Distinguished First-Year Student of the Year
The Distinguished Undergraduate First Year Student of the Year Award specifically recognizes one FTIC Full Time cohort student who demonstrates significant engagement, inspires others to achieve high success, and motivates their peers to return for the sophomore year. This student will be the featured speaker at Freshman Convocation and the Sophomore Experience event. The award winner will also receive a stipend of $750.
Qualifications: Nominees must have:
- FTIC FT cohort status for the current academic year
- Earned at least 12 undergraduate Fall term semester credits with 100% of attempted hours earned, no NC or DFW grades
- Nominees must have an institutional GPA of 3.5 or higher
- Must have attended the Freshman Convocation
Required Documentation
For each nominee, please submit the following material as a single PDF document:
- A current transcript (an unofficial transcript from MyFAU is acceptable).
- A cover letter describing why the student feels they would be a good candidate for this recognition.
- One detailed nomination letter from a FAU employee (e.g. faculty, staff, advisor, coach, etc.) outlining the student's qualifications for the award
- Optional: A one-page resume or curriculum vitae.
Candidate will be interviewed by the selection committee prior to award.
Deadline: January 26th of each year for nominations.
In 2025, the first ever Distinguished First Year Undergraduate Student of the Year was awarded to Maya Desai
To qualify, candidates must be a full-time first time in college cohort student, free of academic misconduct violations with a minimum GPA of 3.5 (Fall Dean’s list), earned all attempted hours as a full-time student, and be nominated by faculty or staff of the university for exemplifying the qualities of the freshman class. The selected winner serves as the Freshman Convocation speaker and participates as a speaker at rising sophomore events, sharing an inspirational story about their first-year experience. The role includes a $750 stipend as one of the featured speakers at the Freshman Convocation.
A little about Maya - she has a vibrant personality and an inquisitive mind. She joined the University Honors Program as an out-of-state student majoring in International Business and brought in 47 credits from high school. She is the Vice President of the Community Service Club because she knows how important it is to give back to her community. In Fall 2024, she made the Dean’s List, President’s List, Housing Director’s List, and was nominated for a Prestigious Fellowship. Looking forward, Maya is applying to be a Resident Assistant and a UHP Peer Academic Coach for the 2025-2026 school year. She is currently interested in Law School, which she was encouraged to do by her Honors Introduction to Philosophy instructor. I cannot wait to see how Maya continues to grow as a student leader during her journey at Florida Atlantic and beyond.