Distinction in Student Leadership and Service

The Distinction in Leadership and Service Award is a special honor, which recognizes students graduating with a degree from the College who have excelled in serving and leading others within the Warrington and UF community. Recipients of this award have demonstrated a sincere passion for serving others through their leadership skills.

Distinction in Leadership and Service recipients receive recognition at the Heavener Gator Globes.

Application

Applications open Monday, January 8th and must be submitted by 12:00 noon on Thursday, February 22, 2024.

Eligibility Requirements

  1. Senior business or accounting major, or combination degree student graduating from UF in 2024 (spring, summer, or fall). Combination degree students should wait to apply when graduating with their graduate degree.
  2. Completed at least 60 hours at UF.
  3. Enrolled during the term of application and be free of conduct probation. Applicants graduating during the term of application must be enrolled for at least the number of hours required for graduation.

Selection Process & Criteria

Students will be selected for Distinction in Leadership and Service by a selection committee consisting of Warrington faculty and staff members. Applicants will be selected based on the following criteria:

  • Demonstrated passion for serving and leading others
  • Campus leadership
  • Campus involvement
  • Service to the College and University

Submission Requirements

  1. Two letters of recommendation using the request form below (recommenders must be individuals directly related to the applicant’s accomplishments or service at UF, and must not be current members of the award selection committee).
  2. Resume (2-page maximum) detailing campus involvement, leadership experiences, service and accomplishments.
  3. Personal statement (3-page maximum, double-spaced, one-inch margins, 12-point font, Times New Roman) explaining how your leadership activities have made a significant and positive impact on the Heavener School of Business community. Include information on your involvement and service to the UF & Warrington communities, and a brief summary of your immediate post-graduation plans.
  4. Gator Ready transcript – we will pull this for you once we receive your application, so please ensure you have recorded all of the activities and events you have participated in throughout your tenure at UF.
  5. Completed application form.
  6. One 15-minute interview with members of the selection committee (you will be contacted after the award application deadline, in order to schedule this).

Applications that are incomplete, late, or non-compliant with the items above, will not be forwarded to the selection committee for review.

By submitting an application, applicants agree to release their academic records and discipline records to the selection committee. This year’s selection committee members are: Dr. Erica Studer-Byrnes, Dr. Amanda Jackson, Dr. Dennis DiPasquale, Jeffery Danso & Dr. Max Dolinsky.

Please complete the Recommendation Request form below for each of your recommenders to get started. Whenever you are ready to submit your parts of the application, click the Apply Now button.

Previous Award Recipients

Olaoluwakitan Kitan Adeniji
Olaoluwakitan Kitan Adeniji
Shannon Sawtell
Shannon Sawtell
Claire Patterson
Claire Patterson
Dorian Simpkins
Dorian Simpkins
Isabella Montoya Bedoya
Isabella Montoya Bedoya
Shreya Dundigalla
Shreya Dundigalla
Valentina Rendon
Valentina Rendon
Caity Torres
Caity Torres
Natalie Romero
Natalie Romero
Marissa Tanner
Marissa Tanner
Alaina Brown
Alaina Brown
Suzanne Dabage
Suzanne Dabage
Katelyn Chandler
Katelyn Chandler
Lauren Lindsay
Lauren Lindsay
Charlie Keegan
Charlie Keegan
Abigail Fielding
Abigail Fielding
Anna Kelly
Megan Towzey
Hannah Olmstead
Hannah Olmstead
Jade Mulvaney
Jade Mulvaney
Sherman Wilhelm
Sherman Wilhelm
Megan Towzey
Megan Towzey
David Nassau
David Nassau
Kelsey Noris
Kelsey Noris
Matthew Schnur
Matthew Schnur
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Jerome Fulton

Jerome graduated with a degree in Accounting. He has been described by one of his mentors as someone who has not only held numerous leadership positions in several organizations and CCLD programs, but also as someone who has willing served those around him in the community. The recipient has served as a teaching assistant and as a mentor to his peers. He is the embodiment of a student leader and he seeks to make any organization he belongs to better. His leadership, integrity, and professionalism are beyond what one would expect of someone his age and he easily stands among the best of the best among the leaders who have come through the halls of the Warrington College of Business Administration.

Alison Sanchez
Alison Sanchez

Allison Sanchez graduated with a degree in Business Administration majoring in Marketing with a minor in Dance. She has been described by her nominator as, “someone whose service and leadership is a reflection not of her pride, but of her desire to create an inclusive environment for other student leaders and to enhance the student leadership experience for her peers within the WCBA.” Her involvement includes serving as a Warrington Welcome Peer Leader, Business Undergraduate Mentorship Program Advisory Board, Warrington Diplomat and serving as a Teaching Assistant for Principles of Marketing.

