Prepared for Takeoff

Jack Mill, '80, fell in love with airplanes as a teenager. Lucky for him, his dreams of flying and designing aircraft became a reality when he landed a job with Piper Aircraft Inc. more than 30 years ago. He began as a design engineer and ascended his way up to his current position of vice president of engineering. Piper is headquartered in Vero Beach, FL, and is considered one of the "big three" in the field of general aviation manufacturing.

Jack earned his B.S. in engineering at UCF, is a licensed professional engineer in Florida, an FAA engineering authorized representative, a certified flight instructor and a commercial pilot with instrument rating in single and multi-engine aircraft.

We caught up with Jack while he was attending simulation training in Orlando. Here's what he shared with us...

Q. How did you get started with Piper Aircraft?
A. In 1972, Piper donated an airplane to Vero Beach High School where I was enrolled in an aeronautics class. Since the donated airplane had been used extensively for structural testing, it could not be sold and we used it to learn about all of the parts and how to perform a pre-flight inspection as if we were going to actually fly it. This was my first exposure to Piper, plus involvement in a Boy Scouts Explorer club that Piper sponsored. Years later, in 1985, I had the opportunity to join Piper as a design engineer.

Q. Why do you do what you do?
A. I love flying airplanes and participating in the design process of creating a product that fulfills the dreams of our customers. Seeing an airplane that I have had a part in the design of and talking to customers that love our products fills me with pride for the Piper team that cannot be described.

Q. What motivated you to learn how to fly?
A. My first airplane ride in a Piper Cub at a Vero Beach airport open house sparked my interest. We slowly flew low over the Indian River and across the island to the beach at only a few hundred feet and saw fisherman, boaters and golfers, and everyone was looking up at us and waving. Looking at the world from above provides an amazing perspective that hooks you.

Q. Describe your best day as a pilot...
A. This is a tough question as I have enjoyed so many flights varying from personal trips, experimental flight tests, giving flight instruction, traveling for Piper and many challenging flights to different places. Several very memorable flights include opportunities to fly the Piper Cub, Piper Cheyenne, Piper Malibu/Mirage, Ford Tri-motor, Pilatus PC-12 and Beechcraft King Air, to name a few. Flying the Piper Meridian last week was my most recent "best day" flying!

Q. What's your favorite thing about your job?
A. Leading the engineering team at Piper allows me to work side by side every day with some of the most dedicated and talented people in the general aviation business. The passion for making the best airplanes in the world is what drives the Piper team and I'm so very proud to be a part of it.

Q. What's your least favorite thing about your job?
A. The administrative portion of the position consumes so much of my time that it's a challenge to stay focused on the important tasks that need to get addressed both tactically and strategically.

Q. Describe a typical day at work...
A. I usually ride my bicycle to work (it's only 4.5 miles) in time to change and start into emails and review my schedule for the day around 7 a.m. or so. Normal days are comprised of project and design reviews, developing and/or reviewing presentations for financial reviews, board of directors meetings, staff meetings and working with various teams setting priorities for resources as necessary to accomplish the corporate goals. I see my position as more of a coach and mentor, providing the tools and resources the team needs to accomplish the work that needs to get done. I use lunch time and late in the afternoon to catch up on emails and correspondence to industry associations, employees, the FAA and various customers. I usually change and ride my bicycle to Charles Park around 6:15 p.m. to meet my wife and friends for a few miles of running and walking, then home for dinner. Often times, I use the evenings after dinner to further catch up on emails and reading journal articles or providing feedback and direction.

Q. What's your most memorable experience on the job?
A. The day the Piperjet proof of concept vehicle first flew. This was our first jet design that we built and flew to prove the concept of a single engine turbofan powered airplane. Watching the airplane fly for the first time brought tears to my eyes.

Q. Why did you choose to attend UCF?
A. Because it was a local university with a reputation for excellence in the engineering program.

Q. What's your favorite UCF memory?
A. Graduating!

Q. What song(s) would make up the soundtrack of your life?
A. Pink Floyd, Beetles, Dave Grusin, Debusy, Boston, Jimmy Buffet, Big & Rich, generally a variety of anything but rap...

