Albert Moreno III has be chosen as USF St. Petersburg's Outstanding Graduate. However, Moreno said this is an achievement he has a hard time grasping. 

  • 30-year-old student chosen as USF St. Petersburg's Outstanding Graduate
  • Albert Moreno III graduated college after stuggling with depression and time in prison
  • Moreno said his troubles helped turn his life around

"I have mixed emotions about being selected," Moreno said.

Moreno's family, however, has no doubt as to why USF St. Pete though the college student stood out. 

"My brother's come a long way," said Moreno's brother, Derek. 

Moreno, 30, has overcome many struggles to get his cap and gown. 

Before attending USF St. Petersburg, Moreno enrolled in the Army. The solider was injured and discharged while training in the infantry. 

Moreno never went to war, but the rest of his squad did. They died in a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2007 and it left Moreno feeling incredibly guilty. 

“I let myself get incredibly low to where I was playing Russian Roulette, I was cutting my throat,” Moreno said. “I just didn’t want to be here. My friends, my roommates, they were dead and I didn’t think I should be alive.”

Moreno said that guilt led him to even more poor decisions. 

He spent four years in prison after pleading guilty to child abuse. The sentence stemmed from a relationship he had with a teenage girl.

Moreno said he regrets that time in his life, but the troubles helped turn his life around. 

“Honestly, going to prison saved my life,” Moreno said. “It wasn’t fun, but it saved my life. It gave me a new sense of direction and purpose.”

Moreno went on to enroll in college and put his head in the books. He was even elected Senator in student government at USF St. Petersburg.

Moreno also works with the Military Veterans Success Center on campus. He is helping them create a mentoring program for student veterans.

“If I had something like that, maybe things would have been different,” Moreno said.

Although Moreno still battles the demons of his past, he looks forward to his future as a father and an outstanding graduate.

His message to others is, “Life is as good as you want it to be.”