EA SPORTS College Football 25 returned July 19 after an 11-year hiatus. The simulation-style football game’s focus provides an authentic college football experience that is specific to each school, including Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝.

Game day elements that Knights fans are accustomed to are featured as part of College Football 25. Before kick-off, fans perform the signature U-C-F arm sign, while the team runs out the tunnel, running past the virtual Marching Knights playing Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s fight song, Charge On. When the ball is kicked off, the fans yell out “U-C-F Knights,” just as they do in real life. For the first time, real-life players will also be featured in the game, further replicating a realistic experience for gamers. Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s reputation of being a leader in space research and education is showcased through an occasional in-game rocket launch, like the real-life SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch during a game against Kent State in Fall 2023.

Behind the scenes, dozens of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ alums, including 42 graduates of the university’s Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA), helped to create College Football 25. FIEA, the world’s top-ranked graduate video gaming school, is located at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ Downtown, across the street from EA Orlando and is a strong pipeline of talent to the game developer.

Torres, a digital media alum who earned a minor in marketing, is one example of the invaluable experience Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ students can gain through internships. Last summer, she modeled and textured indoor and outdoor environmental assets based on real-life photographs taken at FBC Mortgage Stadium and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa for College Football 25 and the Madden NFL series.

Torres and her team used many tools, including LiDAR scanners to capture the lighting in the stadium. One scanner was placed in the middle of the stadium and scanned the entire facility, creating a 3D model. They also used individual scanners to capture models ranging from trash cans to cleats, which were then modified to the smallest detail. For example, a trash can in the stadium was scanned, then designers patched up any topology errors or holes, and added digital trash cans into the game.

Beyond scanning, the team took pictures of everything. Torres captured chairs at every angle, so artists were able to replicate them easily. She used a color palette, placing it next to the chairs, to help pinpoint the exact colors. Torres also worked with a pen-like scanner that identified the exact hex color of an object, adding further detail.

When scanning 3D objects, Torres says the main thing she tried to keep in mind was making sure the environment, whether it’s a prop or a whole scene, tells a story. An example of this was the first prop she created for EA, a coffee table for Madden NFL. The designers wanted the table to be around one or two years old, so she referenced her own coffee table that was around that age, mimicking details such as rings left from cold glasses and hot plates.

“That’s something that you really need to have as an environment artist, you need that eye to tell a story of things as simple as a coffee table, that maybe most people won’t even notice,” Torres says. “I think that’s the main thing, and that’s something that I still follow today. And working on portfolio pieces now, just doing my very best to tell stories without there being text.”

The lessons Torres has learned over her career come from a variety of places and mentors, such as EA SPORTS Environment Director Ingrid Aguero ’07 ’08MS, a graduate of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s FIEA program. As a student at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝, the most useful information Torres says she learned was in the 3D modeling classes. Under the instruction of Nicholas Hunter ’17 ’18MS, an instructor in and a FIEA alum, Torres gained knowledge on how to make assets that have good topology and UV mapping, which serves as a bridge between 2D textures and 3D objects. Torres also learned how to use Autodesk Maya, the industry standard program.

After being gone for over a decade, College Football 25 means many things to fans who have clamored for the game. For Torres, it’s a combination of her favorite things — Knight Nation, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ football and video games.

“It honestly doesn’t feel real, I have a piece of my work inside my alma mater, in a game that is making a comeback after 11 years,” Torres says. “Everyone’s hyped, and it’s … really cool to see the game.”

At the end of the Fall 2018 semester he accomplished just that by earning a bachelor’s of arts in graphic design with a minor in marketing.

“I know my family is proud of me,” Allen says. “I wanted to inspire them, too, to pursue college and finish and reach their goals.”

In between all his hard work, Allen accumulated accomplishments that are enviable. He arrived at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ with a Bright Futures Scholarship and several other academic scholarships. And while at the university he’s been on the President’s Honor Roll and Dean’s List, and has been the recipient of the Excellence in Action Award, Project Best Most Active Member and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars Award.

But Allen says he is most proud of having worked in the Office of Student Financial Assistance, helping brand and promote the ¢ent$ible Knight$ campaign, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s campuswide program which encourages financial wellness among students.