Q. Do you have any hidden talents?
A. I learned to juggle a few years ago! I want to learn piano.

Q. What magazine do you look for when you're stuck in a waiting room?
A. Flying, Field & Stream, Boating, Water Ski

Q. If you could watch only one TV show, what would it be and why?
A. I only get to watch what my wife has on and it's usually HGTV!

Q. What do you do for fun?
A. Flying, scuba diving, free-diving, hunting lionfish and lobster, golfing, waterskiing, boating, traveling with my wife, Dawn (Miller) Mill, '77, and visiting with my daughters Katy and Angela

Q. A giant meteor is hurling through the atmosphere toward Earth, and life as we know it will cease to exist by this time tomorrow. How will you spend your last 24 hours?
A. With my wife and children

Q. If someone wrote a book about you, what would the title be?
A. "What a ride!"

Q. What or who inspires you?
A. My wife, my mother and father (God rest his soul), my faith, many of my coworkers and associates over the years

Q. How do you manage stress?
A. Sometimes taking a walk or getting away to a quiet place for a few minutes does wonders, and sometimes an intensive workout.

Q. What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
A. Be true to yourself.

Q. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
A. I admire my wife Dawn's artistic ability and profession so much that I would love to be able to draw or paint.

Far Out!
With $30 million up for grabs, UCF alumni and students are in a race to space.

By Angie Lewis, '03

Like many kids from his generation, Ruben Nunez, '11, grew up watching Weird Science, E.T. and Star Wars. Little did he know the influence the science fiction and technology in those movies would have on him. But after his parents took him to visit Kennedy Space Center and he had an encounter with one of the astronauts, it all made sense: He wanted to build a spacecraft that would help us explore our universe.

Unable to find a good internship opportunity as a college student, then learning about the $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE, Nunez decided to start his own company and team to pursue it.

Earthrise Space Inc. (ESI) provides students with experience building real spacecraft, doing so in collaboration with industry and academic institutions. As president and CEO, Nunez, along with three UCF alumni and 33 UCF students, formed Omega Envoy. The team is competing against 22 other teams from around the world to be the first to safely land a robot on the surface of the moon, have it travel 500 meters over the lunar surface, and send video, images and data back to Earth.

If Omega Envoy wins the money, Nunez says the cash prize will be used to expand his company's infrastructure and workforce to further develop its technologies in order to increase the reliability of its spacecraft.

"We intend to demonstrate that Florida is the No. 1 place for space, since all the infrastructure and resources needed to build and launch spacecraft can be found here," Nunez says. "We hope to create technologies to enable pin-point precision lunar landing — technologies which can then be used to explore other places in our solar system. We also intend to be the first commercial entity to offer lunar payload delivery services." (ESI has already sold $1.6 million in lunar payload delivery services to Angelicvm, a Chilean company also competing in the Google Lunar X PRIZE.)

In addition, he says he would use the prize money to hire more engineers and other disciplined professionals with experience, and provide more internships from different majors (e.g., engineering, business, marketing, public relations and art) to increase the symbiotic mentoring methodology they implement to spur innovation. He would also schedule future lunar payload delivery missions with increased payload mass capabilities, as well as create spin-off technologies for use on Earth and further space exploration.

Thanks to Nunez's ambitious endeavor, ESI has secured a contract with NASA for up to $10 million, through which ESI is providing data from its Omega Envoy spacecraft development and mission. The space giant will use this data in an effort to learn how a small, nonprofit company, like ESI, is able to build a lunar module for a fraction of the cost it spent in its past lunar missions — information that could be imperative to any future NASA operations.

"As the Florida team in the competition, it is important to engage students here in the state who will be the future space workforce," Nunez explains. "What better place to do that than at UCF and other Florida universities? We want to provide experience and support to students and alumni from our alma mater, increasing our momentum and our community involvement."

Earthrise Space is part of the UCF Business Incubator and is housed in Central Florida Research Park, which is close to its main workforce of UCF students. Since its inception, ESI has provided internships to more than 60 students, six of whom were hired with companies like Boeing, Pratt & Whitney, Lockheed Martin and Aircraft Electric Motors. 

