Alumni Biographies
Michelle Anne Walker
Bachelors in Liberal Studies
Class of 2003
Assistant at Talent Agency
“Following the completion of my Liberal Studies degree I worked as an intern at NBC Universal at Universal Studios Hollywood in Physical Production while attending graduate school. I went on to receive my Master of Fine Arts in Film/TV Production at Chapman University in Orange, California. I currently work at Paradigm in Beverly Hills, which is one of the “Big 5” agencies in Hollywood. At Paradigm I am an assistant to the co-chair of the Physical Production department. My main responsibility is to provide complete support for a busy co-chair and agent of the physical production television and film department with 100+ clients working on over 20 high-profile network, feature and cable series. Receiving a liberal studies degree helped me achieve my career goals by giving me the platform to study what I was truly interested in and explore ideas and interests that I would not have been able to study if I wasn’t a liberal studies major. I knew I wanted to go on to graduate school and study film after UCF; however I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do in film. Therefore my concentrations within my liberal studies degree were: film, Judaic studies and English. I have stood out from other candidates on career interviews because I am always complemented on my degree choices, and this always leads to discussion on why I choose those three interests to get my degree in. My liberal studies degree has guided me to a career in physical production in Hollywood, where one day I aspire to work as a creative executive in physical production at a major studio.”
Rhonda Darling
Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies
Class of 1995
City Management Analyst
After getting a degree in Liberal Studies, “I went on to get my Masters in Public Administration with a concentration in Coastal Zone Studies at the University of West Florida”. I am currently the “Senior Management Analyst at the City of Encinitas”. I “oversee assigned programs and administrative support functions including budgeting, purchasing, or other specialized department programs; propose, write, and/or monitor complex contracts, agreements, and state and federal grants, including FEMA and Safe Route to School grants; compile, prepare and present City Council staff reports and resolutions”. “While working on my Liberal Studies degree, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do as a career. However, taking classes in psychology, interpersonal communication, education, and art helped me learn about myself and how to interact in the “real world” and has played an important role in my current dealings with city residents, city council members, other public and private agencies, co-workers, and everyone in between. Plus, I have been dubbed the peace maker at my job in local government here at the City of Encinitas. Somebody should make a sign for me like Sally Brown has in Charlie Brown cartoons: “The Doctor is in.””
Sean Hayes
Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies
Class of 1995
Chief Operating Officer
“After Graduation, I moved to Chicago to work on the Chicago Board of Trade. After a year on the exchange I realized this was not the direction for me long term.” After trying a few different business models with a friend offering financing services to motorcycle dealers, “we started offering our existing clients (motorcycle dealers) extended warran-ties and other warranty products to offer to their customers. That model stuck, and we are close to breaking $10 million in sales this year and have a staff of around 20 people throughout the US and supply products to all 50 states. We are based out of Jupiter and Orlando Florida. We bought out all of our investors since then and Barry and I own the company 50/50. I am the Chief Operating Officer and have been since 1998.” “As far as Liberal Studies and how it helped me, I would say this: When I called my uncle, who is a millionaire many times over from Chicago, and said, what can I take in school that will help me in my career, long term? His answer was Liberal Studies.” His reasoning “was that a well rounded person that knew a little about a lot was more successful in starting and running companies than someone that was myopically focused on one thing.”
Christine McClure
Master of Arts in Liberal Studies
Class of 2003
Instructor
“In May of 2003 I found myself accomplishing the unbelievable goal of conferring two master’s degrees, one in Liberal Studies. Two weeks after graduation I was hired at Brevard Community College as an adjunct faculty member teaching sociology and later psychology. I also started teaching at Valencia Community College in May 2004. Last year I was awarded “Outstanding Adjunct of the Year” for 2005. Other jobs since earning my Master’s in Liberal Studies include teaching sociology classes at Barry University and industrial psychology and human development at the University of Phoenix. A Master’s in Liberal Studies has made me a marketable consultant and teacher. Graduate students from the Interdisciplinary Program can benefit teaching in their area of choice. Education, women’s studies, psychology, sociology, and many other areas of concentration are offered in the Interdisciplinary Program. I am now working on my doctorate in Health Psychology at Walden University. As I look back at why getting a second master’s was fruitful, it has been a personal journey as well as wise career move that is leading me to different full-time possibilities with county and state organizations.”
