Personalized, handwritten cards welcome honors students to Gator Nation

March 14 marks the University of Florida’s regular admission day, formally inviting students nationwide and internationally to join Gator Nation. A select group of academically devoted students will not only be accepted into UF’s prestigious Honors Program, but they will also receive a special delivery in the mail. 

To inspire students nationwide to choose UF, the Honors Program began adding a personal touch to their recruitment process four years ago, sending handwritten greeting cards to more than 1,400 newly admitted honors students. 

The team has hosted card writing parties for weeks, seeking to serve students’ needs as the first-choice public university for aspiring scholars through the pillars of opportunity, community, and challenge. 

“I have had the privilege of working with UF Honors since 2005,” said UF Honors Program Interim Director Melissa Johnson, Ph.D. “Over the past 20 years, as part of the honors core faculty, I've witnessed significant growth in opportunities for honors students and have even launched a few of those opportunities myself.” 

For many of these students, the cards will be the only handwritten communiques they receive from any university. 

“This was the only piece of handwritten material I got from any college and it provided such a unique personal touch,” said Terren Smith, a first-year student of international business and Chinese studies from Denver, Colorado, who received his letter in the mail last spring. “I think these small details are so special in a college landscape when you just feel like a number.”

Andrew Herberich, a first-year economics major, found his letter to be rather encouraging. 

“I remember going up to my mom and showing her that it was handwritten right away,” he said.

It was this letter that not only helped Herberich make the decision to move to Florida from Charlotte, North Carolina, but also inspired him to become an Honors Luminary ambassador for the UF Honors Program with a focus on outreach. 

For three years, Honors Luminary and economics major Avery Teman has had the privilege to sit down and craft heartwarming messages, including the letter received by Herberich. 

“It makes me incredibly happy to know that my welcome letters will be genuinely appreciated by our Class of 2029 students,” Teman said. 

Aside from letters, honors students receive a plethora of opportunities to excel academically. They have personalized access to highly knowledgeable faculty advisors, take unique honors courses, enjoy early registration privileges, and gain a highly supportive and collaborative peer network. 

Honors students at UF are currently involved in nearly every academic field, with the top 10 majors being computer science, biology, psychology, mechanical engineering, chemistry, microbiology, finance, biomedical engineering, economics, and political science. 

Future Gators and honors students must confirm their enrollment with the University of Florida by May 1 at 11:59 p.m., preferably with their personalized cards in hand.