More Info
Since ESI is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, it's seeking other sponsors, partners, donors, grants, contracts and other funding sources in an effort to fulfill its lunar payload delivery service capabilities and to win the Google Lunar X PRIZE.

Join the Omega Envoy team on its journey:
VISIT earthrise-space.org
LIKE facebook.com/earthrisespace
FOLLOW @omegaEnvoy

•Tell us a little about yourself, give us your self-introduction.

I am a Florida native, born and raised in Tampa and have a strange obsession with staying busy, traveling, and trying new things. I graduated from the UCF Film School in 2009 and immediately moved out to LA a month later to pursue acting and work in the entertainment industry.

• Congratulations on your award for Best Actress at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival! How does it feel to earn such an award?

It was a really great honor to win this award, and honestly it came as quite a surprise at first. My director posted on my Facebook wall that I had won the award, but I honestly thought he was kidding and brushed it off. About two weeks later I log onto the festival website and there it was "Winner for Best Actress: Laura Alexandra Ramos". I was thrilled! It really feels great to be acknowledged for all of your hard work- blood, sweat and tears, if you will.

• Can you give us some insight as to what life is like on the set of a film?

Long hours, a lot of down time, and large amounts of food... Just kidding. But seriously, being on set is fantastic. You meet such great people all while doing what you love to do- and then it's on to the next one. You can't get bored, which is good for me as I am always into learning and trying new things. There is no better learning experience than being on set working on a film from start to finish. Every project is it is an experience in its own and you grow and learn from each one.

• What career plans are you pursuing as an actress? Are there any projects that you are currently working on?

As an actress I'm not looking to become "famous", I just want to be a working actor and be able to call it a career and make a living off of it. It may sound cliché, but it really is about the art and not about the fame- I am actually a very private person and I would like to keep it that way. I do have an upcoming film due out in December called 12/12/12 and another feature that is a biopic on the late Pirates player, Roberto Clemente. I keep busy between films by constantly working on smaller projects and a few commercials here and there. I am always doing something.

• When you began at UCF, what did you expect for your future? Did you ever see yourself as an award-winning actress, or did you wish to pursue a different career path?

When I started UCF I already had a planed that I was going to make the move to the West Coast as soon as I graduated. You never know what the future holds, but as any actor secretly does, of course I had dreamt of someday winning some sort of an award where I could make a speech and be able to thank everyone Oscar-style, but it was mostly about being acknowledged for my work.

• How did your experience at UCF contribute to your professional career?

I decided to major in film to learn the backside of the production world. I always had an attraction for the film industry and films in general, so it was an easy choice. While studying, I stayed active by acting in and/or helping out with castings for student and independent projects. I also worked part-time at a casting agency for over two years and loved every second of it. I was very involved in the Orlando film industry, both in front and behind the camera, but since it was so limited I knew I had to be in a place with more opportunities. I am looking to start producing some of my own projects and continue to work in casting out here in the city and also worked at a talent agency for a while. Having been a part of this program taught me such a great deal about production, exposed me to some fantastic teachers that I surely will never forget (Lisa Cook), and allowed me to meet and make some great contacts and friends for the future.

• How do you keep in contact with fellow alumni?

Thanks to social networking sites, keeping in touch with fellow alumni is very easy nowadays. There is such a large community of UCF Film students out here in LA and I try to keep in contact with as many as people as I can. Several alumni continue working together on independent projects. The first film I shot after my move to Los Angeles was actually directed and produced by a fellow UCF alumni!

 •Tell us a little about yourself, give us your self-introduction.

I have a BSBA from UCF and a MBA from the University of Connecticut. I was the first person in my family to achieve a college degree and had to work throughout school to pay my own way. After graduating, I worked several years for large companies in various industries before switching over to the Entertainment industry. I have traveled globally, lived in NYC and Los Angeles and now reside in Chicago with my husband and 3 children. In Hollywood I worked for New Line Cinema and Fox Studios doing everything from taking verbal film pitches and estimating the value of a single film to breaking down financial budgets for the studios' slate of films and vetting the budgets and forecasts of distributors, subsidiaries and sales reps all around the globe. I have also participated in marketing and strategy meetings in which poster design and campaign promotions where determined and negotiated payment and settlement terms with licensees when deals failed. It was a great career that taught me valuable skills. My goal now is to take those learning and create a powerful production company here in Chicago.

