UCF Alumni Announces 30 Under 30 Award Winners for 2020



Bold. Innovative. Excellent. Each year, UCF Alumni honors the best of what the university has to offer with its 30 Under 30 awards. These Knights are beacons of the UCF creed in their professional workplaces and local communities, helping make the world a better place.


The 2020 class of 30 Under 30 honorees includes leaders in space exploration, civil engineering and even dunking basketballs. These alumni were chosen for their great professional success, commitment to helping others and track record of giving back to UCF and their local community. 


"At UCF we continue to showcase what a truly remarkable young alumni community we have with our 2020 30 Under 30 recipients," says Marley Hughes '11, chair of UCF's Young Alumni Council. "This year, as much as any in the past, we are impressed by the extraordinary things our young alumni are doing in their professional and civic communities. These young leaders continue to set an incredible example for our alma mater. On behalf of the Young Alumni Council, I extend my sincerest congratulations on this well-deserved accomplishment."


Nominations for the awards were accepted on UCFAlumni.com from Nov. 26, 2019, to Jan. 5, 2020. Nominations were reviewed and scored by UCF staff and previous award recipients, and winners were selected by the UCF Young Alumni Council. The finalists were then confirmed by the UCF Alumni Board based on the following criteria:


  • Must be a graduate of the UCF (undergraduate or graduate degree)
  • Must be age 29 or under on May 1, 2020
  • Must demonstrate a commitment to maintaining a lifelong relationship with Knights and strive to uphold UCF Young Alumni values


The 2020 award recipients will be honored in a formal ceremony on May 9. Below is a complete list of the 2020 winners, listed alphabetically. Past recipients can be found on the UCF Alumni website.


UCF Alumni 30 Under 30 2020 Honorees


Andrew Aboujaoude ’18

College of Medicine
Burnett Honors College


Jessica Aksu ’13 ’18MBA

College of Sciences
College of Business Administration


Caroline Castille ’15

College of Business Administration
College of Arts and Humanities


Frankie Catalfumo ’13

College of Health Professions and Sciences


Peri Chajet ’16 

College of Sciences


Brittany Dansereau ’13

College of Sciences


Juan Escobar ’12 ’14MA

College of Community Innovation and Education


Brandon Fair ’13

College of Sciences


Tacko Fall ’19

College of Undergraduate Studies


Angelica Garcia ’17MS

College of Engineering and Computer Science


Sarah Goldman ’14

College of Health Professions and Sciences


Michael Herman ’13

College of Engineering and Computer Science


Christopher Jones ’13

College of Sciences


Jenna (Doerfler) Kelly ’13 ’14MBA ’15MSBM 

Rosen College of Hospitality Management
College of Business Administration


Steven Lerner ’13

College of Community Innovation and Education


Blake Lynch ’14

College Nursing


Paula Machado ’12

College of Sciences


Santiago Martinez ’14

College of Business Administration


Marsha Mena ’15 ’16MSW

College of Health Professions and Sciences


Kristina Merritt ’12 

College of Sciences


Michael Metzner ’16MD

College of Medicine


Alexis Neigel ’15MS ’17PhD

College of Sciences


Nikunj Patel ’17 ’19MSAE

College of Engineering and Computer Science


Andrea Piazza ’19MA

College of Community Innovation and Education


Jonell Radabaugh ’15

College of Engineering and Computer Science
Burnett Honors College


Amanda Schultz ’17

College of Nursing
Burnett Honors College


Emily Smith ’13

Rosen College of Hospitality Management


Jade Taylor ’14

College of Sciences


Alexandra Thompson ’13

College of Sciences


James Weschler ’14

College of Engineering and Computer Science