25 Under 25 Program

Amna Wajahat is as go-getter as they come. As a Pakistani-American Muslim and a proud Tampa native, she understands the power of using purpose to drive positive change in her community, thus making a meaningful impact on the world.  

Throughout her undergraduate years at the University of South Florida, she distinguished herself among her peers through leadership, scholarship and cultural diversity. As a provost scholar in the Judy Genshaft Honors College, she graduates in May having completed a bachelor’s degree in business analytics and information systems in three years. 

Her academic journey is woven together with rich and diverse experiences including studying abroad in Seoul, South Korea, interning as a summer analyst at Citibank, and participating in the Collegiate Leadership Tampa Bay program. 

In South Korea, she witnessed the technological advancements that have made the country a global leader in innovation. A visit to Samsung’s flagship store inspired her to incorporate a tech-forward mindset.  

At Citibank, a summer stint as an Enterprise Operations and Technology analyst led to a job offer. There she worked on the Cross-Border Data Clearance team project that ensured the company’s compliance with data privacy requirements. She will be joining Citi full-time upon graduation. 

As if that wasn’t enough, she carved out time on weekends to address the community’s food insecurity by volunteering at Feeding Tampa Bay. 

She’s grateful for all the opportunities USF has given her to explore her passions and to fine-tune her purpose as she sets off to make her mark in the world. 

Cancer has always played a role in redirecting Pamela Sirota’s personal, academic, and professional life. 

When her dad was diagnosed with cancer during her senior year in high school, she knew her life calling would be making an impact on the lives of patients and families burdened by cancer. 

She spent her undergraduate years at Florida State University involved in research, learning how public policy intersects with health care and how good actors in the political space can positively impact the daily lives of patients. 

In 2022, as a legislative intern on the Moffitt Cancer Center Government Relations team, she saw first-hand the intersection of public policy and health care. 

Now as the legislative affairs coordinator at Moffitt, Sirota works to communicate with elected officials what the center needs to improve patient care. She’s learned how heavily Moffitt relies on government funding for research and operations. 

One of her proudest moments came a few weeks ago when a curative treatment for multiple myeloma — the cancer she lost her father to — was approved by the FDA in part thanks to the funding the government relations department successfully acquired from the state. 

It was a full-circle moment that reaffirmed her decision to pursue an MBA with a concentration in health care management at USF. She hopes to understand the barriers to effective health care and to craft the solutions to break down those barriers. 

In the end, Sirota hopes that seeking out more knowledge will help her contribute to the discovery of treatments that might prevent other kids from losing a parent. 

As a first-generation college student, Yuki Shao had to learn to navigate the unfamiliar territory of higher education with a blank roadmap. She found her way to academic, professional and personal success through sheer determination. 

She juggled two jobs with a rigorous courseload in two majors: accounting and business analytics and information systems.  Shao is also enrolled in the Judy Genshaft Honors College, the Business Honors Program, and the Corporate Mentor Program. She’s a member of Beta Alpha Psi. 

In 2022, she was selected to serve as a teaching assistant for an upper-level financial accounting course. There she guides about 50 students each week, helping them understand complex concepts. In 2023, she was a summer intern at Ernst and Young. 

Shao’s passion extends beyond the realm of numbers. As president of the USF Botany Club, she nurtures a love for plants, while her artistic talents shine through her roles in the Photography Club and Creative Writer’s Club. Shao is also an active member of the Tampa Bay art community with works exhibited in the Centre Gallery and 2024 Honors Art Show. Two of her art pieces were showcased — and sold — at the Werk Gallery. 

She’s set to graduate in May 2024 with a perfect 4.0 GPA and plans to sit for the CPA exam this summer. As she sets off for her next chapter, her story is about finding strength in the struggle and blooming even in the shade. Shao’s future is certainly bright, even as she plans to leave a trail of sunshine wherever she goes. 

From volunteering in a school for refugees in Egypt to teaching herself English to pursue her dream of coming to America, Rachel Rodrigues de Oliveira has always been determined and passionate about the journey. 

Coming to the U.S. as a collegiate tennis player, she was a transfer student at USF. She made it her goal to find her place and make an impact within both USF and the Tampa Bay community. 

From the start, she knew the importance of being involved in organizations. In her first semester, she joined the Investment Club at USF and BRASA Connect, the biggest Brazilian student conference in Florida. After her impact, she was invited to be an ambassador for the conference. 

Eager to leave a lasting impact within the USF community, she was the third highest-voted senator in the 2023–2024 elections for the USF Student Government. In 2023, she became a USF Ambassador, currently serving as the voice and embodiment of students in interactions with USF alumni at events. 

Determined to expand her network and deepen her connections within the community, she seized the chance to join the Tampa Bay Collegiate Program for its 2023-2024 class. The program is a selective experiential program that inspires, educates, and engages emerging leaders as they transition from college to career. 

In 2023-2024, she served as the training and development intern at Gerdau North America. 

“It is all about making things happen, enjoying the ride, learning throughout the journey, and making a positive impact on the USF community and people,” she says. 

As a girl born and raised in the countryside of Vietnam, Thao Phan flew halfway around the world to broaden her horizons. Her decision to enroll in the University of South Florida kick-started a transformative journey that reshaped the trajectory of her life. 

It didn’t take long for Phan to stretch herself and delve into diverse activities that harmonized academic, personal, and professional development. 