•How did you obtainthe opportunity to produce the first 3-D movie to show in Chicago?

After leaving Hollywood and the unending workdays/nights, my goal was to spend some time focusing on my family and then build a production company with my husband (also a filmmaker) to create content that inspires us. Meaningful films can be delivered in many genres. I Heart Shakey is a comedy about loyalty and was a proof of concept for us. Proving that studio quality films can be created outside of Hollywood, our company Amarok Productions is ready to make many more films! We did something for a fraction of the cost that the studios spend. Our VFX, music, casting, sets, equipment and crew are all studio quality. We applied our expertise and fostered a group of Chicago filmmakers into creating history. We are the first 3D indie film of its kind and very proud to be paving a path for other filmmakers to follow their passion and dreams and never settle. Yahoo Movies did a big article on I Heart Shakey and simply said, "No more excuses for new filmmakers", because we can all do it! Just set your goal and don't stop or settle!

•Tell us about your time on the set. What is like to work on a movie as the Producer?

Being the Producer is a lot of fun but a lot of work. The Producer is involved in every phase of filmmaking from the idea origin to final exhibition. On set, assume anything that can go wrong will go wrong. My day to day was spent greeting and welcoming press, local celebs and political figures to managing cast issues, location problems, crew scheduling conflicts and keeping our shooting days to a minimum. Everyday I would take a call from my friends/peers in LA telling me I was crazy and taking on too much, that it couldn't be done. This just pushed me harder to succeed. I hardly ever got the chance to sit on set and just enjoy the scene, but whenever possible it was a luxury that I savored. It was wonderful.

•Explain your feelings once you were informed your film was recommended by the Wall Street Journal above studio films.

I was ECSTATIC! WSJ really gave us the commercial recognition that we were hoping to receive. Putting us shoulder to shoulder with multimillion dollar films was amazing. It was a very happy day indeed. I remember doing the interview in route to our international red carpet premiere. The timing couldn't have been better or more meaningful. I'm a bit of an underdog. I am the first person in my family to get a college degree and I am the first woman to have produced a feature film shot entirely in stereoscopic 3D. That WSJ article was more meaningful then I can put into words.

•Since the film's release, what has your life been like since? Any changes? Bigger opportunities?

I Heart Shakey is hitting RedBoxes nationwide later this month and is till being sold and rented online. We just found out we are up for several awards in another film festival in November and our 3D Music Videos are being recognized globally too. I Heart Shakey international sales are still underway, so even though our Domestic Theatrical is over and DVD retail release is well underway, we still have several release stages that consume much of my time. In additon, we have several other films in various stages of production. We are in pre-production for a short piece on the inner city violence that is plaguing our youth across the globe that will shoot in January 2013, we are raising funding for a teen drama that will shoot in Fall 2013 and we have optioned an amazing script that is on the "Black List" in Hollywood. The "Black List" is a list of scripts created by Hollywood insiders that believe should be made into films, but due to various reasons the studios can't figure out a way to make these great scripts into great movies. Rest assured we will be making this into a GREAT film.

•When you began at UCF, what did you expect for your future? Did you always want to be a Producer, or did you ever wish to pursue a different career path?

I wanted a business degree that I could apply to any industry. I didn't really know exactly what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to travel and see the world and needed an educational foundation that would support a diverse future in a big city. My UCF undergrad took me from Aerospace, to Banking, to Computers, to Software and then on to Entertainment. A firm grasp of business and organizational development proved to be invaluable no matter what my position in the workforce. As a Producer, the ability to understand and anticipate is a vital key that unlocks many doors and was one of the first teachings I had in my undergraduate business organizational development class.

•How did your experience at UCF contribute to your professional career?

