March - The SDES Archive - University of Central Florida

Keeping Students
Informed and Connected
Upcoming Self-Discovery
Knights Schedule
The Counseling Center offers students
the Self-Discovery Knights series on topics
concerning personal development and selfimprovement. The following presentations
will be held in the Student Union, Key
West–218A, 7-8:30 p.m.
• March 7 – Why Do We Stay Stuck in
Unhealthy Relationships
• March 21 – Attachment: Ways to
Choose the Right or Wrong Relationship
• March 28 – Relationships That End:
How to Deal with Break-Ups and
Make-Ups
• April 4 – Finding the Love You Want/
Keeping the Love You Have
• April 11 – Let’s Go Out/Let’s Stay In
How to Survive and Thrive in an
Extrovert/Introvert Relationship
For more information, call Andrew Blair or
visit: www.counseling.sdes.ucf.edu.
Fitness Certificates Offered
Through Workshops
On February 11-13, the Recreation
and Wellness Center (RWC) hosted
the Aerobics and Fitness Association of
America (AFAA) workshop. The AFAA,
founded in 1983, offers certifications in the
most up-to-date fitness trends to certified
fitness professionals and those interested
in becoming a certified fitness professional.
The workshop included certification
courses in the following: Primary Group
Exercise, Personal Trainer Certification,
Yoga Essentials- Part III, Kickboxing
Certification, The Wave Workout
Certification, Metabolic Connection to
Obesity, Injury Prevention/Exercise Program
and Midlife Fitness for Women.
Through fitness coordinator Kimberly
Halliday’s planning and coordination
with the AFAA, four free seats in each
certification were offered to the RWC
Group Exercise program instructors. These
free seats allow the instructors a variety
of professional development opportunities
while helping them gain the necessary
CEU’s (Continuing Education Units) to
maintain their fitness certifications.
The workshop was offered to the
UCF community and the general public.
Approximately 350 participants were in
attendance, which surpassed the previous
year’s attendance.
Please submit your April 2005 UKnighted newsletter
articles to jpardo@mail.ucf.edu by March 15.
Peer Advisors left to right: Alex Nehme, Crystal Espinosa, Cathy
Longa and Sandi Bednarz (Not pictured: Meltrice Richardson)
Students Helping Students
The new First Year Advising and
Exploration (FYAE) staff additions have
an expert view on what students want from
their advisors–they’re students too.
To better meet the needs of the firstyear student population, in the fall of 2004
FYAE trained five students from different
majors and class standings to serve as Peer
Advisors. With the addition of these new
Peer Advisors, many more first-year students
were able to receive assistance.
The Peer Advisors are able to help
the students prepare for their meetings
with the advisors, assist during outreach
programming and present at workshops.
One Peer Advisor was assigned to help with
the office’s Pegasus Landing initiative. In
the spring, these Peer Advisors will be an
integral part of the transient process for
FYAE, and will continue to aid students in
understanding how to read degree audits
and the Undergraduate Catalog.
The program is coordinated by Meena
Datta, academic advisor, who sees positive
benefits of this program not only for the
advisees, but also for the Peer Advisors. She
believes that the Peer Advisors will develop
their interpersonal communication skills and
professionalism, as well as possibly establish
professional contacts on campus.
Datta, who led the Peer Advisors through
eight training sessions in areas such as:
team-building, advising policies and
procedures, and workshop development, is
hopeful that the program will grow in scope
and reputation. “We’ve selected a dynamic
group of students who help us figure out
what students need,” says Datta.
For more information, call 407.823.3789.
On February 1, the Orange County Fire
and Rescue Department (OCFRD) responded
to a call in front of the Student Union. . .
a call to spread fire safety, prevention
and response information.
Robert Kelly from OCFRD coordinated
several firefighters to be present to talk with
interested students. The campaign provided
over 1,000 students with prevention tips,
smoke detector information and temporary
OCFRD logo tattoos, just to name a few
distributed materials.
Two students won prizes for creating fire
safety posters. Maria Mertens won first
place and received a gift certificate to the
Olive Garden. David Givens won second
place and received a fire extinguisher. The
campaign was a collaborative effort between
LINK, Off-Campus Student Services,
Environmental Health and Safety, and
Orange County Fire and Rescue Department.
Other February events included a program
outlining student success in large classes held
at Pegasus Pointe and a Pre-Spring Break
Luau held at the Village at Alafaya Club.
The March schedule is as follows:
• March 3 at 6 p.m. – “What Do
You Want To Be When You Grow
Up?” presented by Career Services
and Experiential Learning (CSEL) at
Riverwind Apartments.
