwood High School and had enough credits through the dual enrollment program to graduate from HCC with her associate of arts.

Her mother decided to finish her associate of arts degree with her daughter so they could support one another in their academic careers and goals.

Ringer will attend the University of Central Florida and Wallace is headed to the University of South Florida for their bachelor's degree.

Also among this year’s graduates were 241 Collegiate Academy students, who completed 60 college credits at HCC in addition to their required high school class schedules. This is the eighth graduating class of Collegiate Academy students.

The commencement speaker was Rufus Pope, a father of four, who earned an associate in arts degree in medical sciences. A first-generation college student, Pope returned to pursue his education 21 years after high school.

Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Pope left home at 18 to attend a ministry school in Oklahoma to broaden his horizons. His next path took him to New York, where he lived for the next 15 years.

During that time, he met and married his wife, Sonja Pope, and started his family.

Pope and his family relocated to Florida for his job.

After sending their youngest child to school at age 5, Pope's wife told him, “It’s your turn,” and returned to work while encouraging Pope to follow his dream and pursue his education.

Pope enrolled at Hillsborough Community College as a full-time student in the summer of 2022 to pursue his associate's in medical sciences.

Pope's HCC journey started on the SouthShore campus where he fell in love with the facilities, events, faculty, staff, peers and the sense of community. Having felt immediately welcomed, he knew he didn’t need to visit any other colleges.

He didn’t stick just to the SouthShore campus, though. He branched out to the Brandon, Dale Mabry and Ybor City campuses.

“You don’t get a chance to see all that is offered when you stick to one campus,” he said. “HCC has a ton to offer, but you only get a portion when choosing one campus. If I never branched out of my home campus, there would’ve been a ton of opportunities, huge opportunities, I would’ve missed out on.”

Pope's inclusion into various medical classes confirmed his career choice. Having never studied science or medicine before, at his age he felt nervous. However, his first anatomy class cemented his love for science and reassured him on his chosen path.

“It came to the point where classes didn’t feel like work,” he said. “It wasn’t laborious; it was fun.”

Pope was also part of the American Medical Student Association, finding the club to be a viable resource for students looking to go into medicine and find a pathway to settle in medicine.

“Go into medicine with an open mind,” he said. “What you start with definitely doesn’t have to be where it ends. When it comes to medicine, it comes to various tracks and not just what we see.”

He said joining AMSA helped point him in the right direction and narrow down what he wanted to do.

While his involvement in his field encouraged him, Pope experienced other opportunities during his tenure at HCC.

He was able to study abroad in England, an unforgettable experience that put his learning into action.

He was also nominated by David Worley, assistant dean of academic affairs, for a student excellence award for academic excellence in sciences. This further propelled Pope in his drive to pursue the medical sciences.

“It was a childhood dream, but it felt impossible. Life got in the way and you do what you need to do to live,” he said. “Dreaming felt like for dreamers and not those trying to make it day by day. What got me to this place was, if I don’t do it now, I don’t want to live with the regret and I don’t want my family to pay for my regrets and missed opportunities.”

With HCC faculty members who made themselves accessible, such as Worley, Pope said he felt inspired, his potential seen and guided with countless students and worked alongside them.

“If they can continue to teach and be successful at it, there’s no excuse for me,” he said.
“Disposition is the only thing that can add or take away from any experience, whether at university or community college. Community college allows you to transfer into education at your own pace and ensure success. Sometimes going to university is a struggle and you’ll have a better opportunity of accumulating, excelling in a college career and saving money at a community college.”

Pope said his wife Sonja has been a loving pillar for both him and their family. Her encouragement led to him being chosen as the 55th commencement student speaker. With her support, he succeeded and found that to be one of the best moments of his life.

“There’s nothing you can’t learn. It may take you longer, it may take creative ways of learning it and you may not be an ‘A’ student or an amazing student, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it. So be the best you can be and do it," Pope said.

Pope will transfer to the University of South Florida to major in public health with a minor in business. Afterward, he will pursue medical school to become a licensed surgeon.

31 Graduate From 1st Nursing Class

Additionally, Hillsborough Community College held a celebration for the inaugural bachelor of science in nursing class on April 30,at the Dale Mabry Campus. The program’s graduating class included 31 students.

HCC’s bachelor of science in nursing is an eight-week program focusing on registered nurses developing a foundation for advancing their career or preparing for graduate nursing study.

“This marks a significant milestone for the college, and we are pleased to celebrate the graduation of our inaugural cohort of the bachelor of science in nursing students,” said Dr. Ken Atwater, Hillsborough Community College president. “The impact they will make on the quality of care in our region will be felt for generations to come.”

For more information on the nursing program and to apply, visit the website at hccfl.edu/nursing-bachelor-science.

Hillsborough Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate and baccalaureate degrees.

Hillsborough Community College serves more than 43,000 students annually at its five campuses located throughout Tampa Bay.