Playing the piano and reading books are among her passions. A standout on her bookshelf: “Never Eat Alone” by Keith Ferrazzi. The book is about cultivating enduring relationships and fostering connections through caring and compassion. 

Those are familiar themes to Phan, who volunteered as an English mentor at SOS Children’s Village Vietnam as part of her commitment to the Judy Genshaft Honors College requirements. By listening to the children’s stories and sharing her own, she believes she made a meaningful impact on their lives. 

In 2023, she served as a quantitative senior associate for the Investment Club at USF.  She managed a team that developed and published trading algorithms. She also served as the workshop officer for the Data Science Club at USF. 

Each new venture has paid off as she prepares to join Morgan Stanley as a technology summer analyst with the Business and Data Analytics track in New York City this summer. Projected to graduate in 2025, Phan is ready to continue blazing a trail to find the best version of herself. 

Nothing comes easy for Michael Murren. A traumatic brain injury from a car accident made sure of that. 

It was a soul-crushing and terrifying journey back from his extensive injuries that left him holed up in a dark room unable to function independently. To this day, he still confuses seemingly simple things like the difference between dogs and babies. 

But you won’t find Murren feeling sorry for himself. There is no time for pity parties because he is always struggling. And it will inevitably be a struggle for the rest of his life. 

To say the 24-year-old accounting major has come a long way from those dark days is an understatement. He currently has a 4.0 GPA — an amazing feat given that the accident shaved 70 points from his IQ. Murren worked painstakingly to rebuild his brain and has regained almost every point. 

To complete his schoolwork, he fights through double vision, migraines, nausea, and light sensitivity. He studies at least five hours each day. Through hard work, he became a member of Beta Alpha Psi, Beta Gamma Sigma, and Phi Theta Kappa — all college honor societies. 

Since 2023, he has been volunteering at Pizzo K-8, where he helps special needs children with their studies and to stay on task. 

This summer, he heads to New York for an internship with Deloitte. All this in spite of the doctors telling him that he would never be able to live independently, let alone go back to college.  

He was told his life would be over. While he will never be the same, he has been able to make it his own again. 

When Gabriel Mocelin encounters setbacks, it only refuels his determination. That fervent tenacity has carried him far during his time at the University of South Florida. 

As president of the Investment Club at USF, he helped bring prominent leaders to speak on campus. Under his tenure, the club hosted the firms that shape the financial markets. 

The leadership team also raised over $45,000 to establish an endowment scholarship fund. 

The 1,200-plus member club emphasized the practical application of business and investment principles. That focus helped make members more employable, leading to a 75% placement rate in securing internships and full-time jobs. 

Mocelin also served as president of the Brazilian Student Association at USF. He led efforts to host over 50 events for its 400-plus members, raising over $45,000.  

Mocelin also spent 18 months at Star Mountain Capital as their inaugural intern in the Tampa office. He helped create a formal internship program at the firm. 

In 2023, he interned at Goldman Sachs as a global banking and markets summer analyst. After graduating in May 2024, he joins the firm in New York City as a structure finance analyst. 

Mocelin is proud of his professional and academic journey at USF. Growth, learning and resilience have shaped his college years. He acknowledges that without the guidance of many mentors, his accomplishments would not have been possible. 

He’s also not afraid to acknowledge his failures. It was the rejections — which he describes as ‘numerous’ — that fueled his determination to keep striving for excellence while carrying with him the proud spirit of the Bull. 

Justin Kwitchoff is on an internship tear. 

With three internships completed, the finance major and USF junior is adding a fourth. This summer he heads to New York City as one of three growth equity summer analysts at Sixth Street. 

In 2023, he was the first USF undergraduate placement at ORIX Corporation. He also is a year-round intern at Star Mountain Capital and interned at Franklin Street in 2021. 

But what’s even more impressive is that he continues to play active roles in building recruitment pipelines with every firm where he has interned. 

Helping his peers succeed has been at the heart of two main leadership roles he’s held at USF.  

As president of Phi Chi Theta and vice president of the Investment Club at USF, he has spearheaded bringing more speakers, professional development opportunities and a sense of community to each organization’s growing membership base.  

Through his outreach, eight firms visited USF for the first time, most notably Macquarie and KLH Capital. That outreach has produced recruitment success stories, with first-ever front-office USF undergraduate placements at BlackRock, RBC, and Scotiabank. More importantly, Kwitchoff’s efforts have helped USF achieve “target school” status at three leading financial institutions.  

Kwitchoff is on a mission to inspire and mentor the next generation of USF students and is dedicated to passing down everything he’s learned through his professional experiences. 

Seeing his peers succeed through collaboration will ensure there are many more recruitment and internship placement success stories. 

Amazing. A heart of gold. Unmatched. Extremely impressive. 

These are all words used to describe Abdul Muqeet Khawaja by people who know him. 

But the truth is, when Khawaja landed in St. Petersburg, Florida, having traveled 8,000 miles from his home country of Pakistan, he knew no one. 

As he settled into USF’s St. Petersburg campus, he encountered both the warmth of acceptance and the biting edge of prejudice. But he refused to let adversity define him. 

Instead, he immersed himself in the vibrant student community. In 2023 he was elected the first Pakistani campus governor for the USF St. Petersburg campus. As governor, he was responsible for amplifying the voices of the 4,500-plus student body and bridging the gap between students and administration. 

He also served as the events co-chair on the Judy Genshaft Honors College Student Council. 

Aside from his leadership roles, he maintains a 4.0 GPA and has made the Dean’s List every semester. He is on track to graduate in 2024 with two bachelor’s degrees — in business analytics and accounting. 