• March 29 at 5:30 p.m. – Mega-Advising
Session facilitated by First-Year Advising
and Exploration at The Gatherings
Apartments.
These events are just a few that resulted
from a brainstorming session in January
of SDES offices and the UCF Police
Department, collaborating to reach students
living in off-campus communities. Watch for
upcoming events in the following months.
March 2005
Volume VII, No. 9
First-Year Students Honored for their Academic Achievement
Nearly 300 first-year students were
honored for their outstanding academic
achievement for the fall 2004 semester
at the Learning and Interacting with
New Knights (LINK) First-Year Scholars
Reception on February 4. Over 1,500 firstyear students earned a 3.5 or higher GPA.
Each student, who attended the event,
received a Pegasus lapel pin and a certificate
of achievement in recognition of their
hard work. Over 200 parents and family
members attended the reception in support
of their first-year students.
The theme of the program centered on
the UCF CREED with an emphasis on
integrity and excellence. Students were
encouraged to reach out to other firstyear students, who may not have done as
well academically last semester, and offer
assistance in locating academic resources
and developing better study skills.
Maribeth Ehasz, interim vice president
for SDES, asked students to reflect on what
they did to bring them to this achievement,
but also what will they do next. “Success
in life happens when you know where to
take your next steps,” said Ehasz. Other
speakers included Rick Schell, dean of
Undergraduate Studies, Mark Allen Poisel,
interim associate vice president
of Academic Development and
Retention, and Sarah Fraden,
student, the top LINK Loot earner
last year and recipient of a $1,300
scholarship. Fraden currently serves
as a LINK Mentor.
Jeff Novak, assistant director for
Housing and Residence Life, offered
students 500 LINK Loot points if
they brought a student who had
never attended a LINK program.
Students earn LINK Loot by
attending LINK events and can use
the Loot at an auction at the end of
the semester to win prizes.
“We are very proud of the
academic accomplishments of our
first-year students and we are
excited to have the opportunity to
recognize their achievements,” said
Rebecca Morales, coordinator of the
LINK program.
LINK offers first-year students
programs and events to meet new
people and to get connected to UCF.
For more information, call
407.882.7005 or visit:
www.link.ucf.edu.
Left to right: Cristin Fitzpatrick, first-year student, and Michael
Fitzpatrick, father, display Cristin’s award of achievement
at the LINK reception.
Meet Sarah Fraden, LINK Mentor and Role Model
Robert Kelly, OCFRD, and Triscia Panarello, Housing
and Residence Life, displaying the first place winning
poster on the fire truck.
Sarah Fraden
is a second-year
student, who
participated in over
60 LINK programs
during her firstyear at UCF. Because of her involvement,
she not only won a scholarship, but also a
two-night stay at the Marriott. What is most
impressive is that in addition to attending
the numerous LINK events and earning a
3.9 GPA, Fraden was acknowledged by the
LINK program at the First-Year Scholars
Reception last year.
Fraden is currently employed by the LINK
program as a LINK Mentor. She serves as a
peer advisor and resource, as well as a role
model for all first-year students. During the
new student orientation, Fraden welcomes
students at the LINK Ice Cream Socials and
helps connect them with over 300 clubs and
organizations at UCF. In addition, Fraden
assists with the LINK’s program initiatives
throughout the year, including the Luau
and the First-Year Scholars Reception.
“Through the LINK program, I have been
able to help first-year scholars realize their
potential to grow academically, socially and
professionally,” says Fraden.
In addition to serving as a LINK
Mentor, Fraden is also involved in many
other co-curricular activities. She is a
LEAD Mentor, a member of Hillel and Pi
Beta Phi and is the communications vice
president for 4-Ever Knights.
“I was so impressed with Sarah that I
had to offer her a job as a LINK Mentor,”
said Rebecca Morales, coordinator of the
LINK program. “I wanted her to be able
to share her experiences and serve as
a source of inspiration for incoming
first-year students.”
S T U D E N T
D E V E L O P M E N T
Welcome Aboard
New SDES Employees
• Tyniesia Gandy, certified medical
assistant, Student Health Services
• Michelle Tano, coordinator, Student
Legal Services
SDES Division Changes
• Catherine Steel, new director for the
Counseling Center, came from the University
of CaliforniaRiverside where she
served as director
of the Counseling
Center, an associate
adjunct professor
in the Department
of Psychology and a
voluntary associate
clinical professor
Catherine Steel
in the Division of
Biomedical Sciences. Steel received her Ph.D.
in counseling psychology from the University
of Missouri-Columbia and is a licensed
psychologist in California.
Awards and Recognition
• Germayne Crow Graham, psychologist for
the Counseling Center, received a Certificate
of Appreciation from the UCF Chapter of the
National Association of the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP).