UCF had the flexibility I needed to make a college degree feasible for me. In addition to another job, I worked at the on campus financial aid office. I was able to get know a great group of students and employees. I had fun inside and outside the classroom. I'm very thankful for my UCF experience as it showed me a diverse group of people working at multiple levels within an organization can achieve individual and group goals. By being a part of such an eclectic group, it demonstrated what I would see post-graduation at every company I worked for and just kept reinforcing that basic business concepts would help me to succeed in any industry I choose. So, when I had the opportunity to work in the Entertainment Industry I didn't think twice, I simply said, YES! I truly believe anything is possible and no path is closed to you if you want it.

•How do you keep in contact with fellow alumni?

Facebook and LinkedIn are great tools to help stay connected. We are all so busy, but whenever possible I enjoy catching up with everyone and the fun happenings in their lives.

Tell us a little about yourselves, give us your self-introduction.

Brian Kamprath is an operational effectiveness analyst with TakeCare Health, a subsidiary of Walgreens, and Michelle Kamprath is director of account management for Catamaran, a pharmacy benefit manager. We both obtained a Master of Business Administration from UCF in 2009. We were married ten years ago and have been traveling the globe together ever since. As avid travelers, we have visited all seven continents and have experienced first-hand how travel fosters a greater appreciation and understanding of other cultures, and furthermore enhances respect for the delicate natural world around the globe. Aside from our full-time careers, we started UFOREA, Inc., a non-profit company, to not only help to improve the quality of existence for all walks of life, but also to inspire others to make changes in their lives and continue to make a positive impact in the world.

Congratulations on launching your very own travel company, UFOREA, Inc.! Can you provide us with some insight as to what services your company offers, and how it benefits those in need?

UFOREA raises funds through its website, UFOREA.org. The website functions as an online travel agent where travelers can book hotel stays, flights, cars, and vacation packages. During the booking process, travelers are able to select from a variety of nonprofit organizations. Once the booking is complete all proceeds are donated by UFOREA to the nonprofit the traveler selected. UFOREA provides the same availability and prices as can be found on other online travel agencies such as Expedia or Priceline. What makes us different is that as an added bonus you are also able to provide help to those in need.

Tell us a little about yourself, give us your self-introduction. 

I graduated from the Nicholson School of Communication with a BA degree in Journalism, specializing in Advertising/Public Relations. I have worked in the private sector, as well as for large corporations. I own my own marketing company called Marketing 2 Go (launched in 2010), that grew quickly and is now one of the largest marketing firms in the area. Marketing 2 Go's client list includes some of the most well-known and most successful businesses in the county and beyond. My specialties include creating and managing marketing and social media campaigns and crafting and distributing press releases and news stories so business owners can 'create a buzz' about their products, services, or non-profit. I am often used as a keynote speaker to share my expertise on marketing and social media panels. Also, I encourage my clients to align themselves with charity - as my company does – supporting the community where you live and work.

Congratulations on both the United Way's Women's Initiative of Flagler County's Outstanding Woman of the Year Award and the President's Volunteer Service Award! What activities lead you to achieve such substantial recognition?

I'm active in the community and I volunteer on several non-profit boards. I helped launch The United Way Women's Initiative (an arm of the Volusia Flagler United Way) and we went on to raise over 60,000 pounds of food last year for those in need in our community (http://yourunitedway.wordpress.com/2011/11/30/chicks-with-cans-do-it-again/). I am the public relations chair for Teens-In-Flight, a non-profit that trains and pays for teens that have had a parent killed or injured in the military, to obtain their private pilot license. I am on the board of a relatively new community theater - the City Repertory Theatre in Palm Coast, and I volunteer on The Flagler Beach Historical Museum's board of directors. I get involved in other special projects such as the recent half cent penny tax referendum and fundraiser for the Flagler County Education Foundation. I serve on the Palm Coast Chamber board and I'm a member of the Rotary of Flagler Beach.

As the owner Marketing 2 Go, can you provide us with some insight as to what services your company offers?

We are a full-service marketing firm. Our passion is to assist business owners to grow their business. We offer marketing and branding services, social media services and training, public relations services, websites, and graphic design (www.marketing2go.biz).

As a volunteer, what are activities are you most looking forward to for the upcoming years?

I look forward to fun fundraisers! When people enjoy attending the event that you've created, promoted, and made money on for charity, you've accomplished something worthwhile.

