This fall semester The University of Tampa managed to recruit a record-breaking total of five high school valedictorians.
Involved in an array of diverse academic disciplines and hailing from all over the state of Fla. as well as other parts of the nation, Jillian Gempel, Somer Harvey, Patrick Creedon, Kristin Horrocks and Andrea Morris have all chosen to honor UT as the college of their choice.
They are all backed by a number of scholarships to help with the financial burden of attending college.
For a more in-depth look at these remarkable students and the unique assets they each bring to the university, we questioned them individually about their reasons for choosing UT, any common misconceptions about valedictorians and the details of their college experience so far.
Somer Harvey, a native of nearby Plant City and a recent graduate of Durant High School, said that UT’s proximity to her home as well as its cozy size and unique teacher-to-student ratio made it an especially appealing candidate for enrollment. She is currently pursuing a major in biology and considering a minor in chemistry.
Harvey is an avid participant in community service programs, a dog lover and a firm believer in the benefit of massages and a good night’s sleep. The biggest misconception about her incredibly productive and accelerated lifestyle, she says, is that it left her little time to enjoy the “pleasures of childhood.”
“I would say that a lot of people may negatively think that I grew up too fast, but, in my opinion, if missing out on the out-of-control parties and dating multiple people means I grew up too fast, then I am content that I did.”
Andrea Morris, a St. Petersburg resident, also counted UT’s intimate size as a factor of her decision to attend. Apart from pursuing a pre-law degree, Andrea is minoring in the very different disciplines of math and journalism.
She was quick to affirm that she is loving her UT experience and thoroughly enjoys her classes. Morris expressed an interest in becoming more involved with the prestigious Honors program and says she counts Ovaltine, Harry Potter and texting as a few of the things she couldn’t do without.
An undoubtedly devoted student, she asserts that the biggest misconception about her as valedictorian is that “…all I care about is grades and that my life revolves around school.”
Morris’ firm advice to aspiring valedictorians is that they always attend classes and complete homework assignments on time.
Also from Fla. (the neighboring town of Brandon), Jillian Gempel is a biology major and a psychology minor. She agreed with many of her fellow valedictorians about her reasons for choosing UT over other colleges, namely “the fact that it is a small, close-knit campus. It makes the transition to college easier, while giving students all the necessary resources (and then some) to succeed.”
She has a celebrity crush on Hugh Laurie and finds her current semester abroad experience in London to be a memorable experience so far. Gempel maintains that there is no secret to achieving exceptional grades, except hard work and earnest desire.
She believes that valedictorians, despite commonly held misconceptions, have much in common with every other college student.
“People don’t realize that ‘smarty-pants’ kids still struggle with every day issues like peer pressure and self-doubt.”
From far-flung Chicago, Patrick Creedon chose UT for its reputation as a topnotch business school, for its manageable size and its year-round summer weather.
He is involved in the fields of international business, marketing and advertising. Also in London for the semester, Patrick is excited to join campus life in the spring and participate in a number of clubs sponsored by UT. He was quick to dispute the misconception that excellent students are withdrawn bookworms.
“Believe it or not, I have a social life and I would like to think that I am a pretty fun and outgoing person. It’s not like I stay home on the weekends and read the dictionary. I am actually a really bad speller too,” he admitted.
He asserts that effective time management, stress-control and pursuing a variety of interests are essential elements to academic success.
Born in Colorado, but raised in Kansas City, Miss., Kristin Horrocks chose to travel to Tampa not only to escape the harsh winter weather, but to engage in the diverse blend of “extracurricular opportunities and academic superiority” offered by UT.
She is pursuing a major in secondary education and considering a minor in Spanish. Like many of her fellows, she has an eclectic assortment of interests outside of schoolwork and study. Horrocks is a huge fan of baseball, chocolate ice cream and downloading songs to her Zune MP3 player. She counts Johnny Depp as one of the most talented and handsome actors in Hollywood. Horrocks has only good things to say of her UT experience in the first few weeks.
“UT has been awesome so far. The staff is always so supportive and there are enough students to find my place, but not so many that I feel like a statistic.”
In addition to believing that college students should stay true to themselves and enroll in subjects they are passionate about, the valedictorian also advocated maintaining a diversity of interests: “Stay well-rounded too, because there are more important things than grades and GPAs.”
Jeffrey Palmer can be reached at jeffrey.palmer@spartans.ut.edu.