Four @CanesHoops Seniors to Graduate
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Four Hurricanes men’s basketball student-athletes – Rion Brown, Justin Heller, Donnavan Kirk and Erik Swoope – are scheduled to take part in the University of Miami Commencement ceremonies from May 8-10 at the Bank United Center.
In Coach Jim Larrañaga’s first three seasons with the Hurricanes, 13 seniors have earned their degree from the University of Miami.
Rion Brown, from Hinesville, Ga., will earn his BSEd degree in sports administration with a minor in sociology. He was the 35th member of the Hurricanes’ 1,000-point club, and was the eighth-best scorer in the ACC averaging 16.1 points per game. He is tied for seventh on Miami’s all-time list for 3-pointers made and scored 20 or more points in 10 games as a senior.
A local product from Boca Raton, Justin Heller majored in finance with a minor in sports administration at the U. He walked on to the basketball team as a freshman in 2010 and in in his final semester wearing orange and green, he was put on scholarship. He was named a Book Buster and to the Athletic Directors Honor Roll as a freshman and was named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll as a junior.
After starting his career at Miami, Donnavan Kirk transferred to DePaul, where he earned his undergraduate degree in marketing with an emphasis in sales leadership. Upon returning to Miami, Kirk has earned his MSEd in community and social change. Kirk, from Pontiac, Mich., suited up for 48 games over three seasons as a Cane and averaged a career-best 7.5 points per game this season. He was named to the 2014 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Men’s Basketball team.
Erik Swoope will graduate this May with a BBA in economics. As a senior, the native of Lake Elsinore, Calif., had his dunks featured on SportsCenter’s top-10 plays more than once this season. A member of the ACC All-Academic Basketball team in 2011, his was a key returning player from last season, averaging career-highs in scoring, assists, and rebounds in his final season at The U.
Fellow senior Garrius Adams graduated in June of 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in sports administration and is currently working on a second undergraduate degree in sociology. He was the only Hurricane to start every game this season, was top-three on the team in points scored, steals and assists and set or tied career highs in nine statistical categories in his final season.
Teammate Raphael Akpejiori will graduate in May 2015 with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mechanical engineering. He was named to the 2013 All-ACC Academic Team, ACC Academic Honor Roll, Book Buster, Athletic Directors Honor Roll and the Dean’s List for a GPA over 3.5. He has also been awarded a postgraduate scholarship for his distinction in the classroom and on the court.
This spring more than 3,500 University of Miami undergraduate and graduate students will begin a new chapter in their lives by graduating to new careers or graduate school, among other adventures. During Commencement ceremonies, which mark the launch of a new era in the lives of students, graduates from all of UM’s schools and colleges will be recognized by name and will walk across the stage to be congratulated by President Donna E. Shalala and their academic dean. With research papers, labs and final exams completed, these students will go on to embark on new journeys. According to a survey conducted by the UM Toppel Career Center on graduating students from last year (May 2013), 62 percent had full-time job offers within six months of graduation, with an average base annual starting salary of $47,700. Roughly 28 percent of that same graduating class enrolled in graduate school. The UM Commencement ceremony is open to graduates and their guests. For more information, visit www.miami.edu/commencement, where the ceremony will be webcast live and archived.
