Author: USFMuma

Adam Wortman has fully immersed himself in the culture of USF while beginning to focus on a career in the corporate finance trust industry. He will graduate in December 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in finance and a minor in economics. He is a member of the Bulls Business Network and has been named to the dean’s list since the fall of 2016.

He is the recipient of the USF Scholars Award and has earned an overall GPA of 3.96. Wortman serves as president of the Student Finance Association, where he coordinates networking events and finance career-related workshops for association members. He also is the recording secretary for the executive board of Phi Gamma Delta, an international fraternity. In that role, he supervises the fraternity’s chairmen and organizes philanthropic events with other Greek organizations.

Wortman started working as a career peer advisor with USF Career Services in September 2017 and within a few months, he assumed the post of data management analysis officer. In that role, Wortman assembles, analyzes and reports data to promote student interaction within the office. He serves as first point of contact for the office through their walk-in services and career fairs.

For Wortman, professional development and campus involvement are tied together and while focusing on his own academic and career path, he helps other students prepare for their future professionals endeavors.

Wei Yang Yap has no interest in staying in one place. His goal after graduation is to work for an international corporation based in multiple countries so that he can travel the world and learn different cultures. Yap is on a track to graduate in August 2019 with bachelor’s degrees in business administration with a concentration in marketing and world languages with a concentration in Spanish.

Coming from a multicultural background, Yap fluently speaks mandarin, malay, and cantonese. He works as a teaching assistant, where he helps students to understand business statistics. He was also invited to be part of the Marketing Mentor Program. He was a member of the iBuddy program, which promotes diversity and acceptance of different cultures. Soon after joining, Yap was placed on the leadership board as the international outreach coordinator. He was also a student leader with INTO USF, where he promoted cultural exchange by interacting with students from various countries.

As a volunteer at TEDxUSF in the USF Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement, Yap evaluated speakers and gave constructive criticism. He has participated with other committee members in making plans to draw more attendees to the events. All this exposure to various cultures is part of his path to further his future career as a global marketer.

Victor Zapparoli says that receiving an education in the United States counts as among his biggest accomplishments. He has been on this path since he was seven months old, when his parents, living in the countryside of Brazil, started putting money away in a college fund.

Even with that savings account, Zapparoli still had to find ways to complete his education. So, he started playing tennis to further his education. At 18, he received more than 20 offers for academic and athletic scholarships to study in the United States. He considers this his first big accomplishment. At the first college he attended, Webber International University, Zapparoli was the captain of the tennis team and took time to teach tennis to underprivileged children.

He has participated in two exchange programs, one at the Geneva Business School in Switzerland where he led a group of international students in a strategic management course, and the other at the EDHEC Business School in France. He has also carried out two finance internships in Sao Paulo, Brazil, focusing on cost minimization in logistics operations and financial analysis.

Zapparoli will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in finance with a concentration in corporate finance. He has a 4.0 GPA and is a member of the Brazilian Student Association and the Corporate Mentor Program. He is also fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, English and French.  

An accounting major, Yonatan Tamir makes it his business to look at the numbers. So, as he approached a college career, he did his homework and attended a community college to keep the costs down. During that time, he worked 30 hours a week in retail, while maintaining a 4.0 grade-point average under a full-time course load. He has continued his academic excellence after transferring to the Muma College of Business and he expects to graduate with a 4.0 grade-point average in May 2017 when he will earn a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

He has developed strong relationships with his classmates and the faculty and put together a study group that has nearly tripled its membership since then. Tamir is a member of Beta Alpha Psi, an accounting honors society, where he serves as the reporting officer. He also participates in the Corporate Mentor Program.

He was granted an internship with Ernst & Young’s Media & Entertainment Division in 2016 and worked there full time for a semester, while maintaining a half-load of courses at the Muma College of Business. While at Ernst & Young, he accompanied an accountant on a business trip to New York City, where he received top marks for his capabilities in client services.

After graduation, Tamir plans to pursue a master’s degree in accountancy, while completing his Certified Public Accountant and Certified Information Systems Auditor certifications. He hopes to continue his education by earning a master’s degree in accountancy.

Jean-Christian Meiller’s potential in his academic work plays just a partial role in the overall passion he carries as a young student. With a drive for learning, sharpness of intellect and ability to lead, he has exceeded expectations across his professional development process.

Throughout the community, Meiller has participated in several projects, including being the kickboxing coach and president of Combat Sports Club, which he took over and brought back from being shut down. There, he has led both the executive board and boxing team to success, and has gained leadership and team-building experience. Meiller also is a member of the honors accounting organization Beta Alpha Psi.

