LAKELAND, Fla. — A Lakeland mother of seven graduated from Keiser University and was honored as her class's valedictorian.
Ashley Payne put on her cap and gown and addressed her fellow classmates at 6 p.m. Friday, at the Youkey Theater in Lakeland. She's no stranger to the stage, though. Payne was valedictorian at her Families of Faith Christian Academy High School graduation ceremony back in 2006.
She graduated as a registered nurse with a bachelor's degree in science and nursing. Payne said her family has been the backbone of her entire journey and even spoke about them in her speech.
On her first day of class in 2019, Payne said her oldest daughter, Lorelai, who was 9 years old at the time, sent her to school with a note that said, "Aim for the moon, if you miss, you may hit a star."
That message stuck with Payne throughout her journey to becoming a registered nurse.
"If she can realize the vast opportunities this world has to offer, so can you," Payne said in a statement from Keiser University.
After graduation, Payne plans to earn her Master of Science degree in Nurse-Midwifery at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota.