UCF Alumni has announced its annual 30 Under 30 Award winners. They are inventors, entrepreneurs, engineers, athletes, academics, teachers and nurses on the frontlines of the pandemic, and more. Each member of the 2022 class has demonstrated great professional success, a commitment to helping others, and a track record of giving back to UCF and their local communities.
“This year’s recipients are shining examples of what it means to keep charging on and never stop reaching for the stars,” says Heather Junod ’98, associate vice president of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving. “They are the epitome of the UCF Young Alumni Council’s values: bold, scholarly, trailblazing, generous and resilient. On behalf of UCF Alumni, I am excited to celebrate their accomplishments and congratulate them on this well-deserved honor. They represent the very best of Knight Nation.”
Nominations for the awards were accepted online from Oct. 15, 2021 until Dec. 5, 2021. Nominations were reviewed and scored by UCF staff, previous award recipients, and the UCF Young Alumni Council. The finalists were then confirmed by the UCF Alumni Board based on the following criteria:
- Must be a graduate of UCF (undergraduate or graduate degree)
- Must be age 29 or younger on June 1, 2022
- Must demonstrate a commitment to maintaining a lifelong relationship with UCF and strive to uphold UCF Young Alumni values
The 2022 award recipients are scheduled to be honored in a celebratory event on May 21. Below is a complete list of the winners, listed alphabetically. Past recipients can be found on the UCF Alumni website.
Amy Weschler ’15
B.A. English
Burnett Honors Scholar
Annabeth Huff ’15
B.S. Nursing
Burnett Honors Scholar
Ashlei Petion ’17MA
M.A. Counselor Education
Bailey Glessner ’16
B.S. Event Management
Daphne Whitmer ’14 ’17MA ’19PhD
B.S. Psychology
M.A. Applied Experimental and Human Factors Psychology
Ph.D. Psychology
Burnett Honors Scholar
Deanna Thibault ’13
Diego Bacellar ’18
B.A. Interdisciplinary Studies
Eduardo Morales ’15 ’20MS
Elle Siebert ’18
B.A. Advertising/Public Relations
Burnett Honors Scholar
Emily Judd ’16
Bachelor of Music-Music Performance
Burnett Honors Scholar
Jackielyn Wool ’16
B.S. Business Administration-Management
Jamie Corey Lloret ’15 ’18MA
B.S. Elementary Education
Jeremy Tache ’17
B.A. Radio-Television
Burnett Honors Scholar
Joe Sleppy ’18
John Silva ’15
Jordan Grushka ’14 ’16MA
Jordan Kuveke-Guyton ’16
Karen Rodriguez ’16
B.A. Advertising/Public Relations
Kaye-Alese Green ’13 ’15MA
B.S. Psychology
M.A. Interdisciplinary Studies
Burnett Honors Scholar
Kevin Young ’17
B.S. Business Administration-Management
Korey Salter ’15
B.S. Criminal Justice
Kristen Thomas ’16
B.A. Theatre Studies
Lauren Sigmund ’19MS
M.S. Hospitality and Tourism Management
Lisa Borntrager ’16 ’18MSW
B.S. Psychology
Mariana Herrera ’16
B.S. Business Administration-Finance
McKenzie Milton ’19
B.S. Sports and Exercise Science
Shyanne Mathers ’19
B.S. Business Administration-Integrated Business
Uzair Hammad ’16 ’21DPT
B.S. Sports and Exercise Science
Xavier Henderson ’17 ’21MS
Zachary Gerhart ’18MBA ’19MS