Longboat Key residents celebrate two granddaughters' med school graduations

Families around the world celebrated the accomplishments of their up-and-coming kin, as outgoing students donned their stoles, tossed their caps, hugged their loved ones and made preparations to pursue their career dreams.

Longtime Longboat residents Anthony and Mabel Esposito celebrated twofold last week as two of their granddaughters graduated from medical school simultaneously, becoming the first doctors in their family.

Samantha Esposito graduated with honors from the Rush School of Medicine in Chicago and is heading off to pursue general surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. Stephanie Esposito graduated from the Central Michigan School of Medicine in Mount Pleasant and plans to join the OBGYN medical staff at Sparrow Hospital in Lancing, Michigan.

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Stephanie and Samantha are the daughters of David and Tracy and were born 12 months apart. They grew up primarily in Michigan and made frequent family trips to Longboat Key.

"We're just walking on air," Anthony said. "I remember saying to my wife when they first enrolled, 'They're going to be somebody.'"

He fondly recalls taking the family out for a day of fun at the Holidome, spending afternoons playing basketball, picking up pizza at Danny's Pizzeria in Bradenton, and teaching the kids how to drive on quiet streets.

Anthony, 82, and Mabel, 83, have lived on the Key since the 1970s. They have been happy to support their granddaughters along their academic journey, even if a trip included a nap or two while they recovered in the Floridian sunshine from the many hours spent studying for exams. Of course, Mabel's home-baked cookies and brownies always helped with healing as well.

Samantha, who graduated on May 3, said she always appreciated the pleasant meals and conversation that awaited them.

She majored in health science and received the Arthur Dean Bevan award. Samantha said she appreciated reaching a point in her education where she could be learning from those who were more experienced and sharing what she had learned so far with those newer to the program.

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Stephanie graduated on May 9, and all 97 medical students in her class matched into residency programs.

Samantha said she found it especially meaningful to get to celebrate this accomplishment alongside her sister.

"She's been my guiding light this whole time," she said. "Anything Steph did, I had to follow."

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She continued, "We were on the same track in med school, and it was great to get to vent about classic problems that another med student would understand. It was great to be together along the journey."

The pair grew up familiar with the medical field, considering their father is the chief executive officer at ONL Therapeutics and a former executive director with Merck pharmaceutical manufacturing, among other roles. But they are proud to become the first doctors in the Esposito family.

"Our dad always said he could see us walking down the hospital hallways in our white coats one day," Samantha added.

Anthony and Mabel attended both graduation ceremonies.

"They're just terrific young women, and we were so glad to celebrate with them," he said, adding that it was "refreshing" to see many young women among the graduates.

Samantha added, "They've been our biggest supporters the whole time. Anytime something came up, they were only a phone call away. I love them so much, and this wouldn't have been possible without them."