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“Not many people get to say that their dad is in college with them.”

Even fewer can say they helped inspire their dad to go back to college—and fewer still can say he joined them at the same school, in the same field.

For Sofia Speranza ’27, her college experience isn’t just about earning a degree—it’s about continuing a family legacy of service. And for a time, she got to do it side by side with her dad.

Not many people get to say that their dad is in college with them. ����Ǵھ���

Nursing wasn’t the original plan for either Sofia or her father, Frank. "Nursing was not something that I always knew I would want to do," Sofia says. What they did know—what they always knew—was that they wanted to help people. "Throughout my whole childhood, I knew I wanted to help people,” she explains.

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That spirit of service runs deep in Sofia’s family. “I grew up with parents who both committed their lives to public service," she says. Her father was a police officer. Her mother is a special education teacher, and her sister is pursuing an education degree as well. Her grandmother owned a daycare and was a nurse. Her grandfather was a mailman who left a legacy in his hometown as a beloved Boy Scout troop leader. “Even though he passed away almost 16 years ago, people still know him by name, because he would help anyone.”

Sofia chose a different but equally service-driven path: healthcare.

As she explored nursing programs, Pace stood out for one major reason—she could get started on her nursing education right away. “Any state school you go to, you get in as a pre-nursing major for two years,” she explains. “Then you take an exam and if you don’t pass, you don’t get into the nursing program and you’ve wasted two years. Pace is direct admit.”

Throughout my whole childhood, I knew I wanted to help people ����Ǵھ���

As Sofia was exploring her future, her father Frank was contemplating his own. “My dad had been retired from law enforcement for a while and he kind of lost that sense of purpose," Sofia says. "It was sad to watch because he did other things after retiring, but they weren't necessarily in a field of directly helping people the way he wanted."

After retiring from law enforcement, Frank spent a few years as a stay-at-home dad to Sofia and her twin sister, Anya. As the sisters began their college search, Frank joined Sofia at a Pace Open House. “I sat through the Lienhard School of Nursing presentation and I was just struck,” he recalls. “What I gleaned about nursing was that it's this balance of physical work and intellectual achievement. And it really spoke to me.”

It was a simple, everyday moment that pushed him to take the leap. “We were in the Sam’s Club parking lot,” Sofia recounts. “He asked me in the car what I thought he should do, if going to school for nursing was a good idea? I told him to do it.”

I wanted to succeed for me. I wanted to be a role model for my daughters.
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Frank began working on earning the credits he needed online while Sofia started her first year at Pace. He officially joined her on campus during the spring semester. Though Sofia was pursuing her four-year nursing degree and Frank was in the accelerated degree program, she says it was still fun to be able to share the college experience with her father. "Now, even after he’s graduated, all of his professors are now my professors. They all knew me before I was even with them."

As the oldest student in his cohort, Frank felt driven to succeed. “I wanted to succeed for me. I wanted to be a role model for my daughters. And honestly, as I was there longer, for the other students in the program,” he says. “You can really reinvent yourself. I was able to do that, and faculty like Elizabeth Berro, PhD, the head of the program, really encouraged it.”

I want to create generational inspiration. —F�����԰�

Frank graduated in December 2024 and is already working as a nurse at St. Lukes Cornwall Hospital. According to him, everyone in his cohort passed the NCLEX exam and began work as a nurse. He says education at Pace really set him apart. “Pace has a great reputation. I was hired with nine other nurses at my job,” he says. “I’ve seen others in our onboarding class struggle. They're not confident in their abilities. I think the education and support I got made all the difference… My education and clinical experience are paying massive dividends.”

Speaking of dividends, Frank’s decision to get his degree was a risk, especially with two children also pursuing their own college education, but it’s one that has paid off. “It’s a huge investment,” he says. “But nursing is the kind of job where I got hired at over $100,000 a year, with no experience other than school.” And Pace’s accelerated program helped him get that return on investment sooner. “The accelerated program is a gift. It gets you through fast but prepares you exceptionally well,” he says. “It was transformative. I love it, and I’d recommend it to anyone.”

And, of course, the best part was that he got to have the experience alongside his daughter. “Being there with Sofia, I felt accountable. I couldn’t tell her to do her best if I gave up,” says Frank. “She pinned me at my pinning ceremony. That was beautiful. Pace creates that kind of world.”

My dad’s a helper, he always has been. He raised me like that. I’m a helper too.
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Frank hopes to keep growing and learning in his new profession and for his journey to be a reminder to his daughters to continue the family legacy of service. “I want to create generational inspiration,” he explains. “My law enforcement career wasn’t always easy. It took a toll on me and my family. Now, I’ve rebuilt. I'm moving forward. I’m excited.”

For Sofia, sharing college with her father was something rare and unforgettable. “I wouldn’t change it for anything,” she says. “Being able to watch him now in a career field that he was meant to do—the path was a little not direct, sure, but it led him to where he was supposed to be. In return, it led me to where I was supposed to be too.”

And as for family legacy? “My dad’s a helper, he always has been. He raised me like that. I’m a helper too.”