“Germayne has been a positive influence to
not only men and women of color, but to all,”
said D’Juana Miller, NAACP member. “She
has not only helped in the educational part of
our lives, but she has helped women with selfesteem and other personal issues that has made
them better individuals.”
• Larry Marks, psychologist for the
Counseling Center, and Rachael Riscinti,
undergraduate senior majoring in psychology,
have been awarded a Student Mentor
Academic Research Team (SMART) Grant.
Each will receive $1,000 to research
the impact of an “Improve Your Mood”
psychoeducational workshop on student
participants. The grant is administered by the
Burnett Honors College and the Office of
Research and Commercialization.
For more information on the SMART
program, visit: www.honors.ucf.edu/SMART_
main.html. Students, who are interested in
participating in the workshop, can contact the
Counseling Center at 407.823.2811 or visit the
Student Resource Center, room 203.
Presentations
• Mark Allen Poisel, interim associate vice
president for Academic Development and
A N D
E N R O L L M E N T
“ A D
S E R V I C E S
The UCF Creed
Retention, participated in a teleconference
panel “Facilitating Transfer Student Success:
Creating Effective Partnerships” in March
2005. The teleconference was sponsored by
the Center for the First Year Experience and
Students in Transition.
• Patricia Stuart, advanced registered
nurse practitioner, Student Health Services,
and Mary Lou Sole,
COPHA, presented
a study, in February,
titled “The Accuracy of
Web-Based Triage in a
College Health Setting”
at the Southern Nursing
Research Society in
Atlanta. Approximately
Patricia Stuart
500 conference members
were presented details about the proven
reliability of the 24/7 WebMed service, which
was introduced at UCF last year.
SARC Services Offered to
Students at Rosen
The Student Academic Resource Center
(SARC) is now offering academic support
services at the Rosen College of Hospitality
Management.
During this semester, Supplemental
Instruction sessions will be available to
approximately 50 students enrolled in
college algebra at the Rosen College
location. Supplemental Instruction leader
Jose Velez will hold sessions twice a week.
In addition, SARC tutor Katie Fisher will
be available once a week to assist students in
macroeconomics.
Mystery
SDES
Employee
Do you
know
who this
is?
The photo is from the early years of an
SDES employee. Can you guess who this
mystery person is? Find out if you are right
and visit: www.sdes.ucf.edu. First click on
Staff News and Information and then on
Mystery SDES Employee.
If you would like to submit an early
photo of yourself and be the next
Mystery SDES Employee, please email:
jpardo@mail.ucf.edu or call 407.823.2628.
Integrity, scholarship, community, creativity, and
excellence are the core values that guide our
conduct, performance and decisions.
INTEGRITY
I will practice and defend academic and
personal honesty.
SCHOLARSHIP
I will cherish and honor learning as a fundamental
purpose of my membership in the
UCF community.
COMMUNITY
I will promote an open and supportive campus
environment by respecting the rights and
contributions of every individual.
CREATIVITY
I will use my talents to enrich the
human experience.
EXCELLENCE
I will strive toward the highest standards of
performance in any endeavor I undertake.
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
SDES Council 2004 - 2005
Mission:
Strengthen communication among employees,
improve the general employee environment,
build affiliation among employees within division
and create awareness of the mission of Student
Development and Enrollment Services.
Sandra Bulger
Sophie Cortes-Thomas
sbulger@mail.ucf.edu
407.823.5825
scortes@mail.ucf.edu
407.823.3588
Jason Ellmyer
jellmyer@mail.ucf.edu
407.971.3521
If you have any
ideas, suggestions
or comments,
please contact a
SDES Council
member:
sdescoun@mail.ucf.edu.
Jeff Novak
Brenda Posey
jnovak@mail.ucf.edu
407.362.5138
bposey@mail.ucf.edu
407.823.5784
D
I
N
G
V A L U
E
T
O
T
H
E
U
C
F
E
LEAD Scholars will survey consumers’ donating practices.
scholars participated in a Valentine’s Day party
and a St. Patrick’s Day event at the Girls and
Boys Town.
“I’m excited to be a part of this project,” said
Devin Witherspoon, first-year LEAD Scholar.
“I love to be able to work with children. The
Girls and Boys Town is such an incredible
Jennifer Hartzler Wins Miss UCF Pageant
Every year, the Miss UCF 2005
pageant provides women with the
opportunity to win a scholarship,
showcase their talents and
experience leadership skills. This
year, 11 contestants competed for
the title of Miss UCF, but in the
end, Jennifer Hartzler emerged
as winner and was crowned Miss
UCF 2005. Hartzler is sophomore
majoring in economics and
minoring in political science.