Christine Delgado
Christine Delgado

Christine Delgado graduated with degree in Business Administration majoring in Marketing. She has been described by her peers and her nominator as a servant leader to the college and as someone who has consistently dedicated herself to mentoring and bettering her peers. She has demonstrated her tireless service to the college through her vast experiences through Enactus, the Business Case Analysis Course where she represented the college in five different case competitions around the world, as a LEAP Advisory board member, and through her role as a Career & Academic Peer Mentor.

Kaliene Lambert
Kaliene Lambert

Kaliene Lambert graduated with a degree in Business Administration majoring in Finance with a minor in Chinese. She has been described by her nominator as someone who is determined, professional, and committed to helping business majors succeed through their internships and their roles as student leaders. Her involvement includes service as a Career & Academic Peer Mentor, President of the BACC, the Florida Leadership Academy Advisory Board, and various leadership roles within the Florida Business Leadership Society.

Alberto Chavez
Alberto Chavez

Alberto Chavez graduated with an Accounting degree and he has been heavily involved in our college. In his senior year, he served the Business Undergraduate Mentorship Program as the Senior Executive Director and as President of Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity. Alberto has dedicated his collegiate career and involvement to the success of the Warrington College of Business. He has championed Alpha Kappa Psi to become the largest student organization in the college, boasting more than 200 members, and he has led BUMP from its infancy to the present level of excellence currently exhibited through its members and past participants.

Jackie Campuzano
Jackie Campuzano

Jackie Campuzano graduated with a degree in Information Systems and she has been heavily involved in our college. She is a current Career & Academic Peer Mentor on the Finance and Information Systems Team, as well as a Member of the Warrington Diplomats, and is a Graduate of the Florida Leadership Academy. She continued her involvement with the Florida Leadership Academy is a mentor and advisory board member. She has served in various leadership roles in the Florida Phi Beta Lambda District II, including State Vice President, President, and Secretary. She has traveled for our college to the APEX Global 2011 Case Competition in Singapore, and the Altria Indiana University National Team Selling Case Competition. She participated in a fellowship in Italian Culture and Science in December 2010.

Mark Sollenberger
Mark Sollenberger

Mark, a graduate student in the Master of Science program in Information Systems and Operations Management, has demonstrated outstanding commitment to the college through his dedication to the Association for Information Systems. According to his advisors, Mark’s dedication led this association through the transition to a new student organization, and increased membership by almost 400%. He has represented UF’s AIS on the national level, and as President of the organization accepted three awards for the chapter, including “Outstanding Professional Development”, “Outstanding Membership Activities” and “Outstanding Careers in Information Systems”. He has also performed volunteer work with the St. Francis Shelter and Habitat for Humanity. According to his advisors, Mark “will always be remembered as having made an amazing impact on our program and its students”.

Nikolai De Leo

Since Nikolai De Leo’s freshman year, he has made an effort to get involved at the University of Florida, and more specifically, give back to the Business College community that has taught him so much. He first became involved with Student Investment Club, where he started volunteering on the Marketing Team and eventually became President during Spring Semester 2008. Another significant impact that Nikolai has made for the College of Business has been through his positions as an Ambassador for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, becoming a Teacher Assistant for the Cost Accounting Class, and being the current president of the CEI Ambassadors.

According to one of his professors “Nikolai is unlike any student I’ve ever encountered. He is simultaneously one of the most accomplished and humble individuals I have ever known. He is absolutely selfless and generous, and in being so, he absorbs knowledge and experience from every situation and person he encounters along the way.”

Hayden Trepeck
Hayden Trepeck

Hayden took over the Entrepreneurship Club as president and made it his goal to turn the club into something students could be passionate about. In addition to pursing an accounting degree and owning a business in south Florida, Hayden dedicated countess hours bringing in local entrepreneurs and faculty and raising money for the club. Hayden is passionate about incorporating out of the classroom learning and real world experiences to help the members enhance their college experience. Hayden successfully transformed an organization nearing extinction and turned it into an organization that adds significant value to its members.

Rikesh Amin

Rikesh has progressed through Business Administration College Council from a member to various leadership positions to his current position as the Vice President of Internal Affairs. He is also a project captain in SIFE and a founding member of Warrington Student Integrity Team as well as a brother in Alpha Kappa Psi. Rikesh’s activities have made a significant and positive impact on the College community by creating interactions between the organizations he is involved with as well as applying ideas from one organization to another.

David Meyrowitz

David has amassed an impressive list of leadership credentials while at the Warrington College of Business. David founded the University Consulting Group, was twice elected to the Presidency of the Business Administration College Council, and served as Vice-President for the board of College Councils. Additionally he represented the College as a member of the Students in Free Enterprise Team and as a participant in the Spring 2005 Johnson & Johnson Case Competition. Through his efforts, David has added value to our campus and to the college experience of his peers.

Lee Christoff

In two short years Lee has immersed himself in the campus life of the Warrington College of Business. Lee has served several positions in the Business Administration College Council including the Presidency. Lee has also been actively involved in the Students in Free Enterprise team.