Merarys β€œMery” Diaz knew she wanted to attend the ΒιΆΉΤ­΄΄ the first time she stepped on campus seven years ago as a high school sophomore.

On Saturday, the Cuban native who immigrated to the United States with her family when she was 4 months old, will become the first in her family to graduate from college when she receives a marketing degree from ΒιΆΉΤ­΄΄ College of Business.

The future looks bright for Diaz, who plans to pursue a career in sales after graduation, but her journey to become a Knight almost ended before it began. In her senior year of high school, Diaz’s father was losing his eyesightβ€”and his job as a truck driverβ€”to diabetes. With the family’s primary breadwinner out of work, she said her family’s home was headed into foreclosure.

β€œThe dream of going to ΒιΆΉΤ­΄΄ felt crushed when my father slowly began to lose his sight,” said Diaz, who gave up her own extracurricular activities, such as swimming and water polo, to support her family. She took on the responsibility of paying bills and serving as a translator for her Spanish-only speaking parents.

She said encouragement from her high school teachers along with witnessing her parents’ struggles motivated her to move out of her hometown of Hialeah and apply to ΒιΆΉΤ­΄΄ two weeks before the enrollment deadline. She was accepted into ΒιΆΉΤ­΄΄, but then came the hard partβ€”figuring out how to pay for it.

β€œThrough the efforts of so many people who believed in me and a lot of hard work, I received multiple scholarships,” she said, including the Virga Family Scholarship, a $10,000 annual scholarship available to full-time ΒιΆΉΤ­΄΄ undergraduates whoΒ desire to be entrepreneurs.

β€œThe Virga Family Scholarship allowed me to be a Knight for four years and have the full college experience and not worry about living expenses or how I would pay for my groceries for the week,” Diaz said.

With her finances settled, Diaz focused her energy on her academic courses and getting involved in the college’s many activities and student groups.

β€œMery served in an important leadership role as a student ambassador of the college by helping create and execute events to engage the students,” said Jennifer Johnson, director of engagement and The EXCHANGE at the College of Business. β€œMery has a strong dedication to her own professional development, and I have watched her blossom as an ambassador and participant in ourΒ prestigious Professional Selling Program.”

Bill Steiger, associate instructor and coordinator of ΒιΆΉΤ­΄΄β€™s national-champion Professional Selling Program, said Diaz may have enrolled in the selling program as a student but she’s leaving as a professional.

β€œHer commitment to self-improvement was amazing,” Steiger said. β€œShe faced numerous obstacles and never gave up or complained. She will be a rock star in sales.”

For her part, Diaz credits ΒιΆΉΤ­΄΄ as β€œthe best thing that has ever happened to me.”

β€œI am leaving here with a diploma, but more importantly, with knowledge, a good network, valuable and transferable skills and an undefeatable mentality,” she said. β€œI am going into the world understanding so much about relationships, partnerships, team building, vision and creation.”

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