When you began at UCF, what did you expect for your future? Did you plan on owning your own marketing company, or did you ever wish to pursue a different career path?

I actually didn't know what I wanted to major in until about my junior year when my mother suggested Public Relations. She made it sound very glamorous – that 'you could work with movies stars managing their PR'. We haven't had any movie-star clients yet, but you never know.

How did your experience at UCF contribute to your professional career and love of volunteering?

Attending UCF was essential in the success of my professional career and passion for volunteering. I started volunteering for the American Red Cross when I was in college. I wrote and designed their volunteer newsletter. From the professors to your fellow students, everyone you meet at UCF makes difference in your college experience.

How do you keep in contact with fellow alumni?

The highlight of reading Pegasus Magazine is the AlumKnights section! I enjoy finding out where my fellow alumni are and what they are up to. As a matter of fact, I just read in AlumKnights that one of my fellow classmates got married! I meet UCF alumni in my business and personal life frequently as well. As a matter of fact, I just attended a motivational talk by fellow alumni and author Kevin Snyder last month. And of course, I keep up with alumni, friends and family on Facebook!

Tell us a little about yourself. What college at UCF did you graduate from and what did you major in?

I earned two graduate degrees at UCF. I earned an MFA in Theatre from in 2007 and an MA in TESOL from in 2011. Both degrees represent my two passions in life. I earned my undergraduate degree in Interpretation of Literature in 1978 from Northwestern University in Chicago and had a dual career for 20 years as an actor and radio announcer alongside a career teaching international students. Actors are sometimes out of work, so I taught ESL to support myself. Sometimes teaching jobs dried up, so I found acting work. I realized that I loved both. Teaching English was also a good way to finance my love of travel. I spent three years in Sweden writing language materials and was active in the English-speaking theatre group there. I finally went back for a degree in both fields after working so that I could teach at the college level.

How did you decide UCF was the right school for both your graduate degrees?

In 2004, I was looking for a graduate program in acting in the South. It was important for me to be close to my family in Miami so that my relatives could come and see me in shows. I researched universities in the South that had MFA Theatre programs that financially supported their graduate students and found UCF. Fortunately, my audition for UCF was successful. When I went to the callback on campus and met the faculty, I was very impressed. I also visited theatres in the area and realized that there was a substantial theatre scene in Orlando. I sensed that I could learn a lot at UCF and in the community.

As soon as I graduated with my MFA, I went over to the TESOL department to take a few refresher courses in teaching ESL. I was so impressed with the TESOL department that I decided I couldn't pass up the opportunity to work with and learn from the excellent faculty. It was the best decision I've ever made. I eventually became a graduate teaching assistant and taught linguistics to pre-service teachers. I realized that training teachers would be a smart career move for me.

How did your experience at UCF lead you to becoming an English teacher in China?

I had heard about the English Language Fellow (ELF) program years ago, but when Dr. Kerry Purmensky in the TESOL department sent me an email about the program in 2010 and encouraged me to apply, I knew it was the right time. I traveled and toured China in 1984, just after President Reagan was there and always wanted to go back. I wanted to see with my own eyes how the economic boom had impacted life in China. Armed with my MA in TESOL, I felt I was ready to take on the challenge of working with the State Department as a teacher and cultural ambassador. I applied to the ELF program in March 2011, and was selected for a post in China the following May. By August, I was settling into my job at Shenyang Normal University, just north of the city of Shenyang.

Once I started my new job, I realized that the year spent teaching linguistics as a graduate assistant was the best preparation I could have had. Most of my lessons focused on combining theory with practical activities in the classroom. I used many of the lessons I taught at UCF in my graduate classes at Shenyang Normal and in workshops I held for high school teachers in Shenyang. The largest workshop was for 300 pre-service teachers. Thank goodness I had that year as a graduate assistant teacher!

How did you utilize each of your degrees as a teacher in a foreign country?

Both of my degrees were excellent preparation for teaching abroad. I was asked to develop and teach courses in writing, culture, and foreign language teaching methodology to the graduate students in English Education and Translation/Interpretation. I had no books at the university and no curriculum to follow. As so often happens in China, a "foreign expert teacher" is expected to know what to teach with little or no guidance. Because I was fresh out of graduate school myself, I knew exactly the books I wanted to use and the latest research in language acquisition I wanted to teach. Every minute of my MA TESOL degree was worth it because I could turn around and teach what I had learned, combined with 20 years of experience, of course.

