Friday is graduation. It is both a happy and sad time for us. Graduation is, of course, the goal when students enter UCF, and we are happy when our students cross that hurdle. Sad because we will miss the students who have helped to make the college an engaging place over the past few years. Chief among that group are our student ambassadors — the students who help me manage the culture of engagement we have developed here in the college. This semester three ambassadors are graduating: Taylor Griffin, Michelle Prudent and Luke Shanks.
Taylor’s future seems to lie in Marketing. She has a couple of job offers and hopes to pick one soon. Taylor has really appreciated the friendships she has made with other Ambassadors and loved working on big events like the Hall of Fame and The New Frontier. She has lots of plans for the future including travel, giving back to her community and landing a big time job in Marketing with a company or university.
Michelle also seems to be headed to a position in marketing. Michelle had an internship as a Marketing Specialist at Amazon the past two summers and has spent a semester abroad in Seoul. She’s great example of “doing the things” to get to the one. Michelle is mulling over offers and mentions the Hall of Fame as a highlight in her time with the Ambassadors.
I know Luke best because he worked in the Dean’s office, had on a number of leadership positions with the Ambassadors and took advantage of every opportunity to recruit mentors and build his professional network. Luke is a sponge when it comes to learning. He likes it so much he has forgotten the importance of GETTING A JOB so that he can pay for that pilot license he wants to get.
This collection of Ambassadors lived through the Pandemic and had to grapple with how to support our culture of engagement while connecting with students largely through Zoom. It wasn’t always easy, I admired their tenacity and creativity. These characteristics will serve them well in whatever challenges lie ahead.
My graduating Ambassadors should also know that their job for us isn’t over. You are and shall always be UCF College of Business Ambassadors. Go do great things, tell others about us and come back to tell the students who follow you how they too can differentiate themselves while they are here and learn to live their dreams. See you back here soon.
In the meantime….
Charge On!
Paul Jarley, Dean 