With an overall grade-point average of 3.83 as an accounting student, Meiller has been granted several scholarships, including the National Association of Industry and Parks Award, USF Scholars Award and Florida Bright Futures. His ability to comprehend what enhancements can be made and act upon them landed him the position as the marketing chairman for USF’s Globull Ambassador Program. Since his freshman year, Meiller has volunteered for Junior Achievement, where he’s taught first and second graders about business and how it affects them on a personal and a community level.

Working as an accounting intern at the Orlando Utilities Commission, as well as being an administrative assistant/social media marketer at the Learning Center of Dr. Phillips, has shown him a career path he envisions for himself, which is to begin in public accounting and eventually become a forensic accountant for the FBI.

Sehrish Ladhani’s parents immigrated from Pakistan to America five years ago with one main goal: to provide the best education possible for their children. It was her parents’ hard work that has motivated Ladhani to excel in the academic world. She has earned a 3.82 grade-point average at USF and will graduate in August 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Throughout her university career, she frequently made the Dean’s List and is often recognized for her academic abilities and leadership qualities.

She expects to continue her education and hopes to earn a master’s degree in accounting in December 2018. Besides her studies, community service is a priority with Ladhani. Her most memorable project came during the spring breaks of 2015 and 2016. While other students hit the beaches across Florida, Ladhani made her way to Guatemala with Masons on a Mission. There, she helped build brick and mortar stoves for native families.

In the summer of 2016, Ladhani was awarded the JLM Industries Endowed Scholarship and was one of 25 students at the Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy to receive a study abroad scholarship. Ladhani used these resources to further her education and immerse herself in a foreign culture by participating in USF’s study abroad program in London.

Closer to home, she has emerged as a leader on campus. She is a former vice president of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and former fundraising chair of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, where she led a successful campaign for the First in the Family Scholarship Fund, an effort that was ranked among the best in the nation. She has been the recipient of numerous scholarships and awards, including the Accounting Circle’s Student Excellence Grant and the Presidential Honors Scholarship.

She currently serves as the mock-interview co-chair for international accounting fraternity Beta Alpha Psi’s Delta Gamma chapter and works as an accounting associate for Sam’s Club.

Alessandra Deiorio’s career path is clear. She intends to meld a business degree with medicine and perhaps go into hospital administration or medical sales. She has maintained a 4.0 grade point average since enrolling at USF two years ago and has been recruited into honor societies such as Phi Eta Sigma, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and Golden Key International. All these organizations require members to be in the top 10 percent of their class.

Deiorio hit the Muma College of Business running, as she took 46 college credits while in high school, and while she has been here, she has taken a wide variety of courses, receiving top grades in whatever class she takes, including chemistry and financial accounting. She expects to graduate in the spring of 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in general business administration. She is working toward an award in the Global Citizens Project and will study abroad in Florence, Italy, this summer

Deiorio is a member of the National Honor Society where she was once the secretary, as well as the captain of the USF women’s club soccer team, serving as the fundraising and volunteering coordinator. In 2016, the club logged the highest number of community service hours.

Deiorio gives back to the community, having volunteered for the Savage Race, the Stampede of Service, the Multi-Race Triathlon and Surfing for Autism. Her penchant for volunteerism dates back to when she helped her mother at a non-profit organization that assisted disabled people find jobs in Marion County.

For Rebecca Mesiner, business is an outlet for creativity and personal growth. Enrolling in the Muma College of Business has opened up to her a world of unique and driven individuals. Her experiences here have allowed her to go beyond what’s comfortable, to take some risks that prove to be beneficial.

A senior majoring in international business with a minor in Spanish, Mesiner from the start immersed herself in the program. She joined the Bulls Business Community as a freshman and later served as lead mentor for the Living Learning Community. She has connected with other like-minded students and has been inspired to start two of her own businesses, selling organic coffee scrubs and custom swimwear.

She served as a USF Ambassador and now is the director of administrative affairs with that program, making her the primary point of contact for executives and nonprofits seeking USF representation.

Outside of classes, she has worked as a barista at Starbucks, where she spiked revenue by establishing weekly community coffee tastings.

She became involved in politics during the 2016 presidential campaign and founded a campus campaign group to raise awareness about the issues. She organized voter registration drives, rallies and debate watch parties. She even volunteered for an independent voter mapping project in Hillsborough County.

Mesiner, who has a 3.56 grade-point average, has become proficient in Spanish, a language she says she will need for an international business career, and has completed two summer study abroad programs in Spain. She expects to graduate in December 2017.

