ASSOCIATE DEAN AND RANDOLPH B. MAHONEY DIRECTOR
Nina Multak, Ph.D., MPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA
Graduation from the UF School of PA Studies is a big achievement, and your graduation comes at a turning point in our lives. I wish we could give all of you the graduation you deserve. I wish we could give all your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends and significant others the chance to hear your name announced and see you walk across the stage and receive your diploma. I wish we could gather afterward together, take pictures and celebrate what you’ve accomplished. In all likelihood, you’ve gained something more important than any of that. As individuals you know something powerful — that you have been challenged, and you did not falter. You kept going. Although you’re entering a very different workforce and world from the one you expected, it’s a world that needs you. My message to you should include a bit of wisdom passed to you as new graduates, and here it is: Nothing in life is better than being needed. I know, and those close to you know, that you are ready. Class of 2020, show us not how to put the pieces back together again but how to create a new and more evolved normal. You have the power to stand for and fight for healthier conditions that will create a healthier society. This moment is your invitation to use your education to begin to apply the best of what you’ve learned in your head and felt in your heart. I want to congratulate you on becoming Gator PAs! We are very proud of your accomplishments and excited for your future!
Assistant Professor
Petar Breitinger, MPAS, PA-C
To the Class of 2020: Never has there been a class that has been through so much adversity and graduated with the strength of a Gator. You will all be amazing PAs and I am proud to call you colleague as well as a Gator PA.
Assistant Professor
Elizabeth A. Brownlee, MPAS, PA-C
Class of 2020, this has been a unique ending to your time at the School of PA Studies, but regardless, you’ve made it! I’m proud of all of you and happy to call you “colleague.” Be kind to everyone. I will miss you all! Congratulations.
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR & CLINICAL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Shalon R. Buchs, M.H.S., PA-C
You’ve made it, class of 2020! With all of the references made to your graduation year when you first began two years ago, we never could have imagined what it would actually bring… yet you all have pressed on despite the challenges and shown true resilience. While your time at UF’s PA school has had its ups and downs, recall the truth that “difficult journeys lead to beautiful destinations.” I know you all are off to great things and I am so proud of you! I wish you the best, class of 2020! I’ll never forget you, your ability to bend and what we all have come through together!
Assistant Professor & Medical director
Jason S. Fromm, M.D.
Class of 2020, you have always been able to call me out on my dad jokes, and you were even in class with me when I first found out about my son. He and I wanted to send you a message on your special graduation day. Harrison has been studying hard in the baby medical book you gave him. I know how hard you all have been working to complete your exams, boards and final requirements. We are all so proud of all you have accomplished and happy to have you as colleagues. Congratulations!
CLINICAL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Breann L. Garbas, DHSc., PA-C
Class of 2020, today I say farewell to you as students and welcome you as colleagues. It has been an honor to watch you grow for the past two years as clinicians and become ready to take on the mantle of provider. Today you will leave here and go on to your new lives all over the country. You will have so many chances to make a difference in the lives of every single patient you encounter. Each patient is a mother, a father, a sister, a brother. Treat them as if they are your family member. Continue to learn every day, as this career is the greatest privilege of your life. Congratulations on this incredible accomplishment. I am so very proud of each of you.
CLINICAL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Travis Grant, M.S., PA-C
Class of 2020, though abbreviated for me personally, thank you all for allowing me to be part of your journey to becoming a PA. I’ve especially had the pleasure of seeing my advisor group grow, and it has only left me wishing I had had the opportunity to better get to know your class in its entirety. Through personal interactions in addition to the thoughts and feelings expressed by my fellow faculty members, it is obvious that you are a very special group with the capability of exciting future professional endeavors ahead. Thank you and wishing you the best!
CLINICAL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Thao D. Jinwright, MPAS
Congratulations, class of 2020! You have faced challenges with grace and determination. Your journey has been historic and we couldn’t be prouder of the goals you have accomplished. We are looking forward to a brighter future with you leading the way in health care!
William M. Hall Associate Professor & Director of Admissions
Pamela Patton, PA-C, M.S.P., DFAAPA
Students come and go, but inevitably, each earns a special place in my heart along the way of their journey. For you, the process began when I reviewed your winning ‘ticket’ three years ago. Your uniqueness and outstanding potential spoke to me. At that first time of acquaintance, your achievements to date pointed to quality and promise. I was able to visualize you as a Gator reaping from our UF PA school family and brand of education. Most importantly, your credentials and the testimony of others on your behalf spoke to your qualified abilities and attributes needed to ensure success as a student and future provider to be entrusted with the medical care of others. Each of you has lived up to the ideals our great program has held you to, and now at the end of your training and student existence, my heart and mind know with certainty that each of you will grace the lives of your patients in a very big way. Furthermore, the incredible physician assistant profession will benefit and move onward and upward because of you! Where you are now and what lies ahead for you makes me a very proud and very happy PA parent! I am honored to know each one of you, and I wish you the very, very best!
CLINICAL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Melissa K. Turley, Pharm.D., MPAS, PA-C
Congratulations to the UF School of PA Studies Class of 2020! As you celebrate this momentous occasion of completing your formal education, I encourage you to reflect on the journey that brought you to this point. Remember how a generous and selfless donation taught you not only anatomy but also humility and gratitude. Recall how countless hours of reading and studying translated into robust clinical knowledge and skills. Reflect on the honor bestowed on you when you donned your white coat. Think back to a preceptor who inspired you to become a better caregiver and a patient who has left a mark on your heart that you will not forget. Now, pause and acknowledge these accomplishments. You made it – you are a physician assistant, a clinician and, I am proud to say, my peer. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” – Eleanor Roosevelt