Outside of the classroom, Khawaja works as a technical accounting intern at Jabil where he is assisting in training employees across the globe who are located in over 30 countries at over 100 different locations. 

As his undergraduate journey draws to a close, he’s struck by the transformative power of education and the resilience that has carried him through since the day he arrived in the U.S. alone. 

He vows to continue to uplift others and to be the mentor he never had. 

In the two years since he moved to the U.S. and enrolled as a USF transfer student, Juan Carlos Justo has made the most of a rocky start.

But let’s back up. Before USF, Justo was a college marketing student in Peru when an Instagram ad promoting students transferring to U.S. universities caught his eye.

Intrigued by the opportunity and armed with two merit-based scholarships, Justo made the life-altering decision to transfer and study abroad. Unfortunately, his first semester at USF in 2022 came with unexpected hardships and struggles.

He overcame those challenges and vowed to help others with the difficult transitions he faced. As a peer advisor leader in the Office of New Student Connections, he connects with hundreds of USF students each semester, providing personalized guidance and support. He also serves as a transfer student mentor in the Office of Transfer Student Success, helping ease the adjustment of transfer students at USF.

Justo is set to graduate in 2024 with a 3.81 GPA. He holds leadership roles such as director of social impact and project manager of Consult-A-Bull in USF’s chapter of the American Marketing Association. On top of this, he excels in a marketing internship, was selected to be in the Raymond James Mentorship Program, is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, and has accumulated 240 volunteer hours in both Peru and the U.S.

What truly sets him apart, according to his advisors, is his unwavering support for his peers and his willingness to contribute to the campus community.

At a very young age, Ana Luiza Jacob learned from her father the power of persuasive words, and that with determination and creativity, she could overcome any obstacle and chase her dreams.

She took that advice to heart. In 2020, she started her first business venture, Books for Good. The business resold used school books and generated over $4,000 — enough to help pay for her first year’s college tuition.

She brought that entrepreneurial spirit to USF. Even before college classes started, Jacob got a job at USF’s Student Government helping student clubs organize their budgets.

In 2023, she joined the Investment Club at USF, and the business club has played a pivotal role in expanding her network. She was also the first student from USF offered a summer internship at StoneCo, the second largest publicly traded fintech company in Latin America.

As a first-generation college student, Jacob was accepted into the Corporate Mentor Program, where she received a full scholarship to travel to Quebec to network with local companies.

Jacob is double majoring in business management and econometrics & quantitative economics, a Judy Genshaft Honors College student and expects to graduate in 2026. But until then, she’s already lined up a summer internship with HP in their Texas office.

With an impressive track record in leadership, professional development and community service, it’s no surprise that Sho Ishizuka also accomplished many firsts in his three years at USF. 

The finance major — who graduates in May with a 4.0 GPA — was the first USF St. Petersburg student to be admitted into the Business Honors Program and led the program’s inaugural community service project in fall 2021. This service project cleaned Sawgrass Lake Park and supported the Tampa Bay Estuary. 

On campus, he works for the USF Student Government, serving as the deputy financial officer and the chair of the Campus Allocation Funding Committee, where he oversees budget allocations totaling over $3 million. 

He’s also the first president of the Investment Club on the St. Petersburg campus. He was instrumental in spearheading the initiative to expand the club onto a branch campus. In less than two years, he grew membership from zero to over 100 members. 

The relationships and skills he learned through the Investment Club led to his first internship opportunity at Dubin Clark, a private equity firm in Jacksonville, Florida.  

Another internship quickly followed at TrueNorth Capital Partners where he worked on cross-border merger and acquisitions transactions. Since much of the work involved Japan and the U.S., Ishizuka was able to use his bilingual skills and multicultural background. 

Those internships led to a job offer from Raymond James. After graduation, he starts a full-time role on their Equity Capital Markets team where he will be carrying his USF Bull spirit. 

Linh Ho competed in one of her first national innovation pitch competitions as a high school student in Vietnam. That first immersive taste of entrepreneurial success led her to train other young Vietnamese about organization management and how to exchange and propose new project ideas. 

After graduating from a high school for gifted students, she arrived at the University of South Florida committed to continuing her academic excellence. She has maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA while spending hours helping others find their success. 

A sophomore double majoring in entrepreneurship and econometrics and quantitative economics, she has always had the heart for helping and inspiring others.  

Since 2023, Ho has helped peers grasp complex mathematical concepts as a business calculus tutor in the SMART Lab in the Academic Success Center.  To date, she has assisted over 3,400 students who look to her to break down challenging material into digestible components with a focus on real-world applications. 

Being a business calculus tutor is rewarding because not only is she helping students understand and appreciate calculus, but she is also learning to refine her communication and interpersonal skills while building leadership skills along the way. 

She speaks three languages — English, Vietnamese and Russian.  

Ho has also earned praise in the classroom. She is admired for her ability to not shy away from actively engaging in academic discussions in a large lecture class. 

Before she graduates in 2026, she intends to build on these accomplishments and continue to make a positive impact at USF and beyond. 

Matthew Garcia’s journey showcases the power of perseverance and resilience passed down from his Mexican immigrant grandfather. This legacy guides him as he pursues his American dream, reflecting the importance of embracing new challenges. 

Garcia is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in marketing with a minor in business analytics and information systems. He took a significant leap of faith by moving over 1,000 miles from the familiar surroundings of his home in the northern suburbs of Chicago to Tampa. 