Under Clayton Werner’s leadership, USF’s American Marketing Association Chapter has soared. He joined the organization as a freshman to immerse himself in his marketing major and to establish a network of classmates and professional contacts. Since then, the chapter has been ranked among the top 4 percent of chapters in North America.

Werner serves as president of the chapter, but he has also put time in as creative consultant, vice president of professional development, chapter liaison, executive vice president and he sat on the executive board for the Tampa Bay American Marketing Association. He planned a conference that includes speakers from the Tampa Bay Lightning, Enterprise and the Ronald McDonald House.

He contributed to three case competition teams that placed in the top 16 of all American Marketing Association chapters and placed third out of 98 teams in a marketing strategy competition this March.

Werner will graduate with bachelor’s degrees in marketing and management in the spring of 2017 and has been accepted into the USF Sport & Entertainment Management program. He currently maintains a 3.47 overall grade-point average.

He also has helped collect more than 300 cell samples for Be the Match, a bone-marrow registry that works to find cures for bone and blood diseases and matches patients with donors across the nation. He has also helped to fundraise nearly $42,000 to send American Marketing Association members to the AMA International Collegiate Conference over the last three years.

Whether she’s working as a government affairs intern in Washington, D.C., or staffing the reception desk in the Muma College of Business’ Dean’s Suite or offering encouragement to a first-grader as a Big Brothers Big Sisters volunteer, Erica Gloyd gives the same amount of enthusiasm and energy.

A member of the Business Honors Program, she will graduate in the spring of 2017 with bachelor’s degrees in finance and economics and a minor in public administration. She has a grade-point average of 3.72 and already has been accepted into a top-ranked law school, an opportunity that comes with a substantial academic scholarship offer.

While at the Muma College of Business, Gloyd has participated in scholarship, leadership, professional development and community service and she has established herself as a young professional on the rise.

Among her high-achieving accomplishments is an internship with Grant Thornton in Washington, D.C., where she got insights into what skills are needed to be successful in whatever endeavor she chooses.

On the community involvement side, Gloyd helped stage an event with the Business Honors Service Association that raised money for the Wounded Warriors Project and as part of her Alpha Omicron Pi sorority, she helped collect donations that totaled more than $7,000 for the Arthritis Foundation.

And as part of her involvement in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, she has found time to visit her “little sister” at her elementary school once a week, helping with academics and hoping to build a long-lasting relationship.

Taylor Moody has had a passion for golf since she was a child and today she proudly represents USF as a student athlete. She does not leave her passion and dedication on the course though.

Moody is the representative for the golf team on the Student Athletic Advisory Committee and serves as secretary and chair of the organization’s campus involvement committee. She was tapped into the Order of the Golden Brahman when she was a sophomore and continues to strive to promote and preserve the values of the university.

As a member of the golf team, Moody participates in the Great American Teach-In where she mentors elementary-school children and shares with young students the steps she took to get where she is today.

Through the skills she has garnered at the Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy, Moody has held internships with the Shinn & Company accounting firm and will have a tax internship this summer with KPMG. She will graduate this May.

Moody gives back to her community through her volunteer work with Stampede of Service, The Special Olympics and Metropolitan Ministries in downtown Tampa and is an exemplary model of a USF student athlete.

A senior majoring in marketing, Jacob Edens not only excels in his education but also his leadership and professional development. Edens, having achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, accredits his experiences in the Boy Scouts with providing him the leadership skills and perseverance he needed to succeed in school and his career.

His leadership abilities have helped him manage many projects including community service activities, philanthropies and entrepreneurial ventures. He achieved first place in the Muma College of Business Elevator Pitch Competition and ranked fourth in the Tampa Building Entrepreneurship Around Tampa competition.

Edens started his own company, Metabology, in 2015. The company offers services of a weekly meal preparation focused on providing healthy foods in the Tampa Bay area. The company is growing and plans to achieve six figures of revenue by the end of the year. Metabology is considered one of the premier businesses developed on USF campus and was invited to participate in the Second Annual REEF Governor’s Cup of Florida Business Model Competition.

As the company continues to grow and develop, Edens has become even more enthralled with the nature of entrepreneurship. He looks forward to creating businesses to help individuals stay healthy and all the other opportunities awaiting him.

One of Yi Su’s primary goals was to master English upon her arrival to the United States of America. A skill that was quickly mastered according to her mentors. She then focused on learning cultural and societal norms.

Despite the lifestyle changes she went through, Su accomplished making the Dean’s List of Scholars for Academic Excellence during her freshman year, following the acceptance of a certificate for achievement in financial accounting. With ambition boiling in her blood as a young Bull, Su was ready to take on the world.

