700 Broward Community College students to participate in graduation ceremony

Craig Carr and his mom Kimmarie Carr will graduate from BCC together on May 6.


Two of the 700 Broward Community College graduates who will walk across the stage of the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise during commencement ceremonies on Tues., May 6 at 7 p.m. are Kimmarie Carr, 46, and her son Craig, 22, of Pembroke Pines. Kim took her first class at BCC in 1979, years before Craig was born and it has taken her until now to complete her AA degree. She has been accepted to Florida International University. Craig finished in two years and will going on for a B.A. at the University of South Florida. Kim, also a BCC employee, is a bookstore specialist on the A. Hugh Adams Central Campus in Davie.

“I could have finished in December,” Kim said, “but I thought, wouldn’t it be awesome if we graduated together? It’s taken me 25 years of one class, two classes, three classes. It’s something I always wanted, but I wanted to take care of the family first. I have told my son over and over again how important an education is.”

Craig says that his mother influenced him and “helped keep me in line.” He also said that he learned from her example that he didn’t want to have to go back to school when he was older. And how does he feel about sharing the stage with his mother at graduation? “Actually, I’m kind of excited about it,” he said. They will also share the limelight at the party for 35 family members and friends afterwards.

About 2,190 BCC students are eligible to graduate this Spring. One of them, who might be sharing the stage with the Carrs is Shazia Akhtar, 37, a physician from Pakistan who had to start over when she came to the U.S. with her family. Akhtar, who lives in Hollywood, has completed a two-year program in sonography and will be looking for a job after graduation. Her husband, also a doctor in Pakistan, has been training for seven years to become an M.D. here. “It’s a long process, Akhtar said. “One of us had to be there for the children.” The Akhtars have three children, one of whom has developmental disabilities.

“It’s a wonderful program,” Akhtar said. “Especially for sonography, I think BCC is the best school in South Florida. She chose this field, she said, “because it looks closest to my past career as an OB/GYN.”