Launched in 2015, the ¢ent$ible Knight$ program guides students to resources and webinars to stay on sound financial footing. It has a website, social media pages and marketing materials. The program offers webinars and seminars on everything from how to negotiate a salary to establishing strong personal budgets. By 2017, nearly 400 online financial aid tutorials have been completed by students at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ and the average student score on the financial literacy assessments is 84 percent.

“When I first started working with the program, I didn’t even know it existed,” Allen says . “So that was our goal, to create a campaign to drive more students to the website, give them great content there and through social media and just help them understand that there are tools to help them budget and pay for college.”

He took to the work easily, says Karemah Manselle, associate director of the Office of Student Financial Assistance, who credits Allen with helping the program grow so quickly.

“Andrew immediately began to come up with creative ways to reach the student body and developed phenomenal marketing pieces,” she says. “He has truly has been an integral part of the branding of the Cent$ible Knight$ program.”

The program has been recognized by lend.edu as one of the top 50 financial-literacy programs on a college campus, she says.

“[Andrew] is a visionary and talented young man. Additionally, he is humble and well-rounded,” Manselle says. “He managed to maintain a high GPA while working two jobs and being actively involved. He is a true embodiment of the . Andrew truly has all the requisite tools needed to chart his own path.”

As part of his campus job, Allen says he learned a great deal about marketing on a college campus.  Along the way, he’s taken the very advice he helps promote and graduated without major debt.

“The skills promote[d] there, they work,” Allen says.

His freshman year, he struggled financially and took out a student loan.

“I didn’t want my parents to sacrifice their resources for me, because it [was] hard for them,” he says. “They helped me all they could, but I didn’t want that burden on them.”

So he got some help from financial-aid advisors, made the most of scholarships and applied for financial aid early. He was on a budget, which he stuck to faithfully, although he admitted it was tough.

“I really needed a car and I saved up for that,” he says. “I wanted to pay off the $1,200 in student loans I had [at the time too.] But I’m stuck to the budget. I needed that car first.”

Allen has considered going back to school for another degree later because for him “the learning process never stops.”

As for his family, they were worried when he left South Florida for Orlando, and “they called every day,” he says. But after a few years they got into “the groove of things,” he says.

“My family knew this was something I could achieve, to get my degree and reach the next level,” he says. “I got awards for academics. I took my education very seriously. They see I am focused and that I’m not worried about trivial things.”

“For us, it wasn’t about the money or the reward. We just wanted to be able to get students the help they need.” – Alexander Figoli, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ student

Modo Labs is the most adopted Higher Education mobile app platform in the country and has been the platform behind the since 2016. The company hosted the competition this year to promote problem-solving, team-building and creativity on college campuses. Sophomores Alexander Figoli and David Russell earned first place for their Spirit app, which organizes information on campus resources, services and programs provided by in one easy source for students to access. The team was the only one to develop an idea based on mental health, which was one of the suggested challenge themes for the competition. They say their interest in the topic developed as they’ve seen suicide rates increase among young adults in recent years, with one case on campus in December.

“For us, it wasn’t about the money or the reward. We just wanted to be able to get students the help they need,” Figoli says. “We thought mental health was a very big issue that can affect your physical health and grades as well. There are some kids on campus who might be feeling alone and might have a hard time finding support — especially since we’re no longer living with our parents.”

“When I heard the first syllables of our team name being called — the rush of excitement was overwhelming.” – David Russell, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ student

During the weekend competition, which was organized at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ by the , students developed their apps using software that brings their ideas to life through images, links and interactive buttons. The program required no coding, which Russell, a marketing major, says was a relief since he and Figoli, a mechanical engineering major, have no coding experience.

“I was definitely expecting third or second because I knew our app looked really good, but not first place,” Russell says. “When I heard the first syllables of our team name being called — the rush of excitement was overwhelming,” Russell says.

Figoli and Russell will work to further develop their app by adding features, such as opt-in notifications that would send users motivational quotes and videos, before the national competition June 17 to 20 at MIT. The eight teams to compete are from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝, California State University at Bakersfield, Cypress College, Florida State University, Maine Maritime Academy, North Carolina University, Texas A&M University and University of California at Berkeley.

While students were able to submit ideas on any topic, some of the other suggested themes included housing insecurity, food insecurity and financial challenges. Most of the students who participated at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s competition developed ideas relating to sustainability and campus involvement.

