{"id":362629,"date":"2026-08-04T16:56:28","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T16:56:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/362629\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T16:56:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T16:56:28","slug":"overcoming-a-lifetime-of-challenges-usf-graduate-achieves-another-milestone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/362629\/","title":{"rendered":"Overcoming a lifetime of challenges, USF graduate achieves another milestone"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Matthew Cimitile<\/a>, University Communications and Marketing<\/p>\n

After coming up short in receiving a full-ride scholarship for a second time, it seemed
\n college was unlikely for Tyvelle Dorvil.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Trying to become the first in his family to attend a four-year college, the Take Stock in Children<\/a> scholarship from the Pasco Education Foundation was essential to secure his future.
\n Those who know Dorvil knew he wasn\u2019t going to let disappointment stop him.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dorvil was born with spastic cerebral palsy and has used a wheelchair for the past
\n 10 years. His experiences navigating inaccessible environments have given him perseverance
\n and a drive to improve accessibility for others.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like to say that my journey is like a bumble bee \u2013 you don\u2019t look like you are
\n meant to fly but that is what I have been doing,\u201d Dorvil said. \u201cI was always driven
\n to pursue a college degree because I see the impact you can make in the real world
\n with your education.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, he worked even harder in high school, where he was named the most involved student
\n by his class. He applied a third time to the competitive scholarship during his senior
\n year, received it and then, through public speaking and fundraising, helped raise
\n $60,000 in scholarships for other students along the way.<\/p>\n

Once enrolled, Dorvil made the most of his opportunity. He earned both an associate
\n and bachelor’s degree in four years, captured first place in the state in an impromptu
\n public speaking competition by the Florida Business Leaders of America<\/a> and advocated for transportation solutions that better serve people with disabilities.<\/p>\n

He did all this while inspiring professors, advisors and classmates.<\/p>\n

\u201cTyvelle\u2019s determination, campus involvement and dedication to helping others have
\n been inspiring,\u201d said Julie Harding, coordinator of academic advising at the USF Kate Tiedemann School of Business and Finance<\/a>. \u201cDespite working part-time, he remained engaged, advocated for fellow students and
\n made a positive impact while pursuing his degree. I look forward to seeing all that
\n he accomplishes in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

He is leaving USF St. Petersburg with a bachelor\u2019s degree in marketing, achieving
\n a dream of a higher education that was instilled in him by a mother who would go back
\n later in life to earn her GED, and a sister who graduated with her associate degree
\n before her death.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He is also graduating knowing his voice had an impact and with the confidence to use
\n it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore coming to USF St. Petersburg, I suffered with imposter syndrome and sometimes
\n felt as though I didn\u2019t matter,\u201d Dorvil said. \u201cBut through my experiences and professors
\n who encouraged me to believe in myself, I learned that being heard can make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

During a campus town hall, Dorvil spoke directly with university leaders about buildings
\n that were difficult for students with disabilities to navigate. His comments helped
\n initiate discussions about accessibility improvements on campus that have resulted
\n in some initial improvements.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like to say that my journey is like a bumble bee \u2013 you don\u2019t look like you are
\n meant to fly but that is what I have been doing.\u201d <\/p>\n

Tyvelle Dorvil, USF Summer 2026 Graduate<\/p>\n

Now, as graduation approaches, the word \u201cbittersweet\u201d comes to mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis campus has given me a newfound independence,\u201d he said. \u201cI really love this environment,
\n so much so that when I went back home on break, I\u2019d count the days to return.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dorvil is also overjoyed. When he crosses the commencement stage, it will mark an
\n important milestone for him as a first-generation college student and create a legacy
\n for his family. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to finish this degree for my mom, for my sister and for so many people who
\n have poured their time and effort into me during this journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

He hopes to one day start his own marketing consulting firm focused on disability
\n and accessibility issues, from ADA compliance to expanding healthcare coverage. He
\n believes his condition and experiences \u2013 where so much of his world was navigating
\n sometimes-complicated terrain such as getting to a class, boarding a bus or moving
\n through a building \u2013 have given him the adaptability and perseverance to navigate
\n whatever lies ahead.<\/p>\n

And he will now have something to support that journey.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis degree will open doors for me and allow me to do things I wouldn\u2019t have been
\n able to before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read about other Summer 2026 Boundless Bulls\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Matthew Cimitile, University Communications and Marketing After coming up short in receiving a full-ride scholarship for a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":362630,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[135,137,136],"class_list":["post-362629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-headlines","tag-tampa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/362629","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=362629"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/362629\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/362630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=362629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=362629"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=362629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}