After deciding that accounting was not enough, she picked up a minor in management information systems, both of which would become a passion of hers. As an accounting major attending Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy, she has worked hard to maintain a 3.67 grade-point average on a track to graduate in May 2017. She worked as an accounting intern at Rogerge Poskus International, where she specialized in tax preparation.

Su serves as the Beta Buddy Committee Chair for Beta Alpha Psi Delta Gamma chapter, a mentor for the Accounting Society Mentoring Committee and an ambassador for USF’s GloBull committee. She was recently accepted into the USF Master in Accountancy Program starting this summer. Although it hasn’t been easy, with hard work and courage Su continues to excel and is confident that her investment in knowledge at USF will pay off.

To Luiz Arruda, a first-generation student growing up in a small town in Brazil, attending a renowned American university was a distant dream. However, through his hard work, he was admitted to USF and received the Latin American and Caribbean Scholarship.

A senior graduating in May 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in finance and a minor in economics, Arruda has maintained an overall grade-point average of 3.89 and an in-major GPA of 4.0. He is also a member of the Corporate Mentor Program.

Arruda has served as an equity research analyst for the University of South Florida’s Student Managed Investment Fund where his responsibilities include identifying attractive investments and pitching stocks to an advisory board comprised of seasoned investment professionals. He is also a student leader for INTO at USF, guiding international students to complete their orientation duties and mentoring and supporting them through their transitions into the university.

In addition, Arruda spent a year-and-a-half performing research with the history department at USF, where his group received the Research in Excellence Award.

After graduation, Arruda plans on pursuing a master’s degree in finance and investments and attaining a Chartered Financial Analyst certification. He is expected to graduate in May 2017 with an overall grade-point average of 3.9.

Vilas Ramachandran values education, diversity and community service. He has achieved a perfect 4.0 grade-point average while at USF and is looking to graduate in the spring of 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in finance and a minor in economics.

A Provost Scholar, Ramachandran has made the Dean’s List every semester he has been in the Muma College of Business. He is a member of the Sigma Beta Rho fraternity, a multicultural organization that places a high value on academics and community service. 

Ramachandran was accepted into the Muma College of Business Leadership Program, a two-year professional development program designed to help students become better leaders on campus and beyond. He also participated and placed first in the Future of Florida summit where he drafted an amendment which will be voted on by millions of Florida voters in the 2018 election. He has also been selected to be in the Future of Florida’s organizing committee to help coordinate next year’s summit.

When he’s not studying or participating in fraternity projects, Ramachandran volunteers each week at the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge, which offers cancer patients and their caregivers a free place to stay and support during treatments. There, he helps coordinate events, but more importantly he assists patients as they go through difficult times. Working with patients, he says, motivates him to do his part in making the lives of others better. Ramachandran looks forward to a summer internship with Lockheed Martin.

Throughout his experience at USF, Stefan Whiting had two components that left a major impact and influence on the person he’s become: his personal drive and determination to succeed scholastically, and the focus on his continued commitment to serve the community.

From an early age, Whiting has known that he wanted to pursue business management. While applying for USF, a university he knew would challenge him academically, he also applied and got accepted into the Bulls Business Community as well as the Business Honors Program. He challenged himself with five to six classes a semester, taking courses during summer and winter break, including a study abroad in Florence, Italy. He is set to graduate in May 2017, a four-year process that was shortened to three. He has maintained a 3.88 grade-point average.

Long before he began college, Whiting realized that giving back to the community was not only important but essential. He was inspired by his mother, who worked for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, to help the less fortunate. Since then, he has participated in several service projects, such as Relay for Life, the Humane Society, and Random Acts of Kindness.

He also served at soup kitchens and helped inner-city kids through Junior Achievement. Recently, Whiting participated in a pilot project called the Service Learning Experience, in which he analyzed the Hillsborough County Department of Aging Services and provided a summary and recommendations for improvements.

Estefania Read Elizalde’s goal of maintaining a global vision while making a local impact was never more on display than when she took a study abroad excursion to Thailand last year. She had planned to study in Bangkok one semester, but decided it wasn’t enough. So she became full-time intern during a second semester at Kasetsart University, where she assisted the dean and led seminars in English about culture, business and education.

Still, she felt there was more to do, so she became a bi-monthly volunteer at Bangkok Remand Prison where she visited Latino prisoners to give them messages from their families overseas, bringing hope to the inmates and well wishes from loved ones so far away.

When her second semester was finished, she was offered an internship in Fukuoka University in Japan for a month during the summer. There, she worked with foreign students studying in Japan, helping them to understand the sometimes rigid culture.