“Having the opportunity to work on a project I believe in, and with a friend at that, feels like no work at all.” – Denielle Abaquita, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ student

The app developed by first-year computer science majors Denielle Abaquita and Oliver Casey earned second place with its focus on  sustainability and lessening environmental impacts.

“Having the opportunity to work on a project I believe in, and with a friend at that, feels like no work at all. It was an enjoyable experience,” Abaquita says.

First-year psychology major Jullianna Stalbaum and interactive-entertainment graduate students Daniel Selvia and Pratik Chougule took third place for the Servant Knights app, which aimed to help students find organizations on campus that focus on volunteering and philanthropy.

“Our goal was to make a more convenient and effective resource for students to discover ways to get involved in the community through servant leadership,” Selvia says.

The National Sales Challenge marked Saikaly’s competitive sales debut representing Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ and the selling program. In the competition, Saikaly and Davila utilized the skills developed through mentorship opportunities, role-play exercises and networking events hosted by the PSP.

“Oliver and Emily are exceptional students who represented Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ and the Professional Selling Program.” – Bill Steiger, coordinator of the Professional Selling Program

“I took advantage of everything I could possibly learn in the and made myself an expert in the products I was selling,” Saikaly says.

Saikaly demonstrated his selling abilities and intimate knowledge of various products and services during the sales call role-play, where he was required to close a deal with a business executive over the course of a 15-minute meeting. In the speed selling event, Saikaly was given two minutes to deliver a mock sales pitch highlighting his passions for sales and baking while convincing an executive to hire him.

“I couldn’t have done this without my coach Stefanie Mayfield-Garcia and teammate Emily Davila who constantly gave me feedback and helped me practice,” Saikaly says. “As coordinator of the Professional Selling Program, Dr. Bill Steiger also helps each and every one of the program members develop personally and professionally, and that paid off at the competition.”

The National Sales Challenge is a three-day event and competition offering students the chance to network with representatives from major corporations, receive feedback on their sales skills and gain real-world business knowledge from successful executives. Hosted by the Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales at William Patterson University, the event also provides students with connections to corporate partners and job opportunities.

“Oliver and Emily are exceptional students who represented Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ and the Professional Selling Program with class in front of their peers,” Steiger says.

1. Pop Parlour

Serving up sweets is practically in graduate Brandon Chandler ’10’s DNA. In 2013, Chandleropened Pop Parlour, a shop offering fruity, creamy and boozy frozen treats as a tribute to his grandfather PopPop, who sold similar items after World War II. Pop Parlour has grown to two locations and serves coffee, tea, craft beer and wine, depending on which spot you visit.

ł˘´Çł¦˛ąłŮľ±´Ç˛Ô˛ő:Ěý4214 E. Plaza Drive on the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ campus; 431 E. Central Blvd., Suite C; ThePopParlour.com
(Pop Parlour’s Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ location will be closed on Small Business Saturday due to campus closures, but you can still visit the downtown location or stop by another day.)

2. Six28 Boutique

Six months after graduating with a degree in elementary education, Rachel Ledbetter ’16 took a risk to pursue entrepreneurship by opening clothing boutique Six28. Located near Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝, Six28 sells trendy, affordable women’s clothing and accessories, which can also be purchased on the store’s online site.

Location:12082 Collegiate Way; 407-630-3890; Six28Boutique.com

3. Bikes, Beans & Bordeaux

Cycling enthusiasts Darrell Cunningham ’93 and Jen Cunningham ’95 ’96MSW opened Bikes, Beans and Bordeaux to provide a space for people to bond over good food, drinks and company. With a commitment to health in mind, the shop sells breakfast items, sandwiches, soups, salads, desserts, beer, wine and more daily and at special events each month. While at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝, Darrell studied civil engineering and Jen majored in social work.

Location:3022 Corrine Drive; 407-427-1440; BikesBeansandBordeaux.com

4. Deli Fresh Threads

Marketing major Anthony “Biggie” Bencomo ’98 merged his love of sandwiches with another creative passion by opening Deli Fresh Threads, a clothing store? with designs inspired by what he considers the #KingOfMeals. You can buy foodie fashion in the form of T-shirts, hats, pins and stickers on the online shop. Bencomo also hosts a monthly #SandwichEatUp at local shops around Central Florida to help support other small businesses.

