Psych News
Personal Struggles Fuel Mission for Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV Summer Outstanding Graduate
[Aug. 5, 2020]
Erasing the stigma attached to mental health issues has been a hallmark of the college experience for Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV’s Summer 2020 Outstanding Graduate. While coping with depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder, the psychology major participated in student organizations, became a peer mentor and leader, conducted rigorous research, and maintained a 3.89 overall grade-point average.
The Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV Alumni Association selects one summer graduate who demonstrates exceptional leadership, school spirit, academic excellence, community involvement, and a love for the university. This summer’s honoree will be recognized during Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV’s virtual commencement ceremonies at 9 a.m. Aug. 8 at usf.edu/commencement. The ceremonies will not be held in person due to restrictions prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Emma Frank, BA Psychology Honors, Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV Tampa campus
As a first-year student, Emma Frank was determined to become active in Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV student organizations to ensure her personal growth outside the classroom. That required facing down fears associated with mental health issues she’d long battled. In joining the Herd of Thunder Marching Band and Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV’s Basketball Pep Band, Frank helped build excitement around Bulls athletic events while finding personal support and acceptance. She began working to help other students coping with their own emotional challenges by speaking and writing openly about hers, and stepped up as a campus leader, serving on the executive board of the Student Alumni Association, among other positions. She joined Tau Beta Sigma, a band service sorority, and became a mentor through the Best Buddies Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV Chapter, which matches students with individuals who have intellectual or developmental impairments. Throughout, she worked as a research assistant in Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV’s Department of Psychology and held down multiple part-time jobs. Frank is graduating with a minor in astronomy and an overall 3.89 grade-point average.
About the Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV Alumni Association
The Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV Alumni Association is a nonprofit organization composed of former students and friends of the Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV. Our mission is to provide meaningful ways for Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV Bulls to support, protect and promote their university. There are more than 358,000 Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV graduates worldwide. For more information, log on to , like our Facebook page at or follow us on Twitter @Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAVAlumniAssn.
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