Elizalde returned to USF in August 2016 to resume studies in her senior year at the Muma College of Business. She is getting ready to graduate in May 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing with a concentration in supply-chain management. She has an overall grade point average of 3.64.

She was accepted into the Student Innovator Incubator program and successfully pitched a business idea of an online clothing store that follows the one-for-one model of selling one item and donating one to a person in need.

Recently, Elizalde accepted a job offer for a full time Area Manager position at one of Amazons fulfillment centers. She will start in June.

By the time he was 18, Marcello Fonseca had already been working in Brazil’s financial markets for over a year and was managing more than $10 million in investments for his clients. But as the country’s economy soured and plunged Brazil into its largest economic crisis in history, Fonseca made the difficult decision to leave his home and family in Rio de Janeiro and come to the United States to pursue better opportunities for his education, career and personal growth.

Since enrolling at USF, Fonseca’s involvement has been nothing short of impressive. The finance and economics student currently serves as president of USF’s Entrepreneurship Club, chief financial officer of the Brazilian Student Association and is a member of the Student Finance Association, the Corporate Mentor Program and the Honors College. Additionally, he is an administrative student assistant for the Student Affairs Shared Services Center where he manages the accounts for eight departments at USF, adding up to more than $15 million a month.

Fonseca is also the recipient of the Latin American and Caribbean Scholarship and an Honors College scholarship for his outstanding academic performance.

Fonseca is a passionate volunteer who has participated in every Stampede of Service since his first semester at USF, provided labor for Sweetwater Organic Farm and helped to feed the homeless in a dignifying manner at Trinity Cafe.

Expectations are high for Alexis Drees, especially after a summer semester spent studying abroad in Qingdao, China. The USF senior successfully completed eight credit hours at Ocean University there, where she maintained her cumulative grade-point average of 3.82 and advanced her Mandarin Chinese.

While in Qingdao, Drees and her classmates were challenged with assimilating into a completely new city and she learned the critical skills of independence while developing a vision for her future with an international business degree.

Her GPA has proven to shine light on her success, earning her a place on the Dean’s List for five consecutive semesters, as well as having been awarded three private scholarships through the Muma College of Business in the last two years.

Along with maintaining her academics, Drees serves as a third-year member and vice president of finance for the Beta Alpha chapter of Delta Delta Delta since November, where she’s developed leadership skills and has succeeded in helping raise over $100,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

In addition to her involvement in Greek Life, Drees is a member of the USF Chinese Club to supplement her studies relating to her Chinese minor. This summer, she will be interning abroad as a Sage Corps Fellow in Hong Kong, working full time for eight weeks at a global tech startup company.

Irene Rodriguez’s adversity, including struggles as a first generation immigrant from Colombia with language barriers, culture shock and economic hardships, have motivated her to excel at USF in her courses and her personal life. Rodriguez has an overall grade-point average of 3.51 and a 3.87 grade-point average in her dual major of management and international business with a concentration in marketing. She will graduate with the bachelor’s degrees in May 2017.

She is a member of the Tau Sigma Honor society, which fosters development for transfer students who have achieved scholastic excellence. The first in her family to attend college in America, Rodriguez has participated in USF’s Corporate Mentor Program, which has paired her with a mentor from Nielsen. To polish her business persona, she has taken ballroom dancing classes, learned professional etiquette and attended numerous networking sessions.

She completed a semester study abroad program in Florence, Italy which led her to her role as vice president for the GloBull Ambassador Program, which is made up of 55 students who have studied abroad. In the role, she helps recruit future study abroad students for the organization. 

Rodriguez has interned at Publix, Macy’s, Raymond James Financial Services and ConMed Corporation. At an internship at Publix last summer, Rodriguez implemented her own improvement project and created a business plan that was approved by the corporation’s warehouse directors. Her plan was implemented company-wide and resulted in positive changes to 27 distribution centers. She has volunteered for Feeding Tampa Bay and Metropolitan Ministries.

Jiaxin Zhang is a Chinese-American who was born and spent many of her formative years in the small, traditional village of Fuijan. As a child, Zhang thought a quality education was out of  reach due to her limited knowledge of English and enforcement of male-biased gender roles in her community.

But Zhang was determined to take responsibility for her own education and success. She began working at 11 years old, first at her family’s restaurant, then taking on other part-time work to put herself through school. After enrolling at USF, Zhang has interned with Northwestern Mutual as a financial representative intern and Raymond James Financial as an operational risk intern. This summer Zhang, now a senior, will intern with Goldman Sachs’ internal audit division in New York City.

