UCF Alumni is pleased to announce its 30 Under 30 Alumni Award Recipients for the Class of 2023. The stellar group of alumni comprises scientists, attorneys, teachers, financial analysts, entrepreneurs, nurses, UCF employees, graduate students and others who have launched from UCF and landed in successful careers of their dreams. Yet, despite their distance from the campus, they remain involved through mentoring programs, philanthropy, attending home (and away) games, and by helping recruit UCF alumni to be their new colleagues.
“This year’s list of extraordinary recipients makes me proud to be a Knight,” says Heather Junod ’98, associate vice president of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving. “They embody the values of the UCF Young Alumni Community: to be bold, scholarly, trailblazing, generous and resilient. I look forward to congratulating them at our celebration on May 20. This remarkable group represents the very best of Knight Nation.”
Nominations for the awards were accepted online from Sept. 23, 2022, until Nov. 13, 2022. Nominations were reviewed and scored by UCF staff, previous award recipients, and UCF Young Alumni Representatives. The finalists were then confirmed by the UCF Alumni Board based on the following criteria:
- Must be a graduate of UCF (undergraduate or graduate degree)
- Must be age 29 or younger on June 1, 2023
- Must demonstrate a commitment to maintaining a lifelong relationship with UCF and strive to uphold UCF Young Alumni values
“Congratulations to this year’s UCF Alumni 30 under 30 class,” says Jordan Grushka ’14 ’16MA, chair of the UCF Young Alumni Community. These exceptional Knights truly exemplify what it means to be a member of Knight Nation and the UCF Young Alumni Community through their stellar accomplishments and continued support of UCF. There is something special about being a Knight, and this year’s recipients are no exception; they are excelling in their professional and personal lives and making UCF shine even better. Go Knights! Charge On!”
The 2023 award recipients are scheduled to be honored in a celebratory event on May 20. Below is a complete list of the winners, listed alphabetically. Past recipients can be found on the UCF Alumni website.
Addi-Neequie Stone’14 ’19MS
BS Aerospace Engineering
MS Industrial Engineering
Reed Forehand ’19 ’21MS
BS Aerospace Engineering
MS Aerospace Engineering
Burnett Honors Scholar
Shinjan Ghosh ’21PhD
PhD Mechanical Engineering
- Written by Camille Dolan for UCF Today
- February 21, 2023