TAMPA, Fla. — More than 2,600 University of South Florida students are preparing to graduate this weekend in Tampa, including Tyvelle Dorvil, a marketing major who plans to use his experience with campus accessibility to help others with mobility challenges.

Dorvil, who has cerebral palsy, is among more than 1,700 students receiving bachelor’s degrees. He said some of his favorite parts of college life involved moving through different areas of campus, but getting around was not always easy.

“I love just going around the campus,” Dorvil said. “It was just so peaceful and calm. I would always come to listen to music for escapism.”

Dorvil said small changes to campus infrastructure could make a major difference for wheelchair users and others with mobility issues.

“All they have to do is just even it out or repave it,” Dorvil said. “It doesn’t take you redoing the whole campus, but just minor fixes that can really make a big impact.”

Dorvil said college required him to adapt to new challenges because USF was one of his first experiences in a walkable community.

“That doesn’t necessarily make it accessible,” Dorvil said. “So there was a lot of things I had to figure out how to do.”

Dorvil said one person who helped make his college experience easier was his advisor, Julie Harding.

“Immediately, [he] was engaged in the process,” Harding said. “He had a plan. He wanted to ensure that his graduation timeline met his goals.”

Harding said Dorvil also became involved on campus, including as a member of the Black Student Association and by presenting at a town hall. She said he brought a student perspective to accessibility services.

Dorvil said studying marketing helped him think more deeply about people’s needs and how to address them.

“It really challenged me in a lot of ways to think deeper,” Dorvil said. “It really taught me how to look at the underlying issues instead of just thinking on the surface level, because that’s what all marketers do.”

Dorvil plans to launch his own marketing firm, Dorvil Domain, in October. He said the business will focus on improving accessibility for wheelchair users and people with mobility issues.

“I really want to create a business that can create independence as an everyday reality for everyone, especially people with mobility issues altogether,” Dorvil said. “So that way we can all walk the same paths.”

Dorvil is scheduled to graduate Saturday at USF’s Tampa campus during a 1:30 p.m. ceremony at the Yuengling Center.