The 23rd annual Joseph C. Andrews Mentoring Celebration breakfast that highlights leadership in the University of Central Florida community will be in the Student Union on Jan. 30.
Beginning at 8 a.m. in the Pegasus Ballroom, the event hosted by the Black Faculty and Staff Association at UCF will feature keynote speaker Marc Lamont Hill, host of BET News and VH1 Live, and a CNN political contributor. Hill is a journalist, professor at Morehouse College in Atlanta and a social-justice activist. His speech will focus on how culture, education, community involvement and mentoring intersect.
Five UCF students also will be recognized for their mentorship roles in the community with $2,000 worth of scholarships. More than 200 students were nominated for these scholarships that are designed to recognize the accomplishments of mentoring programs at UCF. The scholarships include a Past Presidents Legacy Scholarship, Dr. Cheryl Green Service Scholarship, Dr. Tee Collins Scholarship, and Mentor and Mentee of the Year scholarships.
For past scholarship recipient Danelle Richard, a senior studying health sciences, the $500 award gave her extra resources to pay for education expenses and to contribute to a cause she’s passionate about. What wasn’t spent on textbooks was donated to International Medical Outreach, a registered student organization in which Richard holds a director role. IMO participants travel to Haiti twice a year to offer two-day free clinics and to collect data on the area’s health demographics.
The celebration’s theme is “Facing the Future Together: Mentoring for Change,” and is open to the public. It’s $350 to purchase a table and $35 for an individual ticket. Money raised will support scholarships and annual celebration breakfasts. Contact DeLaine Priest at DeLaine.Priest@ucf.edu by Jan. 13 to reserve a seat.