Flores Family Feels the Pride

L to R: Jordan Mullins-Flores, Taylor Mullins-Flores, Courtney Mullins-Flores, Walter Flores & Pamela Mullins

A study in educational tradition is best exemplified by the Flores family: Jordan Mullins-Flores, 20, is a sophomore currently attending FIU as an accounting major. Not too long ago, his sister Courtney Mullins-Flores ’04 graduated with a degree in marketing and a minor in hospitality and tourism management, while their father Walter Flores received his degree in hospitality and tourism management in 1985.

Needless to say, the Flores family likes FIU – and they feel the pride.

Memories past and present
Today, Courtney works as a sales associate for International Sales Group, a company that handles sales and marketing for real estate developers. Looking back on her years at FIU, she said the university prepared her well for the business world and remembered volunteering at the South Beach Food & Wine Festival for one of her hospitality classes.

“I feel it was a great learning experience and it was also a lot of fun,” she said. “And, of course, graduating from the school my father graduated from made for a great memory.”

Jordan shares his sister’s enthusiasm.

“Going to my sister’s and father's alma mater is pretty cool,” he said. “I always wanted to go to FIU because it's close to home, which for me is nice, and it's the best school in the world.”

Of his days at FIU, Walter remembers how he was older when he graduated and how much he enjoyed the relationship he had with the younger students. “The way FIU helped me,” he added, “was that it made understanding my business and doing my job much easier.”

Supporting the community and the Golden Panthers
Walter’s business is the Golden Rule Seafood Market in Palmetto Bay, a family owned and operated business that has been at the same address for 58 years and a place that, as they say, will hook you on the finest and freshest seafood around.

Recently, Golden Rule was the title sponsor of the Second Annual Deering Seafood Festival on the Bay, at the Deering Estate at Cutler, an event that saw Walter put to good use the skills he learned while a student FIU “to make sure that everything [ran] fine.”

The Festival included food such as paella, lobster bisque, myriad seafood and desserts from a variety of food vendors and restaurants, as well as ongoing musical entertainment and stage performances. All in all, it was quite a family affair.

Keeping things in the family for the Floreses, both Courtney and son Jordan (who is Golden Rule’s store manager), as well as Walter’s wife Pamela (a University of Miami graduate – can we forgive her?), participated in the Festival.

(Son Taylor, 16, a high school sophomore, was also there. Time will tell if he will become a Golden Panther, too.)

In addition to the Festival, Walter has participated in the first three annual FIU Alumni Association fishing tournaments, winning several trophies, and is already planning for the next tournament this June. Golden Rule and Walter’s family have also been long-time banner-sponsors of the university’s baseball team.

--Martin Haro

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