{"id":24691,"date":"2024-04-25T06:16:04","date_gmt":"2024-04-25T06:16:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/?p=24691&post_type=story"},"modified":"2025-04-18T02:01:48","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T02:01:48","slug":"broadening-horizons","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/broadening-horizons\/","title":{"rendered":"Broadening Horizons"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every year students from across the country and around the globe choose UCF, opening their world to a future full of possibilities. Investing in their college education \u2014 and the experiences that come with it \u2014 can set them up for a lifetime of success.<\/p>\n

While navigating the complexities of financing higher education, scholarships offer a beacon of hope.<\/p>\n

At UCF, the impact of scholarships goes beyond lessening the financial strain of tuition and expenses. They enable students to embark on their academic journeys with confidence. UCF is dedicated to unleashing students\u2019 potential by making education affordable and accessible. Scholarships help to remove obstacles so students can focus on their studies, hands-on learning experiences and campus activities.<\/p>\n

With the support of donors worldwide, thousands of UCF students have benefited from scholarships. They not only receive monetary assistance but benefit from a legacy of generosity and goodwill. Here are some of our students and the scholarships that have empowered them to succeed.<\/p>\n

$4,739,620<\/strong>
\nIn scholarship funds awarded to students in 2023<\/p>\n

2,253<\/strong>
\nUCF students were awarded scholarships to help support their education during the 2022-23 fiscal year<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Support Scholarships for Students\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n

\n

Stephen P. Weisz Endowed Scholarship in Hospitality Management Fund<\/h2>\n

Established in 2022 by Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corp.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"UCF<\/p>\n

Marriott Vacations Worldwide is nurturing the hospitality leaders of tomorrow through the Stephen P. Weisz Endowed Scholarship in Hospitality Management Fund. The scholarship, established in honor of the retired CEO of Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corp., inspires students to pursue their passion for the hospitality industry and serve their community at large. This support has reduced the financial load for Jida Awa \u201923 <\/b>and Christian DeMichiel, who majored in Rosen College\u2019s hospitality management<\/a> program.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most important thing that I have learned about the hospitality industry is that it is a community that will support future [industry] leaders [and] the success of students,\u201d Awa says.<\/p>\n

\"UCF<\/p>\n

\n

Quadrant Engineering \u2014 Chowdhury Family Future Leaders Endowed Scholarship<\/h2>\n

Established in 2024 by civil engineering<\/a> alum Rafiqul Chowdhury \u201909 \u201911MS<\/b><\/em>.<\/p>\n

As the owner of Quadrant Engineering in New York, Rafiqul Chowdhury \u201909 \u201911MS <\/b>is living a dream that began at UCF. The civil engineering alum says he owes his success to faculty mentors, like-minded students, and professional internships and scholarships from the American Society of Civil Engineers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose scholarships \u2026 allowed me to focus more of my time on my studies instead of working,\u201d says Chowdhury, who recently established the Quadrant Engineering \u2013 Chowdhury Family Future Leaders Endowed Scholarship<\/a> to help students who share his drive and resolve.<\/p>\n

\"UCF<\/p>\n

\u201cI aim to support students similar to myself \u2014 those who put in hard work, dedicate themselves and just need a little extra help, as I once did. My goal is to encourage them to aspire to extraordinary achievements,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\n

The Mott Law Firm Endowed Scholarship<\/h2>\n

Established in 2010 by Melanie \u201902 <\/strong>and Michael Mott \u201902 <\/strong>of The Mott Law Firm.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Shamona Joseph can now confidently work toward his goals of attending law school and starting his career as a worker\u2019s compensation attorney thanks in part to The Mott Law Firm Endowed Scholarship he was awarded in Fall 2023. Since his freshman year, Joseph has been putting his skills into practice \u2014 even submitting a law article for publication through UCF\u2019s Undergraduate Law Journal program. Now in his junior year, he says the scholarship has allowed him to reach even greater heights.<\/p>\n

Created by UCF legal studies alum and personal injury attorney Michael Mott \u201902<\/b>, the scholarship awards UCF undergraduate students majoring in legal studies<\/a> with aid to pay for tuition, textbooks and more. Mott says his gratitude for UCF\u2019s Department of Legal Studies strengthened his support for Knights like Joseph who aspire to work in the legal field helping people in need.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

\n

Corey Family Endowed Scholarship<\/h2>\n

Established in 2020 by Loretta \u201917 <\/strong>and Michael Corey \u201917<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

For Andrea Gadek, an art student with a track in visual arts and emerging media management<\/a>, the Corey Family Endowed Scholarship eased the financial strain of tuition fees, enabling her to invest in additional academic resources such as research materials and educational workshops to further her education in visual arts. The awarded funds have brought Gadek closer to fulfilling her dream of becoming a high school art teacher.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout scholarships such as the Corey Family Endowed Scholarship, college wouldn\u2019t be possible for me financially,\u201d Gadek says. \u201c[The scholarship is] a means to fund my education and also a stepping stone toward a brighter future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Upperco Family Endowed Scholarship<\/h2>\n

Established in 2001 by Daniel,\u00a0Gloria\u00a0\u201980MBA<\/strong>, John, Mark and Peter Upperco, as well as Randi Brooks \u201976 \u201992MBA<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