As a freshman, Zhang served as an executive student leader for INTO USF, a program that helps international students adapt to the educational and social norms of their new location. This experience inspired her to establish a chapter of Project Pengyou at USF, an organization that seeks to create healthy discourse between Chinese, American and other international students.

Zhang is the current president for Chinese Students and Scholar and was recently selected into USF Ambassadors Program, as well as the Order of the Golden Brahman.

After completing her combined degree of business analytics and information systems and accounting, Zhang intends to earn an MBA and CPA credentials so she is able to be an influential force in the international business community.

Rendy Suryo is a student of the world. Having traveled extensively, he is poised and eager to be unleashed onto the global business environment.

A graduating senior focused on a bachelor’s degree in finance, Suryo has skipped around the globe, studying in Indonesia, Australia and China as well as the United States. He speaks four languages: Indonesian, Javanese, English and Mandarin Chinese. Learning so many new languages is a testament to his persistence and tenacity, something that will come in handy in the complicated world of global finance.

He is a recipient of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Level I Scholarship and is also pursuing the certification. Citibank in collaboration with USF acknowledged him as their Anti Money Laundering graduate in 2016 and earlier this year, as a Third Party Risk Management graduate.

His wide ranging travels have instilled in Suryo an ability to adapt to new environments quickly and work closely with people from different backgrounds. He is a graduate of The Global Leadership Program at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, and attended classes at the Qingdao University in Shandong, China, where he taught English to elementary school students. In Australia, he was involved with Catholic Student Asian Society to serve the homeless and raised money to support education through an Indonesian NGO.  

Suryo is currently serving as a financial literacy content expert for both elementary and high school students in a program administered by Junior Achievement of Tampa Bay. He will graduate with an overall 3.88 grade-point average and receive an Undergraduate Research credit for his involvement in the Business Case Competition.

A member of the Business Honors Program and the Provost’s Scholars Program, Muma College of Business senior Andrea Soto took only three years to earn a double major in marketing and finance. Since enrolling at USF, Soto has been actively involved with campus life, lent a hand in the local and global community, while maintaining her 3.48 overall grade-point average and a professional attitude.

During the first two weeks of her first semester, Soto ran for a position on the executive board of the Business Honors Service Association. Since then, she has been involved with several other projects such as working with St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Wounded Warriors Project and Junior Achievement.

She also has been a representative throughout campus in several ways. She has given tours to prospective students for the Green and Gold Guides, while also working as a community manager in the Greek Village for her sorority Delta Gamma at USF Housing and Residential Education. She also served as mentor in the Bulls Business Community.

Soto interned at Raymond James Financial last summer in the marketing department where she worked on marketing research, account management and marketing strategy and communication. Soon after, she earned a full-time position in marketing strategy. Soto is expected to graduate in May 2017 with an overall grade-point average of 3.48.

Mark Smyslov left his native Russia when he was 17 and came to the United States for a better life. But life was not easy for a young man who barely spoke English and had no connections.

He plans to graduate in May 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in finance and a minor in leadership studies. He has learned the language quite well and has an overall 3.93 grade-point average. He started a fraternity on campus and has been elected as Muma College of Business senator. He currently works as an accounting assistant at USF Aramark.

All his life, he has had a passion for numbers and that is why he chose finance as his major. Getting to where he is now was difficult, but he overcame language challenges and learned to seek out and utilize feedback from others to his advantage. He focused on his studies and improved his English when he joined the Bulls Business Community in his first year at USF. He is currently involved in the Corporate Mentor Program, where he continues to hone his language and interview skills and he plans to take the Chartered Financial Analyst Level 1 exam this December to facilitate his path to a finance career.

Smyslov is the founder of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity on the USF campus. The fraternity places a high value on community service and academic achievement. Smyslov and his fraternity brothers volunteer at local USF community servicee events and under his leadership, Phi Gamma Delta has doubled in size and has been recognized by the national headquarters.

A college education is not cheap and Devin Beeler is faced with supporting himself through this journey. But he is undaunted and his hard work, excellent grades and optimistic outlook have rewarded him with enough scholarships that his goal of graduating debt free is within reach.

An accounting major expecting to graduate in December 2017, Beeler hopes to continue his education by earning a master’s degree in accounting by May 2019. He currently has an overall grade-point average of 3.60. In his off hours, he enjoys chess and was instrumental in promoting the USF Chess Club, where up to 30 people now meet once a week to chat and, of course, play chess.

Beeler has matured during his time at USF, growing from a typical college student too nervous to talk to business professionals to what he is now: confident, well-spoken and able to effectively pitch himself to potential employers. He attributes this confidence to his involvement in the Bulls Business Community, the Corporate Mentor Program and Beta Alpha Psi.

