UCF Names 2022’s 30 Under 30 Alumni Award Winners

By ASHLEY CULLINS

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

B.S. Hospitality Management

Diego Bacellar ’18

B.A. Interdisciplinary Studies

Eduardo Morales ’15 ’20MS

B.S. Mechanical Engineering

M.S. Mechanical Engineering

Elle Siebert ’18

B.A. Advertising/Public Relations

Burnett Honors Scholar

Emily Judd ’16

B.S. Aerospace Engineering

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

M.A. Educational Leadership

Jeremy Tache ’17

B.A. Radio-Television

Burnett Honors Scholar

Joe Sleppy ’18

B.S. Electrical Engineering

John Silva ’15

B.S. Industrial Engineering

Jordan Grushka ’14 ’16MA

B.S. Social Science Education

M.A. Educational Leadership

Jordan Kuveke-Guyton ’16

B.S. Public Administration

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

Master of Social Work

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

Doctor of Physical Therapy

Xavier Henderson ’17 ’21MS

B.S. Aerospace Engineering

M.S. Aerospace Engineering

Zachary Gerhart ’18MBA ’19MS

Master of Business Administration

M.S. Sport Business Management