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Seven community stand-outs receive awards at USF Sarasota-Manatee fall commencement ceremony

SARASOTA, FL, (December 16, 2005) – At every USF Sarasota-Manatee commencement ceremony, a select group of individuals receive awards for their citizenship, character, and scholarship. This Sunday evening at the Fall 2005 convocation, the university will bestow these honors upon seven people.

The Golden Bull Award is given to undergraduate students who exemplify service to the community. Catching up with this semester’s Golden Bull award recipients, Darren L. Gambrell and Leah R. Cell, was no easy task. Compelled by a sense of civic duty, these students’ calendars are filled with laundry lists of service-oriented campus committees, organizations, and events. 

When asked why he pitches in so readily, Gambrell explained that his family instilled in him a sense of service to community.  

“It’s just my upbringing. I wouldn’t ask others to do work I wouldn’t do. I think you earn more respect by leading by example,” said Gambrell, a psychology student who currently serves as Student Services Program Assistant and Student Government Business Manager.   

Cell shares this sense of duty to community. “I’m a very caring person and I treat others as I want to be treated," explained Cell, an Interdisciplinary Social Services student. “I work at the YMCA, so I’m able to help a number of people in my current position.”  

The King O’Neal Award, named in honor of charter graduates Lucas King and Evelyn O’Neal, is presented each semester by the USF Alumni Association to the graduating seniors who have maintained a 4.0 grade point average throughout their college careers. The Fall 2005 graduating class has two qualifying graduates with a 4.0 GPA -- Jennifer Lynn Davis and Siew Foong Sim.  

Davis, an Interdisciplinary Social Sciences major who plans to open a gauze clothing store in February, explains that she was motivated to a high level of scholastic achievement because she places high worth on learning. “I feel that all knowledge is valuable and so I made sure to really learn the material. Anything less than 100 percent means you left behind valuable information,” said Davis.

Sim, a finance student, points to family as a key reason for her success. “The unconditional love that my Mom has shown me has always made me want to try harder,” said Sim.

The Outstanding Senior Award, presented by the USF Alumni Association, recognizes a graduating senior who embodies leadership, school spirit, community service, character, and scholarship. Holly Carvalho, the award recipient, acknowledged the supporting role that her professors played in her success.  

“The faculty members who I have worked with over the past two years have helped me a great deal in my accomplishments,” said Carvalho. 

Each semester, graduating students nominate a USF Sarasota-Manatee professor for the Outstanding Professor Award. Education professor Dr. Rosemarie Ataya, the award recipient, was touched by the recognition.  

“This award is especially gratifying because it comes from the students,” explained Ataya. “My philosophy is that not everything deserves a grade, but everything deserves feedback. This award is positive feedback -- it tells me that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.” 

The Distinguished Citizen Award, presented by President Judy Genshaft, will be given to Dr. George Duncan Finlay, Jr., to acknowledge his service to USF and the citizens of Florida. 

The retired president and Chief Executive Officer of Sarasota Memorial Hospital Healthcare System helped steward the hospital to become one of the nation’s elite.  During his time as CEO, patient satisfaction scores rose from the 17^th percentile to the 98^th percentile.  

Finlay, a long-time USF advocate, provided a site at Sarasota Memorial Hospital for USF College of Nursing students to learn new informatics and information systems skills. He encouraged collaboration between the Colleges of Business and Nursing for joint research on the use of information systems.

USF Sarasota-Manatee is an upper-level campus – serving people with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree seeking a baccalaureate or master’s degree, professional certification, or continuing education credit. The regional campus offers the prestige of a national Research I university with the convenience of a hometown campus, including classes in south Sarasota County at the Manatee Community College Venice site.