The\u00a0Upperco Family Endowed Scholarship remains steadfast to provide financial assistance to undergraduate students, particularly those from Central Florida high schools.\u00a0Recognizing the importance of higher education, the Upperco family is committed to helping UCF Knights succeed throughout their college careers.<\/p>\n

For senior biology<\/a> student Myrna Douna, the scholarship is supporting her dream to become a dentist. Beyond financial assistance, the scholarship has empowered her to complement her dental studies with research and an internship at Grace Medical Home\u2019s Dental Center.<\/p>\n

\"A

Dan Upperco, Mark Upperco, Gloria Upperco \u201980MBA<\/strong>, John Upperco, Randi Brooks \u201976 \u201992MBA<\/strong>, Peter Upperco and Betsy Upperco with other Upperco family members and students from the College of Undergraduate Studies.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":24821,"template":"","categories":[1588],"tags":[341,1340,148,1432,297],"class_list":["post-24691","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-impact","tag-college-of-arts-and-humanities","tag-college-of-community-innovation-and-education","tag-college-of-engineering-and-computer-science","tag-philanthropy","tag-rosen-college-of-hospitality-management","issues-spring-2024"],"yoast_head":"\nBroadening Horizons | Scholarships for UCF Students<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Thanks to donors' generosity, scholarships are transformative tools that empower Knights to succeed at UCF and beyond.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/broadening-horizons\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Broadening Horizons\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Thanks to donors' generosity, scholarships are transformative tools that empower Knights to succeed at UCF and beyond.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/broadening-horizons\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Pegasus Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UCF\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-18T02:01:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2024\/04\/Pegasus-Spr24-Impact-FB-1200x630-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Broadening Horizons\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Thanks to donors' generosity, scholarships are transformative tools that empower Knights to succeed at UCF and beyond.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2024\/04\/Pegasus-Spr24-Impact-TW-1600x900-1.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@UCF\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/broadening-horizons\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/broadening-horizons\/\",\"name\":\"Broadening Horizons | Scholarships for UCF Students\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/broadening-horizons\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/broadening-horizons\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2024\/04\/Pegasus-Spr24-impact-1200x800-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-04-25T06:16:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-18T02:01:48+00:00\",\"description\":\"Thanks to donors' generosity, scholarships are transformative tools that empower Knights to succeed at UCF and beyond.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/broadening-horizons\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/broadening-horizons\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/broadening-horizons\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2024\/04\/Pegasus-Spr24-impact-1200x800-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2024\/04\/Pegasus-Spr24-impact-1200x800-1.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":800,\"caption\":\"UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management grad and Guy Fiery's Help Rebuild Restaurants Grant recipient, Valerie Contreras.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/broadening-horizons\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Broadening Horizons\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/\",\"name\":\"Pegasus Magazine\",\"description\":\"The Magazine of University of Central Florida\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/broadening-horizons\/#local-main-organization-logo\",\"url\":\"\",\"contentUrl\":\"\",\"caption\":\"University of Central Florida\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Broadening Horizons | Scholarships for UCF Students","description":"Thanks to donors' generosity, scholarships are transformative tools that empower Knights to succeed at UCF and beyond.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/broadening-horizons\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Broadening Horizons","og_description":"Thanks to donors' generosity, scholarships are transformative tools that empower Knights to succeed at UCF and beyond.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/broadening-horizons\/","og_site_name":"Pegasus Magazine","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UCF","article_modified_time":"2025-04-18T02:01:48+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2024\/04\/Pegasus-Spr24-Impact-FB-1200x630-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Broadening Horizons","twitter_description":"Thanks to donors' generosity, scholarships are transformative tools that empower Knights to succeed at UCF and beyond.","twitter_image":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2024\/04\/Pegasus-Spr24-Impact-TW-1600x900-1.jpg","twitter_site":"@UCF","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/broadening-horizons\/","url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/broadening-horizons\/","name":"Broadening Horizons | Scholarships for UCF Students","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/broadening-horizons\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/broadening-horizons\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2024\/04\/Pegasus-Spr24-impact-1200x800-1.jpg","datePublished":"2024-04-25T06:16:04+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-18T02:01:48+00:00","description":"Thanks to donors' generosity, scholarships are transformative tools that empower Knights to succeed at UCF and beyond.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/broadening-horizons\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/broadening-horizons\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/broadening-horizons\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2024\/04\/Pegasus-Spr24-impact-1200x800-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2024\/04\/Pegasus-Spr24-impact-1200x800-1.jpg","width":1200,"height":800,"caption":"UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management grad and Guy Fiery's Help Rebuild Restaurants Grant recipient, Valerie Contreras."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/broadening-horizons\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Broadening Horizons"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/","name":"Pegasus Magazine","description":"The Magazine of University of Central Florida","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/broadening-horizons\/#local-main-organization-logo","url":"","contentUrl":"","caption":"University of Central Florida"}]}},"acf":[],"story_subtitle":"Thanks to the generosity of donors, scholarships become transformative tools that empower Knights to succeed and thrive throughout their UCF experience.","story_description":"Thanks to the generosity of donors, scholarships become transformative tools that empower Knights to succeed and thrive throughout their UCF experience.","story_thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2024\/04\/Pegasus-Spr24-impact-1200x800-1-263x175.jpg","width":263,"height":175},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/24691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/story"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/24691\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25733,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/24691\/revisions\/25733"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}