The advantage of designing my own curriculum was the great flexibility and creativity I had. In the spring semester, I created a drama class tailored to the needs of my students. So often, drama is overlooked as a fun, effective way to teach language. Using "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder as a model, I had my students write their own play and perform it. Each of my classes put on a 45-minute, self-scripted play. Just imagine a Chinese version of Our Town. It was great fun to write.

Did you face any difficulties living away from home? Did you experience any culture shock that you weren't prepared for?

As most people can imagine, it is very difficult to navigate a country without knowing the language. My university in China assigned three students to act as my translators and help me do everything from taking taxis, opening bank accounts and buying airplane tickets. I called them my "student shepherds" because they accompanied me everywhere. I had to get used to depending on help from everyone – a big adjustment for a person who is used to being totally independent. Little by little, I learned the phrases I needed for daily life, but it was still impossible to negotiate complex situations by myself.

The State Department did an excellent job of preparing the Fellows in China for cultural differences. One of the nice shocks was the way my students were ready to help me do everything. They carried books, erased the boards, found markers and set up the computer for the class. "It's our duty to help our teacher," they explained to me. Other shocks were more difficult. Crossing the street was always a death-defying act. There was no such thing as yielding to pedestrians, and traffic lights were rare. People moved across busy streets by clustering into groups and making a run for the other side. Cars, trucks and buses constantly blasted their horns at high decibels so that I took to wearing earplugs to cope with the noise. I don't think I ever fully adjusted to the street culture.

In terms of my students, it was quite a shock to encounter so much silence in class. I was warned that discussions might be difficult because no one would want to be the first to talk (and possibly make a mistake). To a certain degree, I was able to overcome that by giving small group discussion activities. I found that it took a while to build trust and overcome a certain amount of fear towards a teacher. Students seemed to be afraid that they would be criticized by a teacher. Once that fear was overcome, students were likely to open up and ask questions. I have to say that my students in China were among the most dedicated, hard-working students I've ever taught.

What are your future plans?

I returned to Miami to catch up on a little family time before I apply to go overseas again. I'm teaching at the Intensive English Program at the University of Miami this year and researching opportunities abroad. One of the things I look for in a job is the possibility to use drama in teaching or to participate in a drama program with the students.

How do you stay connected to your university?

I am in touch with my professors via email or Facebook with the latest news. At the beginning of the fall semester, I spoke about my experience teaching writing in China to the Reading and Writing in a Second Language class. I'm sure I'll be back through the year to speak about my experience and encourage other MA TESOL graduates to apply for the Fellow program.

Tell us a little about your journey as a student at UCF? What college did you graduate from, were you involved with any extracurricular activities?

I graduated from the College of Health and Public Affairs with a B.S. in Communicative Disorders in 1995 and M.A. in 1999. My career began in the school system. I was in the UCF consortium program while working toward my master's degree. I then became a traveling speech-language pathologist, worked in hospitals and out-patient clinics and finally opened my own practice. I started running and weight training in college which led to a love of exercise and years of competing in marathons and triathlons.

What is Skillbuilders and how is it shaping the lives of the kids growing up in our community?

Skillbuilders provides speech and language therapy to children who have challenges in speech, language, reading, writing, and information processing. In addition, we have provided numerous seminars and contracted with local educational institutions to develop a service delivery model that best serves children with learning challenges. Skillbuilders was built on the principle that every child can learn. Elizabeth is one of the many miracles I have witnessed and been a part of throughout the years. She has spina bifida. When I met her, she wasn't walking, talking, eating by mouth and she had a tracheotomy. Her health was very fragile at the time. With a lot of hard work, very determined parents and a team of doctors and therapists, Elizabeth is walking, talking, eating and just attended her first year of kindergarten. Between kindergarten, therapy and doctor's appointments, sweet little Elizabeth is an advocate for spina bifida research. I have the best job in the world!