“While Americans undoubtedly
live in the most fortunate country
in the world, many people still fail
to recognize their role as
community members and the
potential each has to affect
change,” says Hartzler. “It is
through my platform, Building
Jennifer Hartzler, holding a bouquet of flowers,
Community, that I am working to
was crowned Miss UCF 2005.
mobilize Americans to build their
(Photograph by Malcom Boston)
communities: at the local, state,
national and international levels.” According to Hartzler, she plans to
educate the public about the benefits of community and its development.
“I will foster citizens’ civic participation through two vehicles: the USA
Freedom Corps and Chambers of Commerce across the State of Florida.”
Some of her accomplishments include: projects coordinator for the
President’s Leadership Council, a student in the Burnett Honors College,
the top seller for “Student-on-Loan,” Town N Gown
student representative, and a member of the nationally
ranked competitive dance team, KnightMoves. In her
spare time, she is a dance instructor.
UCF had been part of Hartzler’s education and
development at a young age ever since she attended
Creative School for Children in 1987-88. Her
mother, Christi Hartzler, is the director of Housing
and Residence Life.
Approximately, 500 people attended the Miss
UCF Pageant, which was sponsored by the Campus
At 4 years old,
Activities Board and funded by Student Government.
Jennifer Hartzler was
a Golden Knight.
P E
R
I
E
N
C
E
!
”
organization.”
The Girls and Boys Town, originally called
Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Home, is a leader in
the treatment and care of abused, abandoned
and neglected girls and boys. Throughout its
86-year history, the nonprofit, nonsectarian
organization has provided these children with
a safe, caring and loving environment where
they gain confidence to get better and learn
skills to become productive citizens.
LEAD Scholars Partners
with Girls and Boys Town
LEAD Scholars have been reaching out to
youth in need through a partnership with Girls
and Boys Town of Oviedo.
Sponsored by the LEAD Scholars Program
and UCF’s College of Business, sixty-five
LEAD scholars are developing profiles of
local residential and commercial markets’
donating practices to increase monetary and
non-monetary donations for Girls and Boys
Town. Under the guidance of instructor Lauryn
Migenes, students are surveying consumers and
businesses to better understand the reasons
why people donate and if the use of additional
media forms would increase donations.
Servant leadership through community
service is a large part of the program. LEAD
X
LEAD scholars are collecting monetary
and non-monetary donations, such as
baby supplies, school supplies, kids toys
and games and non-perishable food
items. To make a donation, contact
Lauryn Migenes, LEAD Scholars
faculty fellow, at 407.823.4901.
Leadership Week Award Winners
–Sponsored by Student Leadership Programs
Leadership Week is an initiative coordinated by the Office of
Student Leadership Programs and is supported by numerous offices and
departments throughout the UCF. Leadership Week was created to identify,
recognize and develop leadership among students, faculty and staff.
• Faculty – Jill Norburn, The Burnett Honors College; and
Naim Kapucu, College of Health and Public Affairs
• A&P – Germayne Crow Graham, Counseling Center
• USPS – Thomas Gomez, Recreation and Wellness Center
• Distinguished Knights – Premed American Medical,
Students Association
• Emerging Student Leadership – Brian Hicks and Scott Kirkman
• Progressive Student Leadership – Vanessa Bowman and
Ryan O’Rourke
• Rising Star Leadership Award (Alumni)
* Burnett Honors College – Jane Juusola, ‘00
* Burnett College of Biomedical Sciences – Jennifer White, ‘01
* College of Business Administration – Joseph Regenstein IV, ‘03
* College of Education – Dana Vaughan, ‘00
* College of Engineering and Computer Science – Marci Williams, ‘00
* College of Health and Public Affairs – Louise Damon, ‘01
• Order of Pegasus
* Graduate Students – Sandra Miles and Brian Monacelli
* Undergraduate Students – Oluwaseun Aduloju, Vanessa Bowman,
Venkata Cherukumilli, Ericka Dunlap, Lindsey Eppleman,
Vanja Grbic, Nicolette Hopson, Marianne Howe, Stacey McCord,
Lisa Stovall and Shreya Trived
• Keepers of the Creed – Tracey Furr, Kevin Robbins and Kelly Simonz
Keepers of the Creed is a new award this year that recognizes University
of Central Florida students who have kept true allegiance to the UCF
Creed by demonstrating exemplary performance toward one or more of
the five elements of the UCF Creed.
Attention Web Admins
Review your office staff and information in the Web My
Organization on a regular basis. Remember to take advantage
utilizing the events and announcements section, as they will
automatically upload in the Good Morning UCF E-Newsletter.
