Guest Series by: Dante Mugnaini, Summer Intern, University of South Florida
The Florida Consortium’s Ready, Set, Work: Student Perspectives blog series shines the light on student success but from the student’s vantage point. Andrew Aboujaoude, Faith Burns, and Alexis Szelwach, shared their personal experiences during our Student Success Conference in 2017 and we’ve caught up with them to find out what they’ve been up to. Last time we caught up with Andrew Aboujaoude and now Faith Burns is up next. When we caught up with her she was busy assisting a psychologist with research, but she made time to catch up with the Florida Consortium.
Q: What have you been up to?
A: When I first met with the Florida Consortium I was a sophomore going into my junior year at the University of Central Florida. Since then, I was accepted into UCF President’s Leadership Council which is a group of students that have made substantial contributions to the university in areas they are passionate about. I was chosen because of my work with students with intellectual disabilities and the scholar’s academy. I’ve also been working with a licensed clinical psychologist and I have begun research with a professor at UCF.
Q: What are you studying at UCF?
A: I am pursuing a degree in Psychology with a minor in Spanish. I’ve also been working towards getting a certificate for Spanish for health professionals. My favorite thing about UCF is the amount of support that students receive and the availability of its faculty and staff. Although they have busy lives they have a huge interest in students and go out of their way to build professional relationships with them with their success in mind. The opportunities, advice, and skills that are acquired through these relationships are extremely valuable.
Q: You were also the executive director at UCF LEAD’s Scholars Program, a two-year academic leadership development for first-time-in-college student. What made you want to provide these services to fellow students?
A: My sister went to UCF about 10 years ago and was a National Merit Scholar, so while visiting the campus with her I immediately fell in love with it. My heart was set on UCF and I was accepted within a few weeks of sending out my application. Just before graduating from high school, I got an LEAD Scholars Academy advertisement letter and I decided to apply. LEAD didn’t require students to have prior leadership experience,rather, they looked for students that want to be leaders. LEAD was a great way to build relationships. So when the executive director role opened up, I was one of the five people to apply. Ultimately, I was selected for the position and I loved every minute of it. I’m very glad I was able to serve as the executive director for two years. The role really helped me transition into college, acquire leadership skills, and allowed me to apply what I was learning in my field.
Q: What are your main concerns as you get closer to graduation?
A: A really big one for me is getting into graduate school and starting to work towards getting a doctorate in Psychology. Currently, I’m on track to be accepted into the program, so fingers crossed. But I’m also concerned about being ready and mentally preparing for all the work. The school I’m applying to isn’t far, only an hour away, but if I’m accepted I’d be living alone, without family and friends near me. I spoke with a professor recently and he told me it may seem like a long time until I can get my Ph.D. but in reality, I’m within arm’s reach of it.
Q: Do you plan to continue providing academic mentorship to university students after you graduate?
A: Absolutely, due to the LEAD Scholars Academy and the President’s Leadership Council, I’ve met adults who have done the same things years ago and many of them have taken what they’ve learned from these positions into the real world. They’ve been a great resource to have, so I’d love to continue with this type of work to help students, whether in an academic setting, or just talking to them about what I’ve learned.
Q: Lastly, could you share some of your goals for the next five years?
A: My goal for the next five years would ideally be to get into a five-year doctorate program right out of undergraduate school. Another one would be to achieve complete fluency in Spanish so that one day I could go to Spanish-speaking country for a few weeks. I’ve been studying the language for about ten years. I would consider myself close to being fluent, but I’d like to have the exposure and practice that comes from travelling. Another big one would be to nurture the personal and professional relationships that I’ve made in college. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t made those connections and developed those relationships, whether its UCF’s professors, LEAD Scholars staff, and everyone else that have helped me achieve what I have set out to over the last few years.
In summary, Faith is an another example of UCF’s diverse and successful student population. We hope you find her story and path to success inspiring.
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