At the Judy Genshaft Honors College, student success is at the center of everything.
From interdisciplinary coursework with dedicated Honors faculty to unique study abroad
programs, helpful peer mentoring, creative music ensembles, and the 145 college events
held this fall alone, the college is committed to helping students make the most of
their USF experience — and preparing them to take their next steps into the community
and their careers.
Nothing reflects that mission more clearly than graduation. This fall, the college
proudly celebrated 121 new Honors graduates from across all three USF campuses during
the Fall Graduate Celebration Ceremony on Dec. 11.
One of the largest fall ceremonies in college history, the event brought together
90 graduates and more than 300 guests at the Judy Genshaft Honors College’s Zimmerman
Family Foundation Atrium. Students representing nearly 40 majors received their Honors
medallions in recognition of completing the Honors curriculum and the college’s robust
experiential learning requirements. Each graduate was honored for their research thesis
or collaborative capstone project and shared moments of thanks, favorite USF memories,
and their plans for what comes next.
Within this fall cohort, 20 students earned distinction as King O’Neal Scholars, an
honor awarded by the USF Alumni Association to graduates who complete their degrees
with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
Meet the Graduates
Each year, the college selects a handful of students for the Dean’s Circle of Merit Award. Students who demonstrate excellence in one of four areas — leadership, service, research, or global citizenship — are nominated by Honors faculty and staff and reviewed by a college leadership panel before receiving the award.
Morgan Matthews – Service
Morgan Matthews earned the Dean’s Circle of Merit Award for service through her extensive,
hands-on commitment to sustainability and community engagement at USF. She has taken
on leadership roles across campus, including serving as president of USF’s Global Leaders Outreach for a Better Environment, coordinating community outreach initiatives and organizing events. As a peer mentor
for the Honors College, Matthews served first-year Honors students by introducing
her class to representatives from USF World and the Office of National Scholars, as
well as encouraging them to participate in off-campus service opportunities like beach
clean-ups.
Matthews also played a key role in the USF Climate Teach-In, where she led zero-waste workshops and helped coordinate a climate career fair.
To further sustainability efforts on campus, she contributed as a sustainability intern
with USF’s Zero Waste Management program. Her commitment to sustainability reached
worldwide during her two study abroad/away trips to the Bahamas and Central Florida — focusing on conservation of the natural environment during her travels.
Armed with a strong foundation in service-driven leadership, Matthews plans to pursue
a master’s degree in conservation biology at USF St. Petersburg after graduation,
focusing on aquatic ecosystems and strategies for their protection.
Afreen Khan – Global Citizenship
Afreen Khan, a King O’ Neal scholar, dedicated her undergraduate years to solving
problems — both locally and abroad. Through an Honors course, Khan collaborated with
university students in Columbia through “Operation Global Action" to create a framework
for an online platform that would increase access to health care in rural areas. This
experience inspired her to start her own local version called “Operation Red Crescent,”
in which Khan founded a volunteer taskforce to streamline efficiency at a nonprofit
clinic he volunteers with as a medical assistant.
Khan was also awarded the UN Millennium Fellowship – an opportunity that provided her resources to design a project that met one or
more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Khan’s project provided literary materials
to Temple Terrace, FL neighborhoods through Little Free Libraries, and she partnered
with organizations like the Honors College, Hillsborough Public Libraries, and Keeping
Tampa Bay Beautiful to make it happen.
After graduation, Khan plans to spend a year abroad and then attend medical school.
Rebecca Buete – Research
Rebecca Buete’s undergraduate journey defines what it means to be a curious researcher, ready to take on new learning experiences at every opportunity. Buete, a USF St. Petersburg student, sought out extended research opportunities with her professors through directed readings and independent research — ultimately contributing to her becoming lead author on a manuscript under review at Sociological Focus: “A Scoping Review of Mental, Physical, and Social Wellbeing of Multiracial Persons.”
In her Honors Capstone with Honors professor Catherine Wilkins, Buete analyzed the impact of art and music in Alzheimer’s and dementia patients
and their families. She presented her research from the class via poster at USF’s
Spring 2025 Research Symposium. She later earned a position at the Johns Hopkins Institute
for Fundamental Biomedical Research as a laboratory assistant where she studied inflammation
of skeletal muscle relating to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in mouse models.
Her next steps after leaving USF include full-time employment at Johns Hopkins and
pursuing a doctoral degree in cell and molecular biology.
Sandra Napolitano – Leadership
Sandra Napolitano, a King O’Neal Scholar, was recognized for her leadership in the
Honors College as a founding member of the Wilcox Scholars Program and an audio-visual and information technology student assistant.
As a Wilcox Scholar, Napolitano led younger students, networked with local policy
leaders, and was chosen to be one of five students to interview the UK Parliament Speaker of the House of Commons where she discussed political accountability and prepared insightful questions. As
an AV/IT student assistant, Napolitano contributed to the growth of the Honors College
in helping launch the Honor Roll Podcast. She produced over 80 episodes of the podcast, gave artistic direction, edited post-production,
and assisted in a myriad of other tasks along the way to the final product.
Not only did Napolitano invest in Honors opportunities while at USF, but she also
led her peers as a member of the Global National Security Institute (GNSI) Future Strategist Program where she served as vice president and historian. Through
her experience at GNSI, she engaged with leading experts in national security, attended
GNSI summit conferences, and gained access to many opportunities to present her work
and meet peers from around the country.
After graduation, Napolitano plans to continue working full-time at the Tampa Police
Department as a public safety telecommunicator and pursue a master’s degree in global
security at Johns Hopkins University in the spring.
At USF’s Fall 2025 Commencement ceremonies, the university conferred 4,107 degrees and recognized 47 King O’Neal Scholars for their exceptional academic achievement. Diplomas were awarded to graduates from a new college at USF — the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing — and among its first cohort were three Honors students: Jyothik Pranav Addala, Micaela Jasmin Arleo-Gil, and Maathangi Sravanyaa Prassanna. The ceremonies also marked President Rhea Law’s final time presiding over Commencement, as President-Elect Moez Limayem is set to be officially instated in the new year.