As part of the Bulls Business Community, Beeler went on a tour of Grow Financial Credit Union and his confidence and professionalism convinced executives there to offer an internship for the summer of 2016. The stint proved beneficial, as Grow Financial gave him a chance to come back as a junior accountant, where he now works.

All of the experiences here at USF have combined to provide a bright future for Beeler, who currently is being recruited by three of the Big Four professional accounting firms.

Community involvement isn’t just another requirement to check off for Lindsey Schiller. Even while maintaining her grades, completing internships and participating in student organizations, Schiller makes time to give back to the community, volunteering for organizations such as Relay for Life and the Humane Society.

Going the extra mile is something Schiller does with every aspect of her academic life. She is highly involved with the American Marketing Association (USF-AMA) and has worked her way up to her role as director of communications and brand manager, where she works on initiatives to increase new member retention rate and manages the organization’s social media.

She’s also combined her professional skills and attitude of giving back by becoming a leader of multiple service projects for USF-AMA, such as working with Be the Match to increase the number of people on their National Bone Marrow Registry as well as increasing local awareness of Big Cat Rescue and their mission.  

As a freshman, Schiller joined the Bulls Business Community, where she developed professional and leadership skills. In her second year, she became a mentor to first-year students and was elected as the professional development chair. In that role, she organized and planned innovative programs such as its annual Dress for Success fashion show.

She is a natural leader whose motivation has created a foundation for success in the marketing field and has already helped her complete two internships with MOSI and PGT Industries.

Kelsy Letko is a student and leader who has committed herself to creating a positive impact on her community at USF. She is just as committed to her academics and has been recognized on the Dean’s List each semester for maintaining a 4.0 grade-point average.

As a sophomore in the Bulls Business Community, Letko serves as a peer mentor. In this position she offers advice on professional development, academics and campus involvement to her five mentees and does her part to ensure that these first-year students are as successful as possible.

Letko also volunteers as the graphic designer and community champion for USF’s Relay for Life Committee where she makes efforts to get others in the Tampa Bay community involved with the American Cancer Society’s signature fundraising event.

Letko strives to bring a brighter future through her actions as the director of marketing and public relations for Intellectual Decisions on Environmental Awareness Solutions at USF. Her efforts with IDEAS include a mission to install recycling bins in every dorm room on campus, initiating environmental volunteer opportunities for other students and spreading awareness of environmental issues in her community.

In 2016, Letko was the USF recipient of the GEICO Achievement Award, a prestigious scholarship that recognizes students for academic success and strong community involvement.

Devan Bolden grew up on the westside of Jacksonville where he often faced adversity. He began working at the age of 14 out of necessity. Schooling was looked down upon among many of his peers and was considered a prison rather than a way out. Despite all those formidable challenges, Bolden escaped the hard streets and was accepted into the University of South Florida.

As a first-year student, Bolden worked three jobs to pay for his education while maintaining diligence in his academic duties. Soon after he began to focus more on developing his desired career in marketing rather than holding multiple steady jobs. Being the recipient of the Florida Academic Scholars Bright Futures scholarship helped defray some of the costs of attending a university.

Since then he has held leadership and marketing roles with USF Ambassadors, Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Psi, the USF Black Students Union and FACES Modeling Troupe. Bolden also served as a marketing intern for GTE Financial where he conducted several extensive marketing projects over the course of eight months. He now is poised to graduate in May 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. He has an overall grade-point average of  3.65.

Bolden is grateful for the career and personal growth opportunities he has had while at USF and looks forward to expanding upon them in the future.

Luis Duque’s mother relocated his family from Colombia with the hope of a better life for herself and her son. However, with her consistently changing jobs, it was hard for Duque to be able to call any place his home.

With only temporary friendships and no role models, Duque had little interest in school and it wasn’t until after high school, Duque decided to begin his journey to further his education at Hillsborough Community College. His life-changing moment came when he woke up one morning in his car, homeless. It was then, he formulated the goals that he now is on the verge of achieving.

He received his associate’s degree and transferred to USF, where he was accepted into the USF Corporate Mentor Program. He excelled and will graduate in 2017 with a grade-point average of 3.57.

His involvement with the Information Systems & Decision Sciences Department got him  twice selected for a social media analytics research project with Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He now works as a data consultant and a social media analyst for Enterprise Media in the monitoring department. Currently, he helps mentor new ISDS Bank of America interns.

Duque’s hard work and dedication has not only helped him excel at a young age but has also given him the platform to keep succeeding and reaching new goals.