He quickly discovered his community within the American Marketing Association by serving as the assistant director of external affairs, where he led multiple marketing recruitment initiatives to help drive membership expansion to over 100 active members. 

Garcia’s passion for service learning goes beyond the classroom. He volunteered for the Taylor Made Foundation, leading a social media campaign that raised nearly $10,000 for underserved communities, and developed a sponsorship proposal that will help secure $5,000 for students seeking higher education.  

These experiences paved the way for new opportunities as he went on to work as a brand and marketing intern before being promoted to serve as marketing coordinator at The Plexus Group. He is currently working as a marketing data insights intern for Raymond James. 

Set to graduate in May 2024, he believes embracing the unexpected helped him carve his unique path as he continues to chase the dream inspired by his grandfather. 

Born and raised in a small town in Venezuela, Lorena Garcia’s aspirations were limitless. 

After studying abroad for eight months in Boston, Massachusetts, she continued her studies in the U.S., beginning at Hillsborough Community College. There she connected with people from diverse backgrounds and learned about their beliefs and traditions, discovering the transformative power of empathy and community. 

Honoring a commitment to service, Garcia volunteered at AdventHealth in the outpatient therapy department for seven months and joined the Health Buddy program of Seniors in Service of Tampa Bay, Inc. 

She initially signed up to assist a senior in enhancing her self-care through weekly phone calls. However, her role extended beyond mere companionship. She became a support for her buddy, Mariella, aiding her in navigating community resources and support systems. 

Aside from her commitment to community service, Garcia is dedicated to her professional development. She worked as an HR intern with Bankers Financial Corporation, serves as a graduate assistant for a USF Principles of Management class, and is a USF Muma Student Ambassador. 

Garcia is expected to graduate in 2024 with a master’s degree in human resources management. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from USF. 

She says that “her journey and experience at USF have been instrumental in shaping who she is today, both personally and professionally. The university’s rich resources and opportunities have reaffirmed her passion for working with and helping people.” 

This summer she will join NBCUniversal as an HR intern in Universal City, California. 

As a graduating senior in the business analytics and information systems major, O’Carson Fils has come a long way — growing both professionally and academically — from his early days as a biomedical engineering student at USF. 

At first, he was passionate about becoming a medical scientist on the cutting edge of finding treatments for cancer and heart disease. But then he realized he could make a larger impact on health and medicine by pursuing medical innovations from an analytical and entrepreneurial angle. 

When he made the 180-degree academic U-turn, he quickly immersed himself in developing into a future business leader. He’s also a student at the USF Judy Genshaft Honors College. As president of the Association for Information Systems at USF, he helped the club build its membership roster and hosted several events, like the Python Workshop, that drew over 30 students. 

His business turn also meant jumping into small business management and entrepreneurship. Fils participated in the Sustainability Pitch Competition hosted by the USF Nault Center for Entrepreneurship. He also joined the board of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization at USF. Currently, he is participating in a startup incubation program called Debut Labs. 

Aside from academics, Fils served as a Resident Assistant in USF’s Holly Apartments, where he guided more than 30 residents in navigating college dorm life. He also participated in Citi’s 2022 Early ID Leadership Program, served as a summer analyst, and after graduation, will begin working as a full-time analyst at Citi. 

If you need to find Sami Chahouri on a Friday afternoon, head to the Marshall Student Center food court. He’ll be there making turkey sandwiches to feed the homeless. 

Chahouri is one of about 50 student volunteers who gather weekly for Project Downtown Tampa, an initiative where students prepare over 300 sandwiches, drive to downtown shelters, and hand out sandwiches. 

When he witnessed their gratitude, despite their struggles, that fostered a sense of compassion and social responsibility, he said. Helping people made him want to help his entire community. His ultimate goal: to own his own medical supply sales company to help people in need.   

But being committed to the good of giving back is only part of his identity. Chahouri grew up in Lebanon and embraces his diverse multilingual background. He speaks French, Arabic, and English, and is learning Spanish.  

A double major in finance and marketing, Chahouri landed a prestigious 2024 summer internship at Raymond James that will allow him to apply what he’s learned in the classroom in real-world situations. 

As a member of the Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity, his mentor encouraged him to step outside of his comfort zone and improve his public speaking skills. Not only is he not afraid to speak in front of large audiences, but Chahouri now mentors other members so they feel supported and empowered to thrive. 

Chahouri also served as an official Knack Tutor for the Muma College of Business and led an advertising and marketing communications campaign for the Florida Department of Transportation on motorcycle riding. 

Now only a few months from graduating in 2024, Chahouri is grateful for the growth opportunities he found inside and outside the classroom. 

Born and raised in Cartagena, Colombia, Nicolas Castillo dreamed of attending college in the United States. That dream was realized when he was accepted into the University of South Florida. But that was just the beginning, as the social and economic challenges of living and studying abroad lay ahead. 

Castillo is pursuing a major in finance because he has always been fascinated by how money and markets work and how it impacts our daily lives in small and big ways.  

His passion for finance led him to join the American Red Cross Club at USF. As the junior finance chair, he manages budgets and handles purchase requests. 

He is also an active member of the Investment Club at USF. As the equity research associate, he performs comprehensive financial analysis of various companies and coordinates with a team to create monthly reports that analyze market conditions. 

While speaking English was a barrier, Castillo said being involved in campus activities and working as a Knack Tutor helped him improve his language skills. Most recently, he was a financial analyst intern at the Banco de Bogota where he analyzed and prepared financial models. 

