When Claudia McCorkle envisioned a space for Judy Genshaft Honors College student leaders, she wanted more than a room for meetings. She wanted a place where students could collaborate, develop their leadership skills, and build the community they would carry with them beyond the University of South Florida.
That vision became a reality in 2019, when McCorkle made a gift to establish the Claudia and BEAU McCorkle Student Leadership Center in the new Judy Genshaft Honors College building.
For more than 15 years, McCorkle — alongside her furry sidekick, golden doodle BEAU — has supported Honors students through scholarships, study abroad opportunities, and programs that help them thrive academically and personally. The Student Leadership Center extended that support by creating a dedicated space for the college's student organizations, including the Tampa Honors Student Council and Honors Peer Mentor program.
Claudia McCorkle pets golden doodle dog, BEAU.
Located on the third floor of the five-story Honors building, the center includes a lounge and executive-style boardroom where student leaders meet, collaborate, plan events, participate in mentorship and professional development, and strengthen the Honors community.
Three years after the space opened, McCorkle and BEAU returned to the college to see how students were using the space she helped create. Around the conference table, Peer Mentor Leads and members of Honors Student Council shared how the center had become a central part of their college experience.
Katelynn Paciorek, the 2025-26 Student Council president, explained that the space is used throughout the week for everything from Student Council executive board and committee meetings to Peer Mentor Lead check-ins and service events.
“I remember when you first came two years ago, and we didn’t quite know how to use it yet because it was new,” Paciorek said to McCorkle. “But now, we use this space all the time.”
Current Student Council President Ava Tucker said the space also creates opportunities for students to connect beyond their work.
Tampa Student Council members and Peer Mentors share the Student Leadership Center conference table with Claudia McCorkle and Dean Charles Adams.
“For me, I love chatting as an executive board in this space,” she said. “I think it’s the way the table is set up — it encourages community and sharing our days with each other.”
For international student Umama Saiffudin from Bangladesh, the center has become a place of belonging.
“I felt a connection from the moment I stepped into this room. The people here have made this room feel like not just a space where we do work, but a space where freshmen like me who are away from home feel like we're in the right place,” she said.
A Space Designed for Student Leadership
The Student Leadership Center has also given Honors students a space to represent USF Honors beyond the university.
Tucker recently joined the board of directors for the National Collegiate Honors Council, where she collaborates with student leaders from honors programs across the country. She said the dedicated leadership space is one of the features that distinguishes the Judy Genshaft Honors College.
“In my last meeting, I got to talk with presidents of other honors councils,” Tucker said. “I represented the only honors college that even had a building, let alone a student leadership space. I actually showed them pictures of this room, and they were floored.”
For Judy Genshaft Endowed Dean Charles Adams, the center demonstrates why intentional investment in student spaces is essential for student success.
“Spaces matter,” Adams said. “You come together, talk, ideas get bounced off each other, and that wouldn’t happen without a physical space like this.”
Claudia McCorkle and BEAU Student Leadership Center plaque outside the conference room
For McCorkle, seeing students make the space their own offered a tangible view of the impact of her philanthropy.
“I’m so glad to see you all utilizing the space and lifting each other up, supporting each other,” McCorkle said. “It’s so gratifying to me to see such special people with such promising futures be so appreciative.”
Philanthropy plays an important role in creating the spaces, programs, and experiences that define the Honors College experience. Gifts from supporters like McCorkle allow the college to invest in opportunities that extend beyond the classroom, giving students dedicated spaces to lead and build community.
“It was an enriching opportunity to invite Mrs. McCorkle and BEAU back to the Honors College to see the fruitfulness of her gift to the college and the student leaders she's helped support,” Adams said. “The Student Leadership Center will continue to be a meeting space for bright minds for years to come.”