Mother and Daughter Graduate Together at Bethune-Cookman

Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) graduated hundreds of students on Wednesday, May 13, 2015. Two of those graduates, Tangela Major-Finley and Eboni Finley, are closer than most.  Tangela and Eboni are mother and daughter who will experience 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 will be among 325 graduates at Wednesday’s spring commencement at The Ocean Center (101 North Atlantic Avenue, Daytona Beach, FL).  The keynote speaker is Reverend John W. Harrington, Chairman of the 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 the University of Florida 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.

About Bethune-Cookman University

Founded in 1904 by Mary McLeod Bethune, Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) today sustains her legacy of faith, scholarship and service through its relationship with the United Methodist Church and its commitment to academic excellence and civic engagement. B-CU offers baccalaureate degrees in 37 majors through six academic schools – Arts & Humanities; Business; Education; Nursing; Science, Engineering and Mathematics; and Social Sciences – and maintains intercollegiate athletic programs and instrumental and choral groups that have achieved national recognition. Located in Daytona Beach, B-CU is one of three private historically black colleges in the state of Florida. The institution boasts a diverse and international faculty and student body of more than 3,400.