Castillo is on track to graduate in 2024 with three bachelor’s degrees — one in finance from USF and two degrees (business administration and accounting) from the Universidad del Norte.  

Wherever his academic journey takes him, he plans to give back to the community that helped him overcome his obstacles as a student from Colombia.

Recruited to play Division I women’s golf at USF, it’s no surprise you’ll find Juliana Camargo Torres on the golf course. She practices up to 20 hours a week, and that’s not including playing time in tournaments. 

As a standout student-athlete, she was recognized as part of the 2023 Academic All-District Women’s At-Large team and as a WGGA All-American Scholar for two consecutive years. 

However the finance and philosophy major knows gaining professional experience and making an impact on campus is equally important. 

This past August, Camargo Torres became a founding executive board member of USF’s Scholars of Finance. Unlike other student finance organizations, the club goes beyond developing hard skills. 

The chapter focuses on creating authenticity and integrity, and prides itself on helping members develop a higher sense of self-awareness and introspection. 

As vice president of professional development, Camargo Torres managed the Speaker Series. She invited prominent professionals in the finance industry to speak about their guiding principles. It’s important for members to be inspired to be the best versions of themselves and become the leaders our world needs, she said. 

Beyond the classroom, Camargo Torres interned at Nestle last summer, where she developed a holistic scorecard for the factory. She’s currently in a nonprofit consulting externship with PwC and will be a 2024 commercial banking intern at South State Bank this summer. 

Her other love is teaching Latin cardio dance classes at the campus recreation center. Through movement, she hopes to cultivate a safe environment where USF students improve their physical, mental and emotional health. 

Rachel Barros has always had a big heart for philanthropy and an even bigger heart for childhood cancer. She co-founded the Melanie Paige Sunflower Fields Foundation, a nonprofit that supports kids and families battling childhood cancer. 

When she enrolled at USF, she found that philanthropic spirit within Greek life. Since joining Chi Omega, she has worked towards a better sorority and fraternity experience for all by serving in executive positions. Those roles have been instrumental in building her professional skills and personal development. 

As the treasurer of Chi Omega, Barros oversaw the chapter’s budget, spending, and its eight cabinet committees. As vice president of finance for the USF Panhellenic Association, she managed the budget, spending and financial transparency for the association and its 10 sororities.  

In 2023, she was elected president of the Women in Pre-Law Society. She hopes to provide professional development opportunities for its 120 members as they forge a path in a law career. 

She also interns as a legal assistant for a Tampa bankruptcy law firm. She’s able to interact with clients, attorneys and district judges — all invaluable experiences most students don’t get until they enter law school. 

Barros is studying to take the LSAT in April, to attend law school after she graduates in 2024 with a degree in finance. Barros is confident she will be leaning on those educational and leadership foundations she gained at USF as she pursues her dream of becoming an attorney. 

Joana Bandeira de Almeida left Brazil to pursue her dreams in the United States, driven by an insatiable desire to go beyond the expected.  

Almeida’s journey took shape in the heart of campus life, with academic excellence combined with community engagement. She became the head of initiatives for BRASA Connect, orchestrating the planning and execution of the largest Brazilian conference for over 400 students in Florida with the presence of professionals from companies such as Netflix, Spotify, Meta, Mastercard, and more. 

She was also the professional development director for BRASA at USF, where she was responsible for impactful events aimed at enhancing the success of their members. She also worked as a housing services clerk for USF’s Housing and Residential Education.  

Her dedication to making a difference extended beyond campus, leading to internships at companies such as Proposito, Nvidia and HP. At Proposito, she streamlined the recruitment process, contributing to a significant 20% increase in productivity. While working at Nvidia, she spearheaded an increase in emerging community engagement by implementing innovative strategies, yielding a notable 20% rise in participation. 

In addition, while interning at HP, she reduced manual workload during meetings, saving an average of 23 hours per person and optimizing North America’s Print Team efficiency by pioneering an automated note-taking process.  

She graduates this spring with a bachelor’s degree in business management with a minor in business analytics and information systems. After graduation, she will be returning to HP as a full-time employee. 

A sophomore majoring in finance, Parv Arora is midway through his academic journey of preparing himself for the complexities of the global business landscape. 

Maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA and consistently earning a place on the Dean’s List, Arora is well on his way to his ‘relentless’ pursuits of academic excellence. The international student has embraced a holistic approach, taking on leadership roles in campus organizations and finding time to mentor incoming freshmen. 

He serves as the chief financial officer of the USF Student Government, where he leads strategic initiatives that ensure resources are used wisely. He helps manage a budget that is over $100,000 and generates budget reports that help inform spending decisions. 

Aside from the top CFO job, Arora also served on the Campus Allocation Funding Committee and the Activity and Service Fee Recommendation Committee. In those roles, he advocated for the fair distribution of monetary resources totaling $19 million while celebrating the diverse perspectives of the student body. 

As a student in the Judy Genshaft Honors College, he mentored incoming freshmen at orientation. He met with about 100 students to give them personalized guidance, ensuring they started their first semester at USF bound for success. Arora also served as treasurer of the Music Makers of USF. 

Whether it’s guiding his peers to navigate college life or advocating for the needs of international students, he finds it most fulfilling when he’s giving back to his community. 

On track to graduate in 2026, Arora is inspired to keep adding to the vibrant tapestry at USF. 

