Simone Garvey-Ewan

When she was in the fourth grade, Simone Garvey-Ewan left her home in Jamaica and moved to Jacksonville, Florida – a whole new world for her. Raised by a single mother, her family struggled with financial challenges and almost lost their home to foreclosure.

But Simone has always found strength in her mother’s wise words – that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

Simone started her journey at FIU as a biology major, to fulfill a dream of becoming an OB-GYN. Simone soon realized it was not the right path for her.

Her friend suggested she consider public relations – believing it would be a good fit for her strong writing skills – and Simone chose to explore the field through an internship. She fell in love. Suddenly, her future became clear.

Simone went above and beyond. A full-time student, working part time, she repeatedly was named to the dean’s list and will be graduating with a 3.8 GPA.

In 2014, she joined the American Marketing Association (AMA). Quickly rising through the ranks, she went from junior account executive to co-director of Roaring Concept, AMA’s in-house marketing agency.

Today, Simone works remotely for JEA, an electric utility company in Jacksonville that she interned with and she will begin a full-time position with them upon graduation. She plans to continue her studies in communications at FIU and one day become a professor.