2017 UG Commencement Program

26 Jennifer Rose Demchar , a secondary English education major, was born in Plantation, Florida. She is a member of Tau Sigma National Honor Society, the Alpha Chi National Honor Society, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Demchar is completing an internship at Cypress Bay High School for her final semester at NSU and credits her professors, Maureen McDermott, Ed.D., and Judith Coughlin, Ph.D., for guiding her during the 13-week internship. She was a substitute teacher at St. Thomas Aquinas from 2015 to 2016 and is currently substituting there. She made the Dean’s List for five semesters. Demchar is actively engaged as a member at her church, where she directs a teen lecturing ministry. At the church, she teaches high school students how to understand, speak, and proclaim the Lord’s message. The teens develop confidence and the ability to accept constructive criticism, helping them in their academic, social, and athletic goals. Demchar hopes to continue working full time next year as an English teacher while seeking to earn her doctorate in English. Eventually, she hopes to teach at the university level, conduct research, and publish some of her writings. C ollege of A rts , H umanities , and S ocial S ciences Desiree Jasmine Casanova , a sociology major, is from Coconut Creek, Florida. She is a student in the Farquhar Honors College, has been a member of the Alpha Chi National Honor Society since 2015, and is also a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa National Honor Society. Casanova made the Dean’s List for eight straight semesters, beginning in 2013. She also conducted research with Eileen Smith-Cavros, Ph.D., on mass media and the influence on women regarding self-esteem, and was published in NSU’s Horizons magazine for the Department of Conflict Resolution Studies. Casanova has been a member of the Undergraduate Student Government Association and has worked with the Digressions literary magazine since 2013. She has also been a member of the President’s 64 since 2014 and participated in the Emerging Leaders program in 2014. While a student at NSU, Casanova has volunteered for CommunityFest, SuessFest, Women In Distress, the March of Dimes, and Relay for Life. She interned in the position of Provider Operations for Community Care Plan and at Dale Carnegie. She has also served as an orientation coordinator and orientation leader for several years with NSU, and worked with Kaplan University since 2015. Casanova was the Farquhar Honors College Student of the Year and the student speaker for 2016–2017. She has received many endowments, including the Richard P. Norman Memorial Endowment, the Horvitz Presidential Scholarship, and the Sherwin Presidential Endowment. She plans to earn her master’s degree in Public Administration from NSU and work full time.