S T U D E N T
D E V E L O P M E N T
Welcome Aboard
New SDES Employees
• Tyniesia Gandy, certified medical
assistant, Student Health Services
• Michelle Tano, coordinator, Student
Legal Services
SDES Division Changes
• Catherine Steel, new director for the
Counseling Center, came from the University
of CaliforniaRiverside where she
served as director
of the Counseling
Center, an associate
adjunct professor
in the Department
of Psychology and a
voluntary associate
clinical professor
Catherine Steel
in the Division of
Biomedical Sciences. Steel received her Ph.D.
in counseling psychology from the University
of Missouri-Columbia and is a licensed
psychologist in California.
Awards and Recognition
• Germayne Crow Graham, psychologist for
the Counseling Center, received a Certificate
of Appreciation from the UCF Chapter of the
National Association of the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP).
“Germayne has been a positive influence to
not only men and women of color, but to all,”
said D’Juana Miller, NAACP member. “She
has not only helped in the educational part of
our lives, but she has helped women with selfesteem and other personal issues that has made
them better individuals.”
• Larry Marks, psychologist for the
Counseling Center, and Rachael Riscinti,
undergraduate senior majoring in psychology,
have been awarded a Student Mentor
Academic Research Team (SMART) Grant.
Each will receive $1,000 to research
the impact of an “Improve Your Mood”
psychoeducational workshop on student
participants. The grant is administered by the
Burnett Honors College and the Office of
Research and Commercialization.
For more information on the SMART
program, visit: www.honors.ucf.edu/SMART_
main.html. Students, who are interested in
participating in the workshop, can contact the
Counseling Center at 407.823.2811 or visit the
Student Resource Center, room 203.
Presentations
• Mark Allen Poisel, interim associate vice
president for Academic Development and
A N D
E N R O L L M E N T
“ A D
S E R V I C E S
The UCF Creed
Retention, participated in a teleconference
panel “Facilitating Transfer Student Success:
Creating Effective Partnerships” in March
2005. The teleconference was sponsored by
the Center for the First Year Experience and
Students in Transition.
• Patricia Stuart, advanced registered
nurse practitioner, Student Health Services,
and Mary Lou Sole,
COPHA, presented
a study, in February,
titled “The Accuracy of
Web-Based Triage in a
College Health Setting”
at the Southern Nursing
Research Society in
Atlanta. Approximately
Patricia Stuart
500 conference members
were presented details about the proven
reliability of the 24/7 WebMed service, which
was introduced at UCF last year.
SARC Services Offered to
Students at Rosen
The Student Academic Resource Center
(SARC) is now offering academic support
services at the Rosen College of Hospitality
Management.
During this semester, Supplemental
Instruction sessions will be available to
approximately 50 students enrolled in
college algebra at the Rosen College
location. Supplemental Instruction leader
Jose Velez will hold sessions twice a week.
In addition, SARC tutor Katie Fisher will
be available once a week to assist students in
macroeconomics.
Mystery
SDES
Employee
Do you
know
who this
is?
The photo is from the early years of an
SDES employee. Can you guess who this
mystery person is? Find out if you are right
and visit: www.sdes.ucf.edu. First click on
Staff News and Information and then on
Mystery SDES Employee.
If you would like to submit an early
photo of yourself and be the next
Mystery SDES Employee, please email:
jpardo@mail.ucf.edu or call 407.823.2628.
Integrity, scholarship, community, creativity, and
excellence are the core values that guide our
conduct, performance and decisions.
INTEGRITY
I will practice and defend academic and
personal honesty.
SCHOLARSHIP
I will cherish and honor learning as a fundamental
purpose of my membership in the
UCF community.
COMMUNITY
I will promote an open and supportive campus
environment by respecting the rights and
contributions of every individual.
CREATIVITY
I will use my talents to enrich the
human experience.
EXCELLENCE
I will strive toward the highest standards of
performance in any endeavor I undertake.
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
SDES Council 2004 - 2005
Mission:
Strengthen communication among employees,
improve the general employee environment,
build affiliation among employees within division
and create awareness of the mission of Student
Development and Enrollment Services.
Sandra Bulger
Sophie Cortes-Thomas
sbulger@mail.ucf.edu
407.823.5825
scortes@mail.ucf.edu
407.823.3588
Jason Ellmyer
jellmyer@mail.ucf.edu
407.971.3521
If you have any
ideas, suggestions
or comments,
please contact a
SDES Council
member:
sdescoun@mail.ucf.edu.