Location: 321-303-5129; DeliFreshThreads.com

5. Tactical Brewing Company

Owned and operated by veteran and psychology graduate Doug Meyer ’14 ’16MBA, Tactical Brewing Company serves craft brews created on-site to veterans, first responders and all beer lovers alike.

ł˘´Çł¦˛ąłŮľ±´Ç˛Ô:Ěý4882 New Broad St.; 407-203-2033; TacticalBeer.com

6. Retrolando

Retro Orlando captures the City Beautiful’s history while giving back to others. The online T-shirt company offers men and women’s clothing inspired by former iconic Orlando businesses, organizations and landmarks. Each purchase is something you can feel good about because owner and English major Shannon Flesch Couillard ’04, donates a new shirt to a local homeless shelter for each shirt sold.

ł˘´Çł¦˛ąłŮľ±´Ç˛Ô:ĚýRetrolando.com

7. Yaupon Brothers Tea Co.

Brothers — Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ senior hospitality major Kyle White and legal studies graduate Bryon ’09— have revived an ancient Native American superfood with their yaupon holly tea company. The brothers sustainably harvest their organic crop and distribute their product at restaurants and shops. Online purchases can also be made on their official site and Amazon. Yaupon Brothers also offers sustainable agricultural consulting services for Florida farmers looking for alternative crops.

ł˘´Çł¦˛ąłŮľ±´Ç˛Ô˛ő:ĚýVarious local shops such as Lucky’s Market, Credo Coffee, Infusion Tea and Dandelion Communitea CafĂ©; YauponBrothers.com

8. A Piece of Work

Started by marketing graduate Curtis Young ’04 in 2007, A Piece of Work apparel company creates custom embroidery and screen printing. Through partnerships with companies such as the Orlando Magic, Funky Buddha and more, the online site offers quality work clothing. A Piece of Work also sells eco-friendly items such as recycled journals and organic cotton totes.

ł˘´Çł¦˛ąłŮľ±´Ç˛Ô:Ěý321-662-3836; APieceofWorkGear.com

9. Just Save the Date

Whether you need to put together a small intimate gathering or a major extravagant event, Just Save the Date can help make any occasion special. Communication graduate and owner Kelly Erickson Fowler ’02 started the event planning company after planning her own destination wedding. Just Save the Date operates from two locations in the Orlando and Key West areas.

ł˘´Çł¦˛ąłŮľ±´Ç˛Ô˛ő:ĚýOrlando – 407-258-1944; Key West – 305-767-3774; JustSaveTheDate.com

This is bad for business and bad for consumers.

In the spirit of full and open disclosure, I was an advertising salesperson, manager and vice president of advertising sales for more than 30 years for a newspaper company. Friends, acquaintances and random readers of the paper used to say there were too many ads in paper.

I would chuckle and tell them if it weren’t for the ads, there wouldn’t be a newspaper.

If you bought the paper, you got the news and the ads. The paper was organized so that the news and ads were blended in a way to give the reader a positive reading experience. Readers selected the stories and ads that were relevant to them. It enabled the paper to meet the information needs of the reader and give the advertiser an opportunity to employ one of the cornerstones of marketing: promotion.

I am an enthusiastic shopper and I like to experience advertising. It’s information that is often in the right place at the right time for me. The ability of advertisers to predict where and when this sweet spot will occur has been enhanced by data collection and application to advertising plans.

I don’t view ads negatively unless I’m scrolling through an article online and six different and irrelevant pop-up ads appear in the middle of the text. This is not a positive experience.

Consumers are being assaulted by advertising that appears on every conceivable media platform. It often resembles “ambush” marketing and includes advertising overload, security issues with malware and a slowing down of browsing.

Advertisers are employing these interactive ad tactics because technology enables them to do it, not because consumers want it.

The notion of meeting customer needs has been significantly degraded. Advertisers are using technology to get ads in front of consumer eyeballs without regard for the user experience. The result is predictable: Users want to block the advertising.

The notion of ad zapping and blocking is not new. When DVRs appeared in 1999, TV viewers quickly figured out that they could record their favorite shows and watch them in two-thirds of the program time by fast-forwarding through the ads. A second-generation DVR in 2012 blocked the ads automatically. The FTC saved us from telemarketing with the do-not-call list.

The AMA’s concern is well-founded. In 2015, the number of consumers using ad-blocking programs doubled, increasing to 15 percent of the U.S. population. Apple upgraded its OS 9 and extended ad blocking to the iPhone, adding to the explosion of ad-blocking users.

