UNF Student Honored for Service During UNF Commencement

Media Contact: Joanna Norris, Associate Director 

Department of Public Relations 

(904) 620-2102 

The University of North Florida will honor a student with an outstanding record of volunteerism when it hands out more than 1,000 degrees Friday, Dec. 9, during fall commencement at the UNF Arena on campus. 

Southside resident, Sophie Shows, who will graduate with a 3.78 GPA and a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a dual major in finance and financial services, will be recognized as the recipient of the Senior Service Award for the fall 2011 graduating class. The UNF Alumni Association presents the Senior Service Award to a graduating senior for outstanding volunteer service to the University or community. The award will be presented during the 3 p.m. commencement ceremony. 

Over the past four years, Shows has become well known on campus and in the Jacksonville community. Since arriving at UNF, she has volunteered in many capacities. Her top accomplishments include serving as a mentor in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program; Student Government senator; member of the Presidential Envoys Student Alumni Association; Women in Business Society treasurer; Student Leadership Advisory Board member; and Kappa Delta Sorority president.  

“I have come to find that being an Osprey means much more than just being a student at UNF,” said Shows. “My volunteer experiences have been extremely rewarding and they have made me into the person I am today. UNF has given me the opportunity to grow tremendously.” 

Shows says her most rewarding experience has been serving as a big sister and mentor to a first-grade student. At the start of her mentorship, her mentee was barely reading and had very little interest or motivation to study. With the help of her teachers, Shows implemented a positive reinforcement game and provided extensive support, often many times every week. Still serving in the capacity as her mentor, her mentee has earned A/B honor roll for the past two years and remains very motivated to excel in her studies.  

As a senator representing the Coggin College of Business, Shows has remained dedicated to supporting her peers in Student Government, advising numerous clubs and their leadership. She also served as a member of the Constitution and Statutes Committee of the legislative branch. She and her colleagues drafted bills and resolutions, proposed legislation and educated the student body on the UNF Constitution.  

During her first semester at UNF, she joined the Kappa Delta Sorority and filled numerous positions, including treasurer and president. Throughout her time in Kappa Delta, Shows devoted 100 hours of community service to Prevent Child Abuse America and the local Girl Scout Council. Additionally, she dedicated numerous hours applying her finance knowledge and teaching her chapter members about credit scores, credit cards, interest rates, saving and more.  

The ceremony for the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Computing, Engineering and Construction will be held at 11 a.m. The Brooks College of Health, Coggin College of Business and the College of Education and Human Services will hold their ceremony at 3 p.m. Both ceremonies will be held at the UNF Arena. 

The University expects to award 1,052 bachelor’s degrees, 227 master’s degrees and six doctorates this term. Including the fall 2011 graduates, UNF has issued a total of 56,728 bachelor’s degrees, 15,647 master’s degrees and 227 doctorates since first opening its doors in 1972.  

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