TAMPA — The University of South Florida Muma College of Business hit a wonder-filled milestone, awarding a record-breaking $1.6 million in scholarships to over 400 business students this academic year.
The eye-popping amount was announced Friday at the business college’s annual Scholarship Luncheon. The event brought together donors and scholarship recipients in a soft, Alice-in-Wonderland-inspired landscape, featuring a lush Bull U topiary, tiered trays of dainty tea sandwiches, and the lyrical compositions of a string quartet.
The event began with inspiring words from Olivia Reiter, a sophomore majoring in management who served as emcee. Reiter received both the Lee and Dorothy Stokes Scholarship and the Bulls Business Honors Study Abroad Scholarship.
Reiter thanked the donors for investing in students and supporting education.
“When we wonder how we will afford college, your generosity gives us the answer,” she said. “Your giving helps open doors, allowing us to wonder, to learn new ways of thinking, and to discover new opportunities.
Thanks to the study abroad scholarship, Reiter immersed herself in England's rich culture and history and grew through new adventures, discovering interests she didn’t know existed.
“Your gifts have a profound impact on us as we pursue our academic and personal dreams,” she said.
Dean David Blackwell shared some of the college’s recent achievements and led a moment of silence in memory of the late Lynn Pippenger, an alumna whose philanthropy has supported nearly $1 million in scholarships benefiting over 300 students.
USF Credit Union sponsored the luncheon and gave away a $1,000 Southwest gift card to one scholarship recipient. Marcos De Jesus, who received the PF1 Scholarship, claimed the winning ticket.
Generosity creates a cycle
Alumna Kerine Black talked about how scholarships changed her trajectory as a student-athlete at USF. Black was a five-time All-American and three-time Conference USF Athlete of the Year in track and field. In 2010, she became the first track and field athlete inducted into the USF Athletics Hall of Fame.
She earned bachelor’s degrees in finance and management information systems and went on to build a successful career in financial services, risk management and technology governance.
“My story is not really about a job title or where I worked. It’s about what became possible because of the scholarships that gave me access to a USF education,” she said.
A scholarship was more than financial assistance. It was a vote of confidence. A belief in her potential.
“I want the donors in this room to understand something very important: your gifts matter,” she said. “You may never fully know the impact your support has on a student’s life, but students are sitting here today whose futures are brighter because of your generosity.”
My story is not really about a job title or where I worked. It’s about what became
possible because of the scholarships that gave me access to a USF education. Kerine Black
The amazing thing about generosity is that it creates a cycle, she said. Scholarship recipients become tomorrow’s business leaders. Tomorrow’s business leaders become mentors. Mentors become donors. And donors create opportunities for the next generation.
Success is not a straight line
Featured student speaker Luke Schneider, who is pursuing his MBA while working as a senior budget analyst for Pasco County government, shared his story of persistence.
Schneider said he received the Bank of America Endowed Scholarship just when he was questioning whether he could continue pursuing his dream at all.
Growing up in a family where education was always important, learning meant more than doing well in school. “It was part of who we were,” he said. “My sister and I were encouraged to be curious, get involved, work hard, and never stop growing.”
After graduating from high school in Kansas City, he headed to Florida to attend Stetson University. He played baseball and expected that to be a big part of his college experience. A car accident during his freshman year became a turning point.
He threw himself into finance and entrepreneurship. He founded CleatClear, a small business that solved a problem he knew well: unpacking the dirt that collects beneath an athletic cleat.
Schneider said starting a small business taught him persistence, creativity, and to believe in an idea before anyone else does.
“Success isn’t usually a straight line,” he said. “Most people see the result. They don’t see the failed pitches, the long drives, the uncertainty, or the moments when you wonder whether any of it is going to work.”
After working in software, business analysis, and the pharmaceutical industry, he pursued an MBA at USF to help him grow as a leader and expand his opportunities.
Shortly after enrolling, his father was diagnosed with cancer. Schneider was also navigating major career changes, and the tuition reimbursement program suddenly disappeared. The Bank of America scholarship came at the right time.
Schneider said working for Pasco County has reshaped his perspective on the purpose of work.
“Every day I get to see how financial decisions affect roads, utilities, libraries, veterans, families, and entire communities. I get to help make decisions that contribute to the places where people live, work and raise their children,” he said.
Schneider thanked the donors whose investment is already generating dividends.
“I stand here today as someone whose educational journey was made possible because people I never met decided that investing in students mattered,” he said.