While this reaction is predictable, it’s not healthy for the businesses, the media or consumers. Advertising is one of the few ubiquitous industries that touches every U.S. consumer and industry. Ad blocking also disadvantages small businesses who can’t afford to find promotional alternatives to reach their customers.  

The solution is as simple as putting the consumer’s experience first. Both the Interactive Advertising Bureau and the World Federation of Advertisers have urged advertisers to think about the consumers.

Personally, I don’t want to block all ads. As I’ve said, I like ads and often find them useful. I just want to receive ads in a way that enables me to use the content in a sensible way.

I have the unique perspective of having been on both sides of this issue. I appreciate the need of the advertiser and the media to deliver ads to consumers, sometimes intrusively. As a consumer, I want the ads because I find them valuable to my shopping behavior. I just don’t want all of them fired at me in a way that makes this a win-lose program.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau suggested some techniques to get users to turn off their ad blockers, and I like several of them:

Frustrated and annoyed users will continue to use ad-blocking applications, especially as they become easier to use. Interactive advertisers must create a win-win, two-way relationship with users.

For those of us who want to experience the ads, this will be good news for everybody.

William Steiger is an instructor and marketing consultant in Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s College of Business Administration and coordinator of the college’s Professional Selling Program. He can be reached at william.steiger@ucf.edu.

The recession resulted in many sales jobs being held open and it created a gap between experienced sales people and the rest of the sales force. New sales people just weren’t being hired to keep the pipeline full.

Now, as sales workers retire at an increasing rate, sales companies are under pressure to play catch-up. They will need millennials to fill the gap.

A millennial is someone born from 1982 to 2000, but there are varying opinions on whether they can or will fill that sales void.

Mark Roberge, chief revenue officer of Inbound Sales Products for HubSpot, wrote an article for Sales & Marketing Management magazine that explained why “Millennials Make Great Sales People.” The Wall Street Journal recently featured an interesting article titled “Bright Future in Sales? Millennials Are Hesitant,” in which the writer highlighted the difficulty employers were having persuading millennials to work in sales. A follow-up to that article in Forbes by Roberta Matuson pointed out “Why You Can’t Fill Sales Positions With Millennials, and What You Can Do to Change This.”

So why is there this apparent contradiction? First of all, it’s always dangerous to generalize when discussing generational cohorts. Second, the sheer size of the millennial cohort ensures that there will be considerable variance within the group. Third, the occupational preferences of the millennial cohort are complicated by the range of ages within the group.

As an instructor in the sales track at the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝, I have an up-close view of millennials and their inclination to pursue a career in sales. The basic sales class that is offered in the marketing department includes students from a wide variety of major courses of study. They enroll because the class is required or because they want to improve their interpersonal communication, especially as they prepare for job interviews.

At the start of the semester I ask them if they’re interested in a career in sales and about 25 percent raise their hands. When I ask the same question at the end of class, about 50 percent of the hands go up.

This confirms two things. Many millennials don’t know what they want to do after graduation. Second, the millennials’ interest in a sales career can be influenced by a program that emphasizes professional behavior in the pursuit of an honorable occupation. It has to change their perception of a career in sales.

Sales isn’t for every millennial student, so sales recruiters have adapted and learned how to attract the millennial student. This generation is graduating with more debt than any previous generation of college students. Companies have introduced sales jobs that start students at a higher rate of base salary to reduce the initial risk of taking the jobs.

Millennials want to learn, grow and advance, so companies have structured career paths to clearly define how new employees can advance through performance and promotion to leadership positions. Millennials are also very interested in choosing a company with a positive culture. The response has been an increased emphasis on having a transparent business culture that is collaborative, exciting, fun and, ideally, technology driven.

I also coordinate the professional sales program at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝. This limited-access program is designed to prepare students for a career in sales. Last spring, more than 100 students applied for admission to the program and they all shared one thing in common: They wanted a career in sales.

The program has a 95 percent placement rate because companies need sales people, and our program–and more than 100 other programs around the country–are producing a supply of freshly minted millennial sales professionals to meet the industry demand.

Research studies have found that sales-program graduates ramp up in sales assignments quicker, they stay longer with the company, and they perform at a higher level than non-sales program graduates.