Jeff Novak
Brenda Posey
jnovak@mail.ucf.edu
407.362.5138
bposey@mail.ucf.edu
407.823.5784
D
I
N
G
V A L U
E
T
O
T
H
E
U
C
F
E
LEAD Scholars will survey consumers’ donating practices.
scholars participated in a Valentine’s Day party
and a St. Patrick’s Day event at the Girls and
Boys Town.
“I’m excited to be a part of this project,” said
Devin Witherspoon, first-year LEAD Scholar.
“I love to be able to work with children. The
Girls and Boys Town is such an incredible
Jennifer Hartzler Wins Miss UCF Pageant
Every year, the Miss UCF 2005
pageant provides women with the
opportunity to win a scholarship,
showcase their talents and
experience leadership skills. This
year, 11 contestants competed for
the title of Miss UCF, but in the
end, Jennifer Hartzler emerged
as winner and was crowned Miss
UCF 2005. Hartzler is sophomore
majoring in economics and
minoring in political science.
“While Americans undoubtedly
live in the most fortunate country
in the world, many people still fail
to recognize their role as
community members and the
potential each has to affect
change,” says Hartzler. “It is
through my platform, Building
Jennifer Hartzler, holding a bouquet of flowers,
Community, that I am working to
was crowned Miss UCF 2005.
mobilize Americans to build their
(Photograph by Malcom Boston)
communities: at the local, state,
national and international levels.” According to Hartzler, she plans to
educate the public about the benefits of community and its development.
“I will foster citizens’ civic participation through two vehicles: the USA
Freedom Corps and Chambers of Commerce across the State of Florida.”
Some of her accomplishments include: projects coordinator for the
President’s Leadership Council, a student in the Burnett Honors College,
the top seller for “Student-on-Loan,” Town N Gown
student representative, and a member of the nationally
ranked competitive dance team, KnightMoves. In her
spare time, she is a dance instructor.
UCF had been part of Hartzler’s education and
development at a young age ever since she attended
Creative School for Children in 1987-88. Her
mother, Christi Hartzler, is the director of Housing
and Residence Life.
Approximately, 500 people attended the Miss
UCF Pageant, which was sponsored by the Campus
At 4 years old,
Activities Board and funded by Student Government.
Jennifer Hartzler was
a Golden Knight.
P E
R
I
E
N
C
E
!
”
organization.”
The Girls and Boys Town, originally called
Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Home, is a leader in
the treatment and care of abused, abandoned
and neglected girls and boys. Throughout its
86-year history, the nonprofit, nonsectarian
organization has provided these children with
a safe, caring and loving environment where
they gain confidence to get better and learn
skills to become productive citizens.
LEAD Scholars Partners
with Girls and Boys Town
LEAD Scholars have been reaching out to
youth in need through a partnership with Girls
and Boys Town of Oviedo.
Sponsored by the LEAD Scholars Program
and UCF’s College of Business, sixty-five
LEAD scholars are developing profiles of
local residential and commercial markets’
donating practices to increase monetary and
non-monetary donations for Girls and Boys
Town. Under the guidance of instructor Lauryn
Migenes, students are surveying consumers and
businesses to better understand the reasons
why people donate and if the use of additional
media forms would increase donations.
Servant leadership through community
service is a large part of the program. LEAD
X
LEAD scholars are collecting monetary
and non-monetary donations, such as
baby supplies, school supplies, kids toys
and games and non-perishable food
items. To make a donation, contact
Lauryn Migenes, LEAD Scholars
faculty fellow, at 407.823.4901.
Leadership Week Award Winners
–Sponsored by Student Leadership Programs
Leadership Week is an initiative coordinated by the Office of
Student Leadership Programs and is supported by numerous offices and
departments throughout the UCF. Leadership Week was created to identify,
recognize and develop leadership among students, faculty and staff.
• Faculty – Jill Norburn, The Burnett Honors College; and
Naim Kapucu, College of Health and Public Affairs
• A&P – Germayne Crow Graham, Counseling Center
• USPS – Thomas Gomez, Recreation and Wellness Center
• Distinguished Knights – Premed American Medical,
Students Association
• Emerging Student Leadership – Brian Hicks and Scott Kirkman
• Progressive Student Leadership – Vanessa Bowman and
Ryan O’Rourke
• Rising Star Leadership Award (Alumni)
* Burnett Honors College – Jane Juusola, ‘00
* Burnett College of Biomedical Sciences – Jennifer White, ‘01
* College of Business Administration – Joseph Regenstein IV, ‘03
* College of Education – Dana Vaughan, ‘00
* College of Engineering and Computer Science – Marci Williams, ‘00
* College of Health and Public Affairs – Louise Damon, ‘01
• Order of Pegasus
* Graduate Students – Sandra Miles and Brian Monacelli
* Undergraduate Students – Oluwaseun Aduloju, Vanessa Bowman,
Venkata Cherukumilli, Ericka Dunlap, Lindsey Eppleman,
Vanja Grbic, Nicolette Hopson, Marianne Howe, Stacey McCord,
Lisa Stovall and Shreya Trived
• Keepers of the Creed – Tracey Furr, Kevin Robbins and Kelly Simonz
Keepers of the Creed is a new award this year that recognizes University
of Central Florida students who have kept true allegiance to the UCF
Creed by demonstrating exemplary performance toward one or more of
the five elements of the UCF Creed.
