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CNN Political Contributor to Headline Event that Celebrates Mentorship at UCF

The 23rd annual Joseph C. Andrews Mentoring Celebration breakfast that highlights leadership in the University of Central Florida community will be in the Student Union on Jan. 30.

Beginning at 8 a.m. in the Pegasus Ballroom, the event hosted by the Black Faculty and Staff Association at UCF will feature keynote speaker Marc Lamont Hill, host of BET News and VH1 Live, and a CNN political contributor. Hill is a journalist, professor at Morehouse College in Atlanta and a social-justice activist. His speech will focus on how culture, education, community involvement and mentoring intersect.

Five UCF students also will be recognized for their mentorship roles in the community with $2,000 worth of scholarships. More than 200 students were nominated for these scholarships that are designed to recognize the accomplishments of mentoring programs at UCF. The scholarships include a Past Presidents Legacy Scholarship, Dr. Cheryl Green Service Scholarship, Dr. Tee Collins Scholarship, and Mentor and Mentee of the Year scholarships.

For past scholarship recipient Danelle Richard, a senior studying health sciences, the $500 award gave her extra resources to pay for education expenses and to contribute to a cause she’s passionate about. What wasn’t spent on textbooks was donated to International Medical Outreach, a registered student organization in which Richard holds a director role. IMO participants travel to Haiti twice a year to offer two-day free clinics and to collect data on the area’s health demographics.

The celebration’s theme is “Facing the Future Together: Mentoring for Change,” and is open to the public. It’s $350 to purchase a table and $35 for an individual ticket. Money raised will support scholarships and annual celebration breakfasts. Contact DeLaine Priest at DeLaine.Priest@ucf.edu [1] by Jan. 13 to reserve a seat.