Whether they graduate with a business degree or a sales-specific training program degree, millennials are ready to fill sales jobs.

William Steiger is an instructor and marketing consultant in Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝’s College of Business Administration and coordinator of the college’s Professional Selling Program. He can be reached at william.steiger@ucf.edu.

The importance of helping others was instilled in the South Florida native from an early age, but when it came time to pick a career path, Berreth, 38, said he struggled.

After a long road that included two years in a state college, the dream of an international job crushed by a tough economic reality, and an Army tour of duty in the Middle East, Berreth began a new path at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝.

On Saturday, May 9, he left his mark at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝, becoming part of the university’s legacy when he graduated from the College of Business Administration with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and became Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s 250,000th graduate.

The Road to the Military

After completing high school in Miami in 1995, Berreth moved around Florida and eventually returned to South Florida to attend Broward College, hoping his time there would give him some guidance on his future.

It did in some ways. It was there that he met his wife, Jenny. After two years of school, the pallet-wrapping company he worked for offered him a job at its headquarters in Denmark. But as he was preparing to make the move, the dream opportunity fell apart due to the economic crash.

What next, he thought?

One day while walking around a shopping center, Berreth saw an Army advertisement. The sign said now hiring up to age 42, and Berreth, 33 at the time, decided to follow in his family’s footsteps and enlist. His brother was in the Air Force, his father and uncle served in the Vietnam War, and his grandfather is a WWII and Korean War veteran.

Berreth was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, after completing basic training. His title was a food-service specialist, and he served in Iraq and Kuwait.

As his enlistment contract neared an end, Berreth was at another crossroad.

He could re-enlist, but he didn’t think the Army was the place for him for the long-term. He could enter the job market, but it was tough to find companies hiring sales positions, something he had thought about since shadowing his supervisors at the pallet-wrapping company.

He knew a college degree was necessary to get the kind of sales job he wanted, so he decided to look into continuing his education.

“I love helping people, and that’s really what sales is about,” said Berreth. “You’re going to help someone get what they want, what they need. I’ve been helping people my whole life.”

Finding a Home Base at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝

After Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s Professional Selling Program appeared in an Internet search about sales education, he cold-called Bill Steiger, an instructor of marketing in the College of Business Administration.

“I was blown away that this man out of nowhere would just talk to me,” Berreth said of the 45-minute conversation. “I wasn’t even a student. He said it was an opportunity that if you were able to get into the program, you’d never regret your time spent there. I knew I had to come to Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝.”

So Berreth completed a few extra classes at Central Texas College so he could enter Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ as a junior and eventually become one of the students selected for admission to the professional selling track, part of the marketing major. He started at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ in fall 2013.

“It was tough. Sometimes when you come out of the military, you don’t know where you belong,” Berreth said. “I was scared that going to school would be a weird experience and that I wouldn’t be able to talk to anyone.”

Instead he said he found just the opposite. People were friendly and open, and he dove into networking with his peers and getting to know his professors.

He also wanted to do something for the Veterans Academic Resource Center, the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ service that had helped him so much in transitioning from the Army to life as a college student.

He helped the VARC establish a LinkedIn page to connect student-veterans, and he worked as a peer mentor for the center, helping students navigate their new lives at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝.

“I’d tell them to step out of the box that you’ve been living in,” Berreth said. “I stepped so far out of my box while being a student here that I don’t know what happened, I don’t know where that box is anymore.”

Saluting a Sales Champion

Berreth, also part of the Sales Club, had the opportunity to compete in the International Collegiate Sales Competition through the Professional Selling Program.

The competition challenges students to role play in a sales scenario. After losing in the first round of the competition, Berreth came in at the top of a wildcard round the following day and went on to score first place in the individual competition, beating out 85 other students and helping Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ take home the team prize.

He walked away with more than a trophy. A recruiter from SAS Institute, a business analytics software and services company based in Cary, N.C., saw Berreth’s victory and offered him a job interview for a sales position.

The interview turned into a job offer, and he’ll start as an associate account executive June 1.

He’s looking forward to being in control of his own destiny and seeing the results of his hard work.

He also hopes that his attitude and encouragement have left an impression on the people he’s met at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝, from the veterans he’s helped navigate through difficult times to his professional selling peers and teammates.

His advice to them and others? Be open-minded and take chances.

