Daytona Beach, Florida – Bethune-Cookman University was preparing to graduate hundreds of students May 13, 2015. Two of those graduates, Tangela Major-Finley and Eboni Finley, were closer than most. Tangela and Eboni are mother and daughter who experienced this milestone in life together. Tangela, the mother, is a liberal studies major and has a full-time job as a referral coordinator in a Miami doctor’s office. Eboni is a graduating nursing student and has accepted a position at Good Samaritan. The mother/daughter duo were among 325 graduates at this year’s spring commencement at The Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, FL. The keynote speaker was Reverend John W. Harrington, Chairman of the B-CU Board of Trustees.
Tangela, the mother, left B-CU 22 years ago during her senior year to have her daughter, Eboni. She moved back to Miami and never returned to finish her degree. Eboni was a stand-out student and received a full scholarship to the University of Florida. Eboni was unhappy at UF and made the decision to follow the family tradition and become a B-CU Wildcat. “This is a blessing. My mother stopped for me and now she is finishing with me. It’s truly a blessing,” says Eboni Finley.
Tangela Major-Finley is a woman who believes in practicing what she preaches. She wants her daughters to understand the importance of education and following through with your goals. “I am extremely proud of my daughter. I want to set the example for my girls and show them that you have to finish what you start. This was a great opportunity for me to do just that,” says Tangela Major-Finley.
B-CU was founded in 1904 and was recently ranked one of the top HBCUs in the nation.