Attention Web Admins
Review your office staff and information in the Web My
Organization on a regular basis. Remember to take advantage
utilizing the events and announcements section, as they will
automatically upload in the Good Morning UCF E-Newsletter.
Keeping Students
Informed and Connected
Upcoming Self-Discovery
Knights Schedule
The Counseling Center offers students
the Self-Discovery Knights series on topics
concerning personal development and selfimprovement. The following presentations
will be held in the Student Union, Key
West–218A, 7-8:30 p.m.
• March 7 – Why Do We Stay Stuck in
Unhealthy Relationships
• March 21 – Attachment: Ways to
Choose the Right or Wrong Relationship
• March 28 – Relationships That End:
How to Deal with Break-Ups and
Make-Ups
• April 4 – Finding the Love You Want/
Keeping the Love You Have
• April 11 – Let’s Go Out/Let’s Stay In
How to Survive and Thrive in an
Extrovert/Introvert Relationship
For more information, call Andrew Blair or
visit: www.counseling.sdes.ucf.edu.
Fitness Certificates Offered
Through Workshops
On February 11-13, the Recreation
and Wellness Center (RWC) hosted
the Aerobics and Fitness Association of
America (AFAA) workshop. The AFAA,
founded in 1983, offers certifications in the
most up-to-date fitness trends to certified
fitness professionals and those interested
in becoming a certified fitness professional.
The workshop included certification
courses in the following: Primary Group
Exercise, Personal Trainer Certification,
Yoga Essentials- Part III, Kickboxing
Certification, The Wave Workout
Certification, Metabolic Connection to
Obesity, Injury Prevention/Exercise Program
and Midlife Fitness for Women.
Through fitness coordinator Kimberly
Halliday’s planning and coordination
with the AFAA, four free seats in each
certification were offered to the RWC
Group Exercise program instructors. These
free seats allow the instructors a variety
of professional development opportunities
while helping them gain the necessary
CEU’s (Continuing Education Units) to
maintain their fitness certifications.
The workshop was offered to the
UCF community and the general public.
Approximately 350 participants were in
attendance, which surpassed the previous
year’s attendance.
Please submit your April 2005 UKnighted newsletter
articles to jpardo@mail.ucf.edu by March 15.
Peer Advisors left to right: Alex Nehme, Crystal Espinosa, Cathy
Longa and Sandi Bednarz (Not pictured: Meltrice Richardson)
Students Helping Students
The new First Year Advising and
Exploration (FYAE) staff additions have
an expert view on what students want from
their advisors–they’re students too.
To better meet the needs of the firstyear student population, in the fall of 2004
FYAE trained five students from different
majors and class standings to serve as Peer
Advisors. With the addition of these new
Peer Advisors, many more first-year students
were able to receive assistance.
The Peer Advisors are able to help
the students prepare for their meetings
with the advisors, assist during outreach
programming and present at workshops.
One Peer Advisor was assigned to help with
the office’s Pegasus Landing initiative. In
the spring, these Peer Advisors will be an
integral part of the transient process for
FYAE, and will continue to aid students in
understanding how to read degree audits
and the Undergraduate Catalog.
The program is coordinated by Meena
Datta, academic advisor, who sees positive
benefits of this program not only for the
advisees, but also for the Peer Advisors. She
believes that the Peer Advisors will develop
their interpersonal communication skills and
professionalism, as well as possibly establish
professional contacts on campus.
Datta, who led the Peer Advisors through
eight training sessions in areas such as:
team-building, advising policies and
procedures, and workshop development, is
hopeful that the program will grow in scope
and reputation. “We’ve selected a dynamic
group of students who help us figure out
what students need,” says Datta.
For more information, call 407.823.3789.
On February 1, the Orange County Fire
and Rescue Department (OCFRD) responded
to a call in front of the Student Union. . .
a call to spread fire safety, prevention
and response information.
Robert Kelly from OCFRD coordinated
several firefighters to be present to talk with
interested students. The campaign provided
over 1,000 students with prevention tips,
smoke detector information and temporary
OCFRD logo tattoos, just to name a few
distributed materials.