“Everyone you see everywhere you walk has some value to add to the world,” he said. “They can enhance your life, so give everyone a chance. Have an open heart. You never know what you’re going to find.”

Bates and her team first helped to launch The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort in 2010. Following its success, she and her team partnered with Warner Bros., the “Harry Potter” cast and filmmakers, author J.K. Rowling, and a team of creative geniuses to once again capture the world’s imagination, bringing Diagon Alley to life for the devoted fans of the books and movies.

On Nov. 6, Bates was celebrated for her successes, as well as her continued involvement at the university, becoming the 31st inductee in the Alumni Hall of Fame, which was established in 2000.

Tom Alexander, ’03, chair of the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ Nicholson School of Communication Alumni Chapter, emceed the luncheon, which was held at the Citrus Club in downtown Orlando. He was joined by Robert Chandler, NSC director and professor, who presented Bates with her award.

“Through all of her actions and efforts, Donna truly exemplifies integrity, community, creativity and excellence, making her a remarkable Knight,” Chandler said.

Fellow NSC Hall of Fame inductees, and members of the NSC Alumni Chapter and , as well as Bates’ co-workers were in attendance to congratulate her.

“I’m incredibly proud to be a graduate of the Nicholson School of Communication at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝,” Bates said. “I love seeing the high caliber of candidates our program is producing, and I’m so honored to be a member of the NSC Alumni Hall of Fame.”

As communications manager for the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, Megan oversees, creates and implements all marketing communications for the luxury hotel brand, from its website and onsite collateral, to local and international advertisements, and media relations and social media.

Most days, she’s writing advertising copy, working with graphic designers and evaluating marketing opportunities. She also tries to take time to “shop” the resort and communication channels from a guest’s perspective, to ensure accuracy and find innovative new ways to drive revenue.

Gold Standards

Megan describes her fellow “Ladies and Gentlemen” as the world’s finest service professionals. (And, if you’ve ever been to a Ritz-Carlton, you’re surely familiar with the brand’s high service standards.)

“I come to work excited and motivated to work with such exceptional talent,” she says. “It’s like a family. We push each other to be as creative and successful as we can be, but we also support each other and understand that we are at the resort for one reason: to create indelible memories for our guests.”

As she anticipates her career growth, Megan would like to take on more responsibilities in the region as she becomes more experienced with the Ritz-Carlton brand in the Caribbean and Latin America. Down the line, she also would like the chance to oversee marketing communications for multiple resorts and, eventually, she would love to join the company’s corporate office and drive strategies for the entire brand.

So, what’s it like working in Grand Cayman? “I never imagined I would live and work in one of the world’s most beautiful destinations!” she says. “And, there are still more than 80 hotels and destinations to explore! The opportunities with this brand are limitless.”

RITZY Q&A

Q. What’s been your most memorable day at work so far?

A. I was able to experience our signature event, Cayman Cookout, which brings together world-famous chefs, wine and mixology experts for a weekend of demonstrations, tastings and events. It was a whirlwind of activity, and I was there to just absorb it all and learn. It was such a cool opportunity and really demonstrated the resort’s commitment to me as a new employee. Not many organizations would take the time to provide such a dynamic learning opportunity.

Q. What inspired/interested you about the field of communications?

A. I’m an extrovert, and I love to write, so I felt drawn to communications when I started at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝. But, it was all the extracurricular activities and internships that nurtured those natural abilities and allowed me to find a career. Now that I’ve been in the workforce for a while, I value so much the experiences I had at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝.

Q. What’s it like living in Grand Cayman? How do you spend your free time?

A. Awesome! I can walk to the beach and swim in the Caribbean Sea after work! Grand Cayman is a vibrant international community, and there’s no shortage of activities on the island. We have great restaurants and entertainment, amazing white sand beaches, watersports, etc. The weather is so great most of the time that I want to be outdoors and active as much as can. Next, I want to learn to dive and check out the underwater world.

Q. Last thing you Googled?

A. Indemnification. Exciting stuff around here.

Q. What did you want to be when you grew up?

A. Construction worker. I was all about it — hard hat and everything.

Q. Most embarrassing moment?

A. I once participated in a pickle-eating contest, because one of the “professional eaters” booked for the event bailed and we needed a seat-filler. It was awful.

Q. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

A. Sheryl Sandberg shared a quote in her book: “If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat! Just get on.” Have a sense of adventure in your career and life.

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