Families that Learn Together,
GRADUATE TOGETHER
By Jo-Ann Johnston and Mary McCoy
It’s hard to dispute the influence that family can have on
one’s life. Common habits and hobbies develop over time,
and traditions—new and old—become a way of life.
The natural desire for families to do things together
makes it unsurprising that many often choose to
learn together, too. Each year, Saint Leo serves as
the choice university for myriad families. There are
generations who have studied here and others who have
gone to school together at the same time.
In this story, we profile just some of Saint Leo’s family
connections.
Family overcomes obstacles to achieve
education goals
Family plays a pivotal role in the lives of Mercy and Luis
Figueroa, of Spring Hill, FL. The couple juggled military
deployments, work, family commitments, and studying
while earning their degrees at Saint Leo.
“My story starts rough, but ends in the American
dream,” Mercy said.
Mercy was born in Havana, Cuba, where her father was
held as a political prisoner. Helped by the Catholic Church,
her family made their way first to Spain and then to New
York, leaving Cuba when Mercy was a toddler.
“The Catholic Church has been involved in my whole
life,” she said. “It’s pretty awesome I got to go to Saint Leo.”
She grew up in Brooklyn while Luis grew up in the
Bronx. “I took a long train ride to find a boyfriend,” she
said. “He was a tall football player with a lot of hair, but I
destroyed all the hair!”
Luis joined the U.S. Army first and then encouraged
Mercy to get involved. She served in the Army for four
years until her daughter Gabby was born prematurely at
24 weeks with cerebral palsy and other health issues.
“She decided as much as she loved the military, she
loved her daughter more,” Luis said, and Mercy left the
Army to care for Gabby.
10 FALL 18 Spirit Magazine
Mercy transitioned from active duty military to being a
supportive military spouse. Luis, a staff sergeant, left active
duty in October 2014, and retired from the military this
summer. He was often deployed, and Mercy took care not
only of Gabby, but also sons Isaac, who is a junior at Saint
Leo, and Connor, a high school senior. “We adopted Connor
from the foster care system,” Mercy said.
Luis was stationed in Fort Lewis, WA, and while deployed
in Iraq, he read about Saint Leo. “It piqued my interest,” he
said. “Then I came down here and realized the campus was
close to the family home in Spring Hill.” In 2011, he began
his first semester at Saint Leo, but again was deployed on a
high-priority mission and had to take a break. But in fall 2014,
he started again and never turned back.
Mercy tried to go to college “a million times,” she said.
“Once I got Gabby medically stable, I started.” Luis encouraged
her to join him at Saint Leo, and she earned her
associate degree in 2016.
The university felt like home. “Once I heard about Saint
Leo’s history, the diversity and inclusion, at a time when they
didn’t have to accept other races, cultures, that is what made
me love it,” Mercy said. “There are people from everywhere
at Saint Leo. It is such a great place.”
The Figueroas not only have son Isaac studying at Saint
Leo, but Mercy’s sister, Heavenly Aguilar, graduated with
honors with a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justicecriminalistics
at the Tampa commencement ceremony on
May 31. She now is pursuing a master’s degree.
Mercy graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of
Arts degree in criminal justice-criminalistics, while Luis also
graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree
in business administration-technology management.
For Mercy, what’s next is pursuing a law degree at the
University of Mississippi School of Law, while Luis will complete
his MBA at Saint Leo in December.