AIU Online's 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient

Ana Carolina Lanuza

Hometown: Miami, Florida
Degree Earned: ASCJ, BJCJ, Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Specializations: Forensic Science; International Business
Graduation: 2009

American InterContinental University (AIU) Online is proud to announce that Ana Carolina Lanuza has been awarded the AIU Distinguished Alumni Award at the 2013 graduation ceremony at Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois.

Ana Carolina Lanuza is the owner of Leverage Investigations, Inc., which is located in Miami, Florida. She is a bilingual Licensed Florida Private Investigator with experience in criminal defense, background investigation, missing persons- especially children, skip-tracing, infidelity, surveillance & identity theft protection, detection, restoration, and investigation.

In 2008, Ana earned her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Forensic Science, graduating Magna Cum Laude from AIU Online. At the time, it was her second degree from AIU. Today, she has earned a total of three degrees from AIU.

Growing up, school was very difficult for Ana. She suffered from Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.). Having A.D.D. was very difficult for her because she would have to reread all her homework many times to understand what she was reading which became incredibly frustrating. She wasn’t able to focus or concentrate and was in remedial classes for reading. Ana would wake up at 5:30 AM on exam days to study because she found she was most able to concentrate at that time.

After graduating high school in 2001, she attended her local community college in Miami. After a year, she flunked out due to lack of attendance and because she felt that the professors didn’t care about her success in school. She remembers the day she came home and told her parents that she wasn’t going back to college. “I know that day was a horrible day for my parents, as well as for me,” she says.

It wasn’t until 2006, when she realized she needed a degree if she wanted to get ahead in life and excel in her profession. That’s when she discovered there was an online university where she could attend classes and work on assignments when it was most convenient for her.

"AIU made my dreams of going back to school a reality. I remember signing up for my first class for my Associate degree and time flew by until I received my Master’s degree. AIU made it so easy to focus by offering classes in five week periods. I would only have to focus on one or two classes at a time, depending on the degree. The professors at AIU were very caring and were always available to answer my questions. They cared about my success."

"AIU was the perfect fit for me. I could work and attend school without interrupting my work schedule. I never even imagined completing my Master’s degree, but after enjoying my time so much at AIU, I decided to go back and give myself the value of more education."

In 2009, Ana graduated with an MBA in International Business. During her time at AIU, Ana was also working full-time. She worked as a secretary for a small boutique law firm and also as a private investigation intern. In 2010, just one year after receiving her Master’s degree, Ana opened her own private investigation agency, handling a wide range of investigations. The agency and investigators are also known for giving back to the community by rescuing missing children pro bono.

American InterContinental University cannot guarantee employment, salary, or career advancement. The experience of this alumnus may not be representative of all students.