Dear BHC Community,
Happy New Year!
2020 was a year of challenges and opportunities. We have all adapted and grown in ways we never thought possible. On November 19th, we congratulated our fall BHC graduates. It was like nothing we could have ever imagined. Our traditional banquet with a sit-down dinner and conferral of medallions went the way of COVID. In the spirit of the Burnett Honors College, with innovation and creativity, Marty and I were able to congratulate our graduates in the courtyard of the beautiful Celeste Hotel on UCF’s campus. Graduates came alone, with parents, and some with entire families to receive their medallion and take pictures. We enjoyed meeting each graduate and having the opportunity to learn of their future plans. While different, it was personal and inviting.
Graduates of the BHC, we are so proud of all your accomplishments and wish you the very best as you chart your future. To all BHC Scholars, it has been an interesting year, but we couldn’t ask for a more engaging and brighter group of students to navigate through these times. You have taken the virtual world in stride. In Chatting over Chai, you have shared with us your favorite music and taught us about anime. In Honors Symposium, you helped us understand the importance of Discord. If there is one thing we know, it’s that together nothing can slow us down, and the future is bright.
One of the things that makes our future bright is that we are not alone, but rather, we have a network of individuals, many we don’t even know yet, vested in our success. The key to a successful network is multi-fold: a genuine interest in learning more about the person/organization and what they do; being authentic; and sustaining relationships through trust. Networking is about learning, exploring, and knowing that the journey may take you in directions you never imagined.
On more personal note, in 2010 a mentor gave me some very sage advice when I was deciding where to spend a year of professional development time. He said, “Go to UCF and learn scale. You can always scale down, but scaling up is hard. Plus, you know Texas, so leave the state.” I came to UCF where I met so many wonderful folks who enriched my life professionally and personally. The unexpected mentor was President Hitt. Now to the twists and turns that often show us that life is like a Charles Dickens novel. It turns out that my next career move from UT Dallas was to Austin College. And, guess who is one of Austin College’s most distinguished alums? President John Hitt. My last official act at Austin College was to bestow President Hitt with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. I continue to count him among my mentors. Never pass up an opportunity to get to know and learn from others. To that end, we have all scholars create a LinkedIn account, and we use multiple avenues to encourage engagement.
In this issue of Envisage you will meet Jessica Blomberg, BHC Alumnae, who will share her experiences. Also, current BHC Scholars will tell their stories of how networking led to opportunities for them.
Thank you for a wonderful fall semester of the unexpected, and we look forward to the spring.
Sheila Amin Gutiérrez de Piñeres, Ph.D.
Dean, UCF Burnett Honors College