Ron Worst
Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies
Class of 1995
Security Expert and Fraud Examiner
“Since retaining my Liberal Studies degree, I started my own firm, American Investigative Specialists, Inc. http:///www.fraudandsecurityexperts.com, providing financial fraud and security consulting services in the Central Florida region. I’m a security expert and fraud examiner. My responsibilities are to provide fraud prevention and safety & security assessment programs to reduce financial fraud and security protection to persons and property. At this point in my career, I’m thinking about going back and earning my masters in Criminology so that I can teach my methods and philosophies to students who are interested in my field. My Liberal Studies degree was of utmost importance to me because it gave me the opportunity to learn multiple disciplines that enhance my consulting services; which enables me to offer a quality service to Central Florida. Thinking back on when I was walking on the UCF campus as a student, I’m thankful that I decided to attend UCF. Being a part of a University that is still growing and reading about future projects the University wants to accomplish is very exciting to me. As a UCF alumnus, I am very anxious to see how far UCF can grow and how our University can be an asset to the Central Florida community.”
Kristen Papucci
Bachelors in Liberal Studies
Class of 1989
New Business Underwriter
“My Liberal Studies degree from UCF got my foot in the door at Health Net, Inc. because at the time they had begun to require that claims processors have, at minimum, a bachelor’s degree. I had no previous work experience beyond restaurant/retail, but due to successfully completing my Liberal Studies degree, the hiring manager was willing to give me a chance, and I was quickly hired. I am sure that the many different courses I took during that time helped me to fully explore my opportunities and inspired me to pursue a career in the insurance industry, which has been a good fit for me. I have held several positions within the insurance company, Health Net, Inc. and have been with the company for nearly 18 years. I first started as a medical claims processor, then a systems testing assistant, and subsequently held various claims and employer reporting/analyst positions. Six years ago I became a new business underwriter, which is my current position. Along the way I have married and had three children, and in 1998 I earned a Master in Health Administration from Western Connecticut State University. If I were still living in the central Florida area, I would love to have been able to earn my Master’s from UCF in Liberal Studies as well. I truly enjoyed my time at UCF.”
Joshua Cucinella
Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies
Class of 2007
Graduate Student at UF
“I am a graduate student in the Master of Science in Forest Resources and Conservation program at the University of Florida. I have an assistantship working with Dr. Taylor Stein, a recreation and ecotourism specialist in the School of Forest Resources and Conservation. This semester, I designed a site plan, to be used as a guide for developing a recreation park along the St. Mary’s River in Baker County (west of Jacksonville). This project utilized my GIS skills, which I obtained as a requirement of the Environmental Studies program when I was a student at UCF. I chose Environmental Studies because I wanted to learn about all the facets of work in natural resources: ecology, policy, and even the philosophical lenses through which our society views the natural landscape. I was not satisfied with focusing on just one of these interdependent subgroups. What I left the program with was a holistic understanding of the current state of our natural world and how humans exist within it. I felt a need to go back to school to reinforce the ecology portion of my undergraduate education. I used my ecology background and GIS proficiency to gain access into the MSFRC program at UF. Here, I plan to move more towards building my ecology and forestry skill set. I have frequently relied on my interdis-ciplinary knowledge while working on the St. Mary’s Shoals Project, as well as the courses in my graduate degree program. I plan to pursue a career in forestry with a land management agency that has ecological restoration and amenity uses as its primary management objectives.”
Frank Triantos
Class of 2003
Amy Wasserman
Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies
Class of 1993
Pharmaceutical Sales/Comic
After realizing that pre-med and pre-law were not for me, “I learned about the Liberal Studies program. After reading what it was about I thought, "this is the perfect degree!". All of my friends at UCF were jealous that I was able to take almost ANY class I wanted that met my interests. It is really the perfect degree to have. During job interviews I was able to tell future employers that "I am not good at one thing, I am good at everything". I chose minors in Spanish, Communication/Fine Arts, Psychology, Business and Health Sciences. Since gradua-tion, I have worked several exciting jobs including working as a Sales Manager at several major resorts includ-ing Le Parker Meridien in NYC. While at Le Parker Meridien I was the contact for the Rosie O’Donnell Show and met several celebrities. Currently, I am doing my dream job of Pharmaceutical Sales in NYC and my degree helps me in this field by utilizing all of the areas I studied. One of the Communication classes I took even helped a side-track career and helped me follow a dream. In 1992 there was a class in Communication offered called "Humor in Communication". I had such a great time (in that course) and felt so good that had aspirations of doing stand up comedy. While living in NYC, I decided to fulfill this dream and have been doing Stand Up comedy all over NYC for the last seven years including a stint on a reality show called "Last Comic Standing". Therefore, I think a Liberal Studies degree is the greatest degree to have and the most fun degree to work towards. How many people do you know that love all of their classes in their major??? It’s because we can pick what classes suit our needs and personality. If I had to do it all over again, I would still choose a Liberal Studies/Liberal Arts degree.... Have a great year and good luck!”