Embarking on her journey through higher education, Paola Arnaldes Sicilia found herself standing at the intersection of past experiences and future aspirations, each paving the way for the next chapter of her life. 

Growing up in Caracas, Venezuela instilled in her a profound appreciation for the richness of culture and the resilience of the human spirit. But, in contrast, the realities of living in a country ruled by corruption and instability encouraged her to seek change and empowerment.  

As she began her college experience, she got involved in the Office of Multicultural Affairs, where she orchestrated events amplifying the voices of marginalized students by creating events like International Women’s Day, Multicultural Holiday, and Drag Show. 

She’s also a member of the Business Honors Program, which provided her with unique opportunities to attend professional events and network with esteemed leaders in the business sector, giving her a voice and a position in the industry. Sicilia also is a USF Ambassador, serving as the student liaison between the USF Alumni Association and students. 

Besides professional development, Sicilia is also committed to academic excellence. From being part of the Dean’s List every year to being recognized with two awards on the St. Petersburg campus — the First Year Student Leader of the Year and #NoTitledNeeded Student Award — her journey has been marked by accomplishments that validate her commitment to excellence and service.  

Moving forward, she is guided by the belief that “no dream is too ambitious and no obstacle insurmountable.” 

Sometimes being an extraordinary human being is enough to set someone apart. That is certainly the case for Justin Amis, a 21-year-old senior about to graduate with a degree in business analytics and information systems.  

Amis is the type of person who mows a new mom’s yard without being asked because that’s the neighborly thing to do. He’s the attention-to-detail guy who stops mid-yard work to pluck the smallest weeds, knowing these little nuisances will become bigger problems. 

His supporters praise his caring, generous, and thoughtful nature. But don’t let his humility overshadow his drive for strategic growth in business and in the classroom. 

He’s a go-getter who started his own mobile car detailing business in high school and graduated high school with his real estate license. He also received his insurance license for life, health and annuities, reinforcing his commitment to constant professional development and excellence. 

To gain practical professional experience, he is a management consultant at ProMazo. The company connects top collegiate talent with Fortune 500 companies for project-based work. As a consultant, Amis provides his expertise in optimizing business processes for diverse clients. 

On the academic side, he has maintained a 4.0 GPA as an undergraduate student. While at USF, he has served as a director of the Real Estate Investing Society, served as a member of the Association of Information Systems, and landed on the Dean’s List every semester. 

After graduating in May 2024, Amis is pursuing an MBA with a finance concentration and plans to start a career within private equity.  

Unique Alston has embodied the entrepreneurial spirit of innovation since stepping onto the USF campus in St. Petersburg. Alston has scored notable pitch competition successes by winning the Frank and Ellen Daveler Pitch Competition and the NACCE STEM Shift Innovation Summit event. 

These triumphs underscore her commitment to driving innovation and fostering entrepreneurial excellence. And that determination has spilled over into positive ventures in the community.  

Last fall, she and her twin sister organized a “How to Start Your Own Business” panel featuring college student entrepreneurs. The event, which she helped conceptualize, develop and execute, drew a substantial and diverse crowd. Recently, she helped USF secure a presence within the Grand Prix for the first time in the racing event’s history. 

The business analytics and information systems major is co-founder of the Youth for Youth Global Initiative, the vice president of Mainframe and serves on the Nault Center for Entrepreneurship Student Board. 

Outside of innovation competitions, she interned at the Maxey-Fisher Law Firm and at iSOCRATES, LLC — two companies where she used her business analytical and operations management skills. 

She’s also working on a start-up, co-founded by two other members, called SmartScale Analytics. The product is a sensor that continuously monitors weight. The start-up has placed in two competitions — No. 1 in the Daveler Pitch Competition and No. 2 in the TIE Tampa Bay Pitch Competition. 

Projected to graduate in 2025, Alston has another year of pitch competitions, advocating for the underrepresented, and finding that next great idea. 

Tess Zambella is a leader. She is part of USF Student Government, served as the Sarasota-Manatee campus council’s Community Engagement Committee representative, and serves as the deputy financial officer for Sarasota-Manatee’s SG.  She currently chairs the committee that approves SG budget allocation requests. She works with department heads and student leaders on that campus to review and vote on requests. On top of this, she works at a local accounting firm preparing taxes part-time. 

Her SG experiences provided an opportunity for Zambella to serve as executive producer for TEDxUSFSM, which is a grassroots initiative created in the spirit of TED’s overall mission to discover “ideas worth spreading.” Zambella says leading TEDxUSFSM taught her how to plan and implement events more creatively than she can in budgetary roles.

When Hurricane Ian made landfall just an hour south of that campus in Ft. Myers, Zambella helped organize an emergency school cleanup to help area schools open sooner. She took part in USF’s Alternative Spring Break program, which sent a group of students to Ohio to help the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition. She has attended leadership retreats, such as the Emerging Leaders Retreat, Advanced Leaders Retreat and Boss Lady Retreat, taking lessons related to communication, diversity, and self-advocacy from each.

It is clear that she balances her community engagement work with her academics, evidenced by her 3.91-grade point average. Zambella is pursuing two degrees, one in accounting and one in business analytics and information systems. She is also working on a minor in economics. 

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Valeriia Korysttseva says her life was torn apart when her home country of Ukraine was invaded and bombings were reported near her hometown, located just 50 miles from the Russian border. She describes the stress of trying to focus on her finance studies in Tampa while seeing footage of dead bodies on the streets where she played kickball and hopscotch as a child.  At 19, Korysttseva found herself in America with little cash (her Ukrainian bank card was blocked), struggling with studies, fretting about her housing, and worrying about her family’s safety and survival overseas.  