Two students won prizes for creating fire
safety posters. Maria Mertens won first
place and received a gift certificate to the
Olive Garden. David Givens won second
place and received a fire extinguisher. The
campaign was a collaborative effort between
LINK, Off-Campus Student Services,
Environmental Health and Safety, and
Orange County Fire and Rescue Department.
Other February events included a program
outlining student success in large classes held
at Pegasus Pointe and a Pre-Spring Break
Luau held at the Village at Alafaya Club.
The March schedule is as follows:
• March 3 at 6 p.m. – “What Do
You Want To Be When You Grow
Up?” presented by Career Services
and Experiential Learning (CSEL) at
Riverwind Apartments.
• March 29 at 5:30 p.m. – Mega-Advising
Session facilitated by First-Year Advising
and Exploration at The Gatherings
Apartments.
These events are just a few that resulted
from a brainstorming session in January
of SDES offices and the UCF Police
Department, collaborating to reach students
living in off-campus communities. Watch for
upcoming events in the following months.
March 2005
Volume VII, No. 9
First-Year Students Honored for their Academic Achievement
Nearly 300 first-year students were
honored for their outstanding academic
achievement for the fall 2004 semester
at the Learning and Interacting with
New Knights (LINK) First-Year Scholars
Reception on February 4. Over 1,500 firstyear students earned a 3.5 or higher GPA.
Each student, who attended the event,
received a Pegasus lapel pin and a certificate
of achievement in recognition of their
hard work. Over 200 parents and family
members attended the reception in support
of their first-year students.
The theme of the program centered on
the UCF CREED with an emphasis on
integrity and excellence. Students were
encouraged to reach out to other firstyear students, who may not have done as
well academically last semester, and offer
assistance in locating academic resources
and developing better study skills.
Maribeth Ehasz, interim vice president
for SDES, asked students to reflect on what
they did to bring them to this achievement,
but also what will they do next. “Success
in life happens when you know where to
take your next steps,” said Ehasz. Other
speakers included Rick Schell, dean of
Undergraduate Studies, Mark Allen Poisel,
interim associate vice president
of Academic Development and
Retention, and Sarah Fraden,
student, the top LINK Loot earner
last year and recipient of a $1,300
scholarship. Fraden currently serves
as a LINK Mentor.
Jeff Novak, assistant director for
Housing and Residence Life, offered
students 500 LINK Loot points if
they brought a student who had
never attended a LINK program.
Students earn LINK Loot by
attending LINK events and can use
the Loot at an auction at the end of
the semester to win prizes.
“We are very proud of the
academic accomplishments of our
first-year students and we are
excited to have the opportunity to
recognize their achievements,” said
Rebecca Morales, coordinator of the
LINK program.
LINK offers first-year students
programs and events to meet new
people and to get connected to UCF.
For more information, call
407.882.7005 or visit:
www.link.ucf.edu.
Left to right: Cristin Fitzpatrick, first-year student, and Michael
Fitzpatrick, father, display Cristin’s award of achievement
at the LINK reception.
Meet Sarah Fraden, LINK Mentor and Role Model
Robert Kelly, OCFRD, and Triscia Panarello, Housing
and Residence Life, displaying the first place winning
poster on the fire truck.
Sarah Fraden
is a second-year
student, who
participated in over
60 LINK programs
during her firstyear at UCF. Because of her involvement,
she not only won a scholarship, but also a
two-night stay at the Marriott. What is most
impressive is that in addition to attending
the numerous LINK events and earning a
3.9 GPA, Fraden was acknowledged by the
LINK program at the First-Year Scholars
Reception last year.
Fraden is currently employed by the LINK
program as a LINK Mentor. She serves as a
peer advisor and resource, as well as a role
model for all first-year students. During the
new student orientation, Fraden welcomes
students at the LINK Ice Cream Socials and
helps connect them with over 300 clubs and
organizations at UCF. In addition, Fraden
assists with the LINK’s program initiatives
throughout the year, including the Luau
and the First-Year Scholars Reception.
“Through the LINK program, I have been
able to help first-year scholars realize their
potential to grow academically, socially and
professionally,” says Fraden.
In addition to serving as a LINK
Mentor, Fraden is also involved in many
other co-curricular activities. She is a
LEAD Mentor, a member of Hillel and Pi
Beta Phi and is the communications vice
president for 4-Ever Knights.
“I was so impressed with Sarah that I
had to offer her a job as a LINK Mentor,”
said Rebecca Morales, coordinator of the
LINK program. “I wanted her to be able
to share her experiences and serve as
a source of inspiration for incoming
first-year students.”