Gayle Stanley
Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies
Class of 1987
Real Estate Agent/Instructor
The most important point of my life story is that you never know where life will take you. After graduating with my Liberal Studies degree, I worked for USAirways because I loved to travel. I have traveled to every place in the song “Kokomo” plus a ton of other places! However, after 911, I had to re-evaluate what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. At that time, my oldest son was starting his master’s degree so I challenged him to a race to see who could graduate with their masters degree first. We both started in August of 2003 and we both finished in December 2005! It was a rewarding accomplishment! I started selling real estate because it worked into my school schedule and I ended up loving it! Then, after I received my MBA, Corpo-rate Performance Institute called me and asked me to teach customer service skills to Business Management students because of my wide educational background and the 22 years of customer service that I had. I believe that the combination of my Liberal Studies Degree, my MBA and my career experience prepared me for the next step . . . a step that I would not have foreseen in 1987. My liberal studies degree gave me the flexibility to move down different paths as my life and careers changed. If I had graduated with an education degree I would have been stuck in the educational system. But with a liberal studies degree, I have been able to move into fields in to-tally different areas and go on to get degrees and certifications in different areas. It also gave me a wide foundation of knowledge that enabled me to go to graduate school and achieve in a variety of areas such as selling real estate and teaching management classes.
Christopher Quintero
Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies
Class of 2005
Academic Advisor
Receiving my degree in Liberal Studies really afforded me the opportunity to highlight my many interests in careers and fields of study. I felt that my program really allowed me to develop as a well rounded student. As a result, this degree has allowed me the ability to contribute a unique insight and knowledge in my career. The Liberal Studies Program and my Advisor really played an integral role in shaping me to be a better candidate for the workforce. This program allowed me to develop my dreams and turn them into my career goals. Not only did the program allow me to structure a degree suited for me and my interest but the Advisors really assisted me beyond what courses to take by providing a mentorship that was individualized and memorable. Since graduation with my degree in Liberal Studies, I continued my education and received my Master’s degree in Educational Leadership-Student Personnel Track from UCF. Since then, I have pursued my career as an Academic Advisor in the Office of First Year Advising and Exploration. Now I am blessed with the opportunity to create opportunities for success for students at UCF!
Katie Myers
Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies
Class of 2003
Public Relations Coordinator
After completing my undergraduate studies, I was accepted into UCF’s Nicholson School of Communication as a candidate for a Master of Arts in Mass Communication where my Liberal Studies background came in handy in my classes. Instead of having knowledge in one particular area, I found that my years of studying anthropol-ogy and marketing provided me with a different skill set than many of my classmates. In my second year of graduate school I began teaching SPC 1600, Fundamentals of Oral Communication. It’s a dreaded course for many students but, I found it an exciting challenge. Getting students to enjoy a subject that I found fascinating was so much fun! After graduating (again) from UCF I continued to teach the same class at another institution while searching for my dream job. One year later, I finally found it. A public relations position opened up at Citrus Memorial Health System, and I managed to snag an interview. After the first interview I was called back for another, and finally another. I can’t tell you exactly what I said that landed me the job, but I can tell you this: the interviewer and I spoke about crisis public relations, advertising, relationship marketing, cultural an-thropology, and interior design. I love being the Public Relations Coordinator for a large company. I have the responsibility of updating the media on the goings-on of the hospital, writing the company newsletter, plan-ning events, and keeping potential crises in check. I never know where my day will lead. Earning a degree in Liberal Studies taught me that I don’t have to settle. In school I took the classes that I found interesting, not the ones a structured major would have required me to take. And in life, I found a career that’s perfectly suited to my tastes.
Debbie Brown
Master or Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies
Class of 2005
Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies
Class of 2008
Artist
When my youngest son went off to college, I decided to go back to school myself. The college credits I had earned studying art and music in California were accepted by a local community college, and I had my Associate of Arts degree after two semesters. I transferred to the University of Central Florida and received a B.A. in Liberal Arts with a minor in Music in 2005. It was an Honors in the Major program for which I completed a thesis entitled: “Moss: A Closer Look At This Humble Plant And Its Place Within The Historical Context Of Landscape Painting, Considering Its Ecological Significance With Reflections On Nature And Balance”. The thesis included artwork done in oil, ceramics, and etching, along with written work including poems I wrote in a section called “Reflections”. I started graduate school in 2005 and completed an Arts Management Certificate in 2007. In 2008, I received a Master of Arts De-gree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration on Art & Culture in Society. My Master's thesis is entitled “Painting the Sublime Landscape and Learning to See Nature Along the Way”. The thesis in-cludes ten landscape paintings, photos of which are posted on my website, www.galleryofnatureandlight.com. I am very thankful for the educational opportunities I have received. It is enriching to learn new things and develop my interests in art, music, philosophy, and other sub-jects. I also have the privilege of playing cello in the University orchestra. I have enjoyed painting for many years. It is a medium by which I attempt to communicate my values and priorities, though I have often been reluctant to display my work publicly. It is my hope that some may appreciate my small voice within the enormously competitive world of visual arts.