“I was completely beside myself, and by myself,” she says, describing the turmoil and stress.

Koryttseva, who enjoys economics, mathematics, and logistics, said she feels that she can equip herself with the finance and management skills that can help rebuild the post-war Ukrainian economy.  She zealously tackled her studies, earning a 3.85 grade point average while also participating in extracurricular opportunities and internships. She participated in the development of a mathematical model for a Ukrainian logistics company that assessed and improved product transportation. She interned in General Electric’s corporate finance unit. She began to help a charity, Kharkiv-Phoenix, which supports Ukrainian hospitals.

Koryttseva was a member of Ukraine’s National Climbing Team, recognized as a master-level competitor. No such program existed locally, so Koryttseva started a sport-climbing club in 2021, a group that now boasts 100+ members. In 2022, she competed in the World Championship and World Cup on behalf of Ukraine. She also won gold and silver in the USA Climbing Southeastern Collegiate program.

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Children are often encouraged to be artists. For Zoe Peters, that encouragement came from her grandma, who never fails to tell stories of the youngster unraveling rolls of paper down a hall to create ten-foot-long comics.  

The former hallway cartoonist credits the St. Petersburg campus’ Innovation Scholars program with helping her envision a pathway to turn her love of art into a business.  An entrepreneurship major, Peters says that the program helped her connect with the founder of the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, an organization that helps artists via funding, promotion, and advocacy. Peters landed an internship there, updating its website and tackling a variety of programs and initiatives. She applied skills learned in her entrepreneurship classes related to sustainability, long-term impact, and volunteer recruitment. The alliance soon hired her as a creative projects coordinator.

Peters credits the Judy Genshaft Honors College with fueling her desire to blend her business, the arts, and community interests. She says a class discussion there about equity, funding, and operations in the art space inspired her to start her own design business serving arts organizations and businesses. Similarly, she used an entrepreneurship course to explore and create tech that could help artists diversify their income.

Peters previously served as a USF Ambassador on the St. Petersburg campus. Today, she volunteers as a graphic designer with the Warehouse Arts District Association and Keep St. Pete Lit. Peters received the COMPASS “First-Year Student of the Year” award in 2021 and the Broadway Star of the Future award for Outstanding Playwriting in 2020.

Yashima Peart is proud of her Jamaican roots and her parents there. She says the island nation is often called the “home of the hustlers,” referring to the dogged, determined, go-getter spirit that bootstrapping entrepreneurs with little formal education display. Peart watched both of her parents build small businesses that supported the family and observed that when she grew up, she wanted to be “like the women on TV who wore pantsuits and sat in board meetings making important decisions.”  She decided that to make that happen, she needed to study business in America.

At USF, she discovered that her visions of power suits came with a lot of work.  She credits guest speakers in a business skills class (and the instructor) for helping her see that the work could be fun if it was something she was passionate about and that she could combine her love of numbers with her interest in technology. She decided to double-major in accounting and business analytics and information systems. The Judy Genshaft Honors College student has maintained a 4.0 grade point average in both majors while also working two part-time jobs, volunteering with the American Red Cross, and serving as an Orientation Team Leader.  She is a member of the Accounting Society and one of her part-time jobs is as a student assistant at USF’s Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy.

Peart will be serving as an intern with Big 10 accounting firm Baker Tilly this summer and Big Four accounting firm KMPG has already offered her an internship for the summer of 2024!

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Faith Marcus is driven to turn adversity into opportunity. From her grandfather, the son of a sharecropper who became a decorated veteran in the Navy, she learned the value of dedication and determination. 

She is dreaming big and making the most of her opportunities at USF because she knows the hardships of the lack of access to education.

Due to the pandemic, Marcus spent her first year in college online. When she was finally able to step onto campus, she wanted to make the most of her three years at USF. She knew she had to get involved fast.

She held leadership positions in USF’s Accounting Society, Women in Pre-Law Society, and Beta Alpha Psi, an accounting honor society.

In these circles, she quickly found camaraderie with like-minded peers who are passionate about accounting, leadership, and community service.

In Beta Alpha Psi, she serves as a committee chair, tutors accounting students for free, and competes as a presenter. She placed second in the Grant Thornton Speech Competition for her presentation on “How to Play the Violin.”

This past summer, Marcus interned as an auditor at BDO, a top-10 accounting firm. She will return as an international tax intern in BDO’s Dallas office this summer. After, she will start at the University of Florida Levin College of Law.

Her ultimate goal is to become a CPA and lawyer. As she continues her academic journey beyond USF, she wants to pay homage to the path paved by her grandfathers while creating a legacy of her own.

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At graduation in May, Taher Saifuddin Abbas will be recognized twice as a King O’Neal Scholar, an honor recognizing those who earn an undergraduate degree with a 4.0 grade point average. Why twice? Because the international student from Bangladesh will earn two bachelor’s degrees, one in finance and one in quantitative economics, with a minor in business analytics and information systems, with a perfect GPA.

Abbas served as a summer global business intern at Amgen and did so well there that the firm converted the internship into a year-long co-op. Abbas says he gained valuable skills in project management. Working with Amgen executives, he says also saw how group projects in class are not that dissimilar to those in the workplace. 