You're teaching as an adjunct this summer at your self-proclaimed beloved alma mater. What are you teaching, and what brought you back?

I'm teaching "Communicative Disorders Across a Lifespan" and I love every minute of it. When I was asked to teach a course, I was excited to accept and be part of the journey of our next generation of SLP's.

How did your education at UCF help you to reach your entrepreneurial career goals?

It is not easy to gain acceptance to the Master's program in Communicative Disorders. Knowing this, I developed a work ethic very early on. My professors encouraged creativity and had high expectations. They instilled an excitement for our field that has fueled my passion for business.

What are your best memories at UCF?

I absolutely enjoyed every minute of college life. I will never forget the tailgates, attending the games, jumping in the fountain, and the beginning of many lifelong friendships.

How do you stay connected with fellow alumni?

It is easy to stay in touch with my fellow UCF alums. Many of them are now business colleagues with whom I network and friends with whom I share many wonderful memories. GO KNIGHTS!

 

Robert Starkman wants you to find personality in your socks. From the Nicholson School of Communication, Starkman has embarked on the fast track of an entrepreneurial journey. Taking socks to a new level, his dedication to success and Knight pride has earned him an Alumni Spotlight. Learn more about Starkman and Rock'em Socks below.

What is Rock'em Socks?

When did you realize you had created something truly special that people wanted to buy?

I had started on eBay, and sales were gradual for the first month or so. I had transitioned over to my own website while still using eBay, and decided to drop the eBay once the website orders picked up. Not until the holiday season in 2011 did I really feel like what we had was special. On Black Friday we must have gotten around 150+ orders in a day or so. The weekend before Christmas was around three times as busy as Black Friday. As we set the bar higher and higher for ourselves, it's almost every week that I realize how special this truly is and can be.

You recently partnered with Nike. How has that opportunity helped to grow your business?

A partnership with Nike isn't concrete, however we are working on a proposal to work with them. There are a lot of requirements from a business in order to partner with Nike, and I'd say we're just about 90% of the way there. We have partnered with other organizations, such as the Kay Yow foundation, and we've seen nothing but massive success and positive feedback from our customers. Kay Yow was a former NCAA Women's Basketball coach who had died of Breast Cancer, so for Breast Cancer Awareness month (October) we had donated 20% of all sales of any pink items to the foundation. We raised about $2000, which was incredible. The partnership with them had definitely exposed us to supporters of the cause who might not have heard of our company otherwise. My most opportunistic partnerships have without a doubt been my co-workers, specifically Austin Crane (fellow UCF Knight), who have been nothing short of a blessing to the company.

What are the future plans for your business?

We've got a ton of surprises for our fan base literally within the coming weeks, and we're fully intent on expanding our line of products to beyond socks. We'd love to sponsor premiere athletes, host fun events, and make our presence felt outside of the digital world. It would be great to have an actual retail store in a major city (LA, NY, Chicago), while at the same time expanding our international sales through the website.

How did your education at UCF help you to reach your entrepreneurial career goals?

I was a Broadcast major when I first started the business, so I actually had no formal experience with entrepreneurship. I did however have a professor recently whose passion for teaching kept me attentive even through a three-hour class period. That enthusiasm and commitment to reach others is something that I try to emulate through the company. I was also fortunate enough to have terrific mentors from the UCF Men's Basketball staff (where I was a student -manager for 3 years) who were always willing to impart wisdom. I cannot stress how important they all were to not only the shaping of my brand's identity, but also my own identity.

What are your best memories at UCF?

Most of my best memories without a doubt come from my time working with UCF Men's Basketball (where I spent a majority of my college experience). I was able to travel to places I might never have been otherwise, and got the chance to be a part of something that was bigger than myself. One memory that will never fade is when we beat the University of Florida at the Amway Center, which happened to be on my 21st birthday. The people I met through UCF Basketball (from coaches, players, managers, and trainers) have become my closest friends, and are people that I would do anything for.

How do you stay connected with fellow alumni?

A lot of my friends from UCF work with me on the company, so we're connected every day. Other alumni I keep up with through social networking, but if I can find a spot for them at Rock 'Em, they're more then welcome to join us for the ride!