Studer Community Institute

UWF student is nation's best

November 24, 2014
/ Staff Reports
/ training-development

Jini Curry could have attended any college in the state, but she preferred the small-school intimacy and natural environment that the University of West Florida offered. In addition to excelling in the classroom, the senior biochemistry major quickly got involved in campus activities, including the Kugelman Honors Program, Chemistry Scholars Program, Chemistry Club, Garden Club and Alpha Epsilon Delta at UWF. Her academic achievements and extracurricular activities did not gone unnoticed. Curry recently was named 2014 Student of the Year by the National Collegiate Honors Council during the council’s conference in Denver, Colo. “Being named Student of the Year sums up all of the hard work that I’ve done during my time at UWF,” Curry said. “It shows me that I really did make a difference and leave my legacy here.” Each of the nearly 1,000 Honors Council member institutions are allowed to nominate one student for this award, and the NCHC Student Concerns Committee makes the selection. For Curry, this national recognition was the culmination of four years of dedication to making an impact. Curry joined the Honors Program as a freshman and quickly rose through the ranks to assume leadership roles, becoming vice president of the Honors Council as a sophomore and president in her junior year. She has attended the National Collegiate Honors Council’s annual conference since her freshman year and has presented several times on leadership, among other topics. She also serves as a Core I mentor for freshmen in the program, providing tutoring and one-on-one leadership. Greg Lanier, dean of University College and director of the Kugelman Honors Program, said Curry is an amazing Honors student and a top-notch biochemistry student who no doubt earn a medical degree and Ph.D. in the future. “This is a tremendous recognition for Jini, and we are absolutely thrilled that she has been chosen as the NCHC Student of the Year,” Lanier said. “For a student from UWF to be named as the top Honors student in the entire nation is a feat that is almost beyond words.” After graduation in May, Curry plans to spend a year conducting research before attending graduate school to earn an M.D./Ph.D. before working in pediatric genetics. Curry credits her academic success to the opportunities provided to her at UWF. “I was accepted to every major university in Florida, but I loved the small class sizes and natural environment that UWF offered,” she said. “I decided this was the best fit for me, and now I know I couldn’t have made a better decision. All of the opportunities that have been given to me, both through the chemistry department and the Honors Program, have made all the difference.” To learn more about the Kugelman Honors Program at UWF, visit uwf.edu/honors.

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UWF student is nation's best

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