He communicates using eight languages: five spoken (Bangla, Hindi, Gujarati, Spanish and English) and three programming (SQL, C#, and R).  Abbas is also experienced in a number of business tools, including Tableau, Oracle DB, and UiPath.  He has Bloomberg Market, UiPath Citizens Developer and Google Analytics certifications.

The Judy Genshaft Honors College student enjoys learning but does more. He has served as a resident assistant for USF Housing, been part of the Bangladesh Student Association, is a member of the Student Investment Club, and recently began volunteering for Junior Achievement. Abbas participated in a service adventure trip in Puerto Rico with the Honors College LLC. He also worked with the Haitian Education Project in Tampa, raising $10,000 to help build a school for underprivileged children in Ouanaminthe, Haiti. 

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As the granddaughter of Cuban immigrants, Stephanie England was taught two important values: no one can take your education from you, and take full advantage of life’s opportunities.

England, who is pursuing dual degrees — a bachelor’s in business analytics and information systems with a concentration in cybersecurity and a bachelor’s in management — has taken those lessons to heart during her time at USF.

A self-described lifelong learner dedicated to scholarship, England is a junior and has taken on leadership roles that reflect her fundamental belief in service.

Through her involvement with the campus, she discovered the USF Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement where she led the planning for weeklong service projects through Bulls Service Breaks, an alternative service break program.

She sets aside Friday mornings for a Tampa Bay service activity with her office, which could include going to the Hope Garden or serving meals at the Trinity Cafe.

In 2020, she was one of two freshmen inducted into the Order of the Golden Brahman. There she serves as the Alumni Relations Chair, where she helps promote a strong relationship with alumni and friends of USF. 

And this past year, she became a USF Ambassador where she represents the university at events for the alumni association, the USF president’s office, and other events in the community.

For England, her goal has always been to be involved in a variety of student organizations to grow as a leader, have an enriching college experience, and to do it through service to others.

 

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Patrick Maggio is thankful USF has afforded him a challenging and well-rounded undergraduate experience where he has excelled academically, developed professionally, and become the best version of himself.

As he prepares to graduate in May with dual degrees in accounting and business analytics and information systems, Maggio isn’t planning to leave USF just yet. He will enroll in the Master of Science of Accountancy and Analytics program before jumping into the workforce.

He’s made the Dean’s List five times and is on track to earn that honor again. Aside from the two bachelor’s degrees, he completed the honors curriculum from the Judy Genshaft Honors College.

As an undergrad, he completed an internship at Masonite this past summer and continues to work 30 hours a week in the company’s Global Business Services Accounting department. This summer, he will intern at Ernst & Young at the firm’s audit practice in Tampa.

He credits his involvement with Beta Alpha Psi, an accounting honor society, for opening up these professional opportunities. As a member of the BAP, Maggio, and his team won first place in the Best Practices Speech competition at the organization’s southeast mid-year meeting. The team will present their speech again in August at the national conference.

Outside of class, Maggio has excelled as a member of the USF Ultimate Frisbee sports club. He represented USF at many tournaments in the southeast, served as a team captain, and helped design many of the team’s workouts.

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Ngoc Phan is a recipient of the Green & Gold Presidential scholarship and came to USF from Vietnam. She speaks five languages, including Vietnamese, English, French, Japanese, and Mandarin Chinese. 

Phan has served as an intern twice, once with the Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank and with FPT Securities Joint Stock Company. At USF, she serves as the marketing manager for Junior Enterprise USA, vice president of the Accounting Society, and treasurer of the Economics Scholars Society.  Through these organizations, Phan works with firms to plan and host networking and recruiting events for students, aiming to help them explore careers and gain access to valuable resources.

Cultural experiences and community service is not new to her. Phan has participated in charitable and educational student organizations since high school. She believes that, in her words, “small actions could make our society better, as long as we thrive to raise awareness of more people.” As a result of her mindset and efforts, she was also awarded a fully funded diplomatic trip as one of 15 national delegates from each South East Asian country to go to Japan for a cultural exchange. The exchange aimed to increase students’ knowledge of and respect for each nation and to boost cooperation activities between the countries. She presented about Vietnam to the other delegates and attended courtesy calls at the municipality office. In addition, she met with the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs to share and represent the youth’s voice about their contribution to the future society.

My Nguyen grew up in a mountainous region where ethnic minorities lived and learning a foreign language was unattainable. But that is when she heard her first English words and fell in love with the language.

She describes listening to those sentimental English words as “an artistic symphony to my artless ears.” That love for the English language sparked her interest to travel abroad and pursue college in the U.S.

Once USF offered her the Green and Gold Presidential and Global Experience Scholarship, she knew exciting personal and professional opportunities awaited her in America.

Nguyen asserted herself and took on strong leadership roles. In her first year, she volunteered as a finance consultant for HEXA Consulting, a student-run club that offers local businesses finance and marketing services. After impressing club leaders, she serves as the HR director of HEXA. 

Her passion for consulting pushed her to join the Innovative Consulting Conference of Junior Enterprise USA where she reached the top three finalists in the Smart Banking JE case competition.

This summer, she will serve as a Discovery intern at Deloitte’s Tampa office. At USF, she works in the Student Business Services office where she administers budget databases of USF student organizations.

With each academic and professional accomplishment, Nguyen has seen herself become more self-confident, ambitious, and determined to achieve her goals. A far cry from that shy, reserved first-year college student raised in a remote, mountainous region in Vietnam. And she is prouder than ever for loving English.

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