Claudia and Francisco Vazquez moved their family from New Jersey to Tampa with the goal of providing their three sons access to a top university. Their commitment has been recognized by the University of South Florida (USF), which named them the 2025 Family of the Year.
The award, given annually by USF’s Parent & Family Engagement office, honors families who demonstrate support, pride, and dedication to student success.
Two of the Vazquez children are currently enrolled at USF. Francisco, the eldest son, is pursuing his second master’s degree in the Vinik Sport & Entertainment Management Program after completing both a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s in entrepreneurship in applied technologies. Enzo, the middle son, is a sophomore majoring in business advertising at the Muma College of Business. Claudia Vazquez also participated in Muma programming and earned a certificate. The youngest son, Ian, is considering attending USF as he finishes high school.
“I’m very proud to be a USF student,” Enzo said. “My entire family is proud to be Bulls.”
The decision to move was driven by their assessment that USF would provide strong opportunities for their children. “We had one goal in mind when we decided to come to Florida – find the best fit for our children’s college education,” Claudia said. “After touring a few campuses, USF was our family’s school of choice. We absolutely fell in love with it.”
Francisco Vazquez Sr., who works as a physician, compared various universities using spreadsheets before concluding that USF ranked highest on all measures they considered.
“No matter how he ranked them, USF was always at the top,” Francisco Jr. said.
Both brothers chose campus housing despite living close by because they wanted full engagement with university life.
“USF is such a big part of our family,” Francisco Jr. said, “and has become a second home for all of us.”
Claudia expressed appreciation for what being part of the university community means: “Being a USF family has given us countless memories and reasons to be proud,” she said. “In return, we have encouraged our children to give their best to the university, to represent USF with integrity and to carry the Bull spirit into everything they do.”
The Family of the Year initiative coincides with Family Weekend each fall on USF’s Tampa campus and highlights families who actively contribute to student achievement and campus life.