Priscilla Luong has come out her shell since coming to the Muma College of Business, where she expects to graduate in the spring of 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in finance and a minor in economics. She has an overall grade-point average of 3.76, but that’s only part of her story.

She often takes six classes a semester and when she receives her diploma, she will be just 20 years old.

Luong’s involvement in the Corporate Mentor Program was key in her emerging as an academic standout and instilled in her a deep sense of self confidence. She was paired with a T.Rowe Price vice president who encouraged her to step out of her comfort zone and pursue experiences she had been putting off, like studying abroad.

She did just that and found that traveling to foreign lands to study was an extremely rewarding experience, allowing her to initiate conversations with strangers, something she had been reluctant to do, and talking easily with professionals in her field of study. She dedicated her time to excelling in class and working as a teaching assistant, while attending a three-hour GMAT class twice a week. She currently works 25 hours a week as an intern in the retail account management department at T.Rowe Price while carrying a full load of classes. She recently accepted a job offer in Maryland where T.Rowe Price is headquartered, beginning in June.

She began peer-leading an academic foundations class for first-year students transitioning into university life. There, she was able to make connections to students, with whom she continues to stay in touch. She says she is rewarded when she sees her mentees establish themselves by joining organizations and some running for student government.

When Ifechi Akaniru’s father immigrated from Nigeria to America, he worked blue-collar jobs to sustain himself and pay for school. While others were preparing for graduation, he was in a taxicab driving his classmates to ceremonies to pay his tuition. Stories of his cabbie service taught Akaniru the importance of perseverance, hard work, and steadfast resolve. They also fueled her drive to win scholarships so that she would not add to his burden.

She has been successful in that endeavor, earning seven prestigious scholarships. One of them, from USF benefactor Lynn Pippenger, helped her build a personal relationship with the woman who helped build Raymond James. As a result, Akaniru has interned at Raymond James twice, gaining analytical, organizational, and networking skills.  Continue reading “Ifechi Akaniru, Marketing and Finance”

Isabela Castrillon recalls overhearing conversations between parents and their freshman children on college move-in day.  She eavesdropped as a mother reminisced about a professor who changed her world view and a father remembered how he and his friends founded a fraternity in college. Castrillon says she stood in nervous silence with her mom.  Arriving on campus, she knew she could handle the academic rigor, but being the first person in her family to attend college, she was aware that she didn’t necessarily have the guidance she would need in order to succeed.

Castrillon made a concerted effort to find mentors and to attend networking events – even if she wasn’t sure how it would benefit her in the short-term.  She joined the Corporate Mentor Program and was encouraged by the program director to attend a career fair. Continue reading “Isabela Castrillon, Business Economics”

Early in her first year at USF, Katelyn Chin did something few freshman do.  She visited the USF Career Center and began building relationships with its career counselors.  She took advantage of its personal and professional development programs and got a head start on her career development plan.  One of the lessons she learned:  USF has many outstanding students and the most successful ones do more than just make good grades – they stand out from their peers.  And she decided she was going to stand out.

She started by joining the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, a professional student-led organization that has given more opportunities than she could have ever dreamed. Not only has the organization given her lifelong friends and networks, but it also gave her Continue reading “Katelyn Chin, Marketing and Supply Chain Management”

When Jennifer Cohen’s family moved to America, her parents relied on her as they grew their franchise business with Börner Germany, a company that produces kitchen tools.   Though just 14 years old, she spoke English better than her parents and she would often help translate.  She often found herself handling clerical tasks alongside her parents.  She soon became intricately involved in the business, processing large orders, meeting with CEOs, reconciling statements, and handling customer service tasks.  Today, she helps manage the UAE franchise of the business.  

This isn’t her only business experience.  Cohen has held additional part-time retail jobs while in college and served as an aftercare counselor in an elementary school.  Why? Because she doesn’t like to have too much time on her hands!   Continue reading “Jennifer Cohen, Finance and Marketing”

From an early age, Laura Del Castillo took school seriously and had a competitive nature when it came to achieving her dreams. Throughout high school and continuing into her college career, Del Castillo learned that it is not enough to just get good grades; you have to get quality experience as well.

Within the first week of working as a full-time intern at JPMorgan, Del Castillo impressed her manager with her strong work ethic. She led her team to first place in the JPMorgan expo competition, in which 10 team members compete to create a product or service that adds value to the company.  Working with JPMorgan helped her to grow not only professionally, but also as a student, as it led her to pursue a second degree in management information systems. Continue reading “Laura Del Castillo, Finance and MIS”