Today, three victims of the Pulse terror attack were honored at an emotional graduation ceremony. All three victims were working toward degrees at the Orlando Campus of the Ana g. Mendez University System. Family members gathered, sitting in the first few rows at a ceremony, heartbroken to receive posthumous degrees of their loved ones.
“I feel very proud of him because he was an amazing person,” said Bienvenido Aracena.
Bienvenido is the father of 26 year old Oscar Aracena Montero, who was enrolled in the business administration program.
Oscar’s body will be taken back to the Dominican Republic for burial
“He was a hard worker, he had a lot of dream… a lot of dreams,” stated Bienvenido.
The two other students whose dreams were cut short were 31 year old Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez and 26 year old Gilberto Silva Menendez.
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Gilberto’s best friend, Wilda Olivo accepted his degree in behalf of his mother who is in Puerto Rico at his burial.
Gilberto called Wilda about 45 minutes before the shooting and told her he planned to dance all night.
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University leaders say the loss of the students have shaken not just their campus in Orlando but also their main campus in Puerto Rico.
The system decided to honor the victims by giving their families this moment and the degree their loved one were working hard for but never lived to see.
Cox Media Group
