Thank you for a great Homecoming!

On October 14, 2013, the following message was sent to the FIU community from the President: 

Dear members of the FIU community, 

What a Homecoming! Last week we came together as a family like never before, culminating in a spectacular Homecoming weekend!

It was great to see so many people who bleed blue and gold on campus! We had a packed parents’ breakfast, an overflowing retirees lunch and the largest ever Homecoming parade! Many of the people who had not been on campus for a while remarked on how much FIU has grown and changed. We can be proud of the world class university we have built!

It was also exciting to have alumnus Danny Pino ’96 of NBC’s Law and Order: SVU and his wife, alumna Lilly ’97 as the Grand Marshals of our Homecoming Parade. The Pinos, who came with their children, are like so many FIU alumni who participated in reunions and other events, to demonstrate their love for this great institution.  

I would like to thank Deputy Chief of Staff and Homecoming Chair Breny Daparre Garcia, Overall Student Director Giselle Cancio, and the members of their respective committees for their hard work in coordinating all of the different elements that made Homecoming a success, once again.

Congratulations to our Homecoming Queen Samantha Pujol and King Osvaldo Toca. I also would like to congratulate the College of Business, which won the office decorating contest. Second place went to the Biscayne Bay Campus Recreation Center and the College of Education came in third.

 During Homecoming week we took the opportunity to honor the memory of one of our legendary leaders, Paul Gallagher. Thanks to Vice President of External Relations Terry Witherell and the committee that worked to make Friday’s Celebration of Life for Paul worthy of all the great contributions he made to our FIU. Paul’s family was deeply touched by how his FIU family came together to pay tribute to him, including a dedication during Saturday’s football game. Thank you to everyone who took the time to show Paul’s family how much he meant to all of us.

Also, this week some of us came together to find solutions and move forward in a way that supports our students and helps our FIU continue to be the Worlds Ahead institution we know and love. We showed how strong we are when we work together and support each other to build something great!

Homecoming 2013 exceeded our expectations. Thank you, FIU family! I can’t wait until next year!

Sincerely,

Mark B. Rosenberg

President