“It’s been a wild ride,” he says.

Raised in Baltimore and educated in the Ivy League. Told in high school to settle rather than climb. Hired as associate vice president for enrollment services at a university he barely knew existed in 1999 and retiring from it 23 years later as the largest public university by student enrollment in the U.S. Chavis turns and proudly points out a football with a UCF logo on it.

“Who would have thought?” Chavis says. Then he answers his own question. “Everyone needs someone in their life to believe in them. When that happens, it can inspire amazing results.”

Former UCF President John C. Hitt and Vice President Tom Huddleston believed in Chavis when they hired him to manage the university’s enrollment, which in the late 1990s totaled 32,000 students. And Chavis believed in Hitt when he described his vision for a university that everyone in all 50 states would recognize, with a nationally ranked football program, a stadium on campus, a medical school, and twice as many students excelling in everything from hospitality to engineering to nursing.

But the believer who showed Chavis he could pursue anything he set his mind to was the person whose mere presence made him feel that he could accomplish anything: “My mom.” Chavis starts a lot of thoughts with those two words. If it hadn’t been for the belief she had in her son at a most crucial time in high school, there’s no telling where the squiggly path of life would have taken him.

Chavis grew up as the oldest of four children in a close-knit family. His parents didn’t have the opportunity to attend college, but there was never any question that Gordon and his siblings would. Their futures became a nightly topic at the dinner table.

“Being a first-generation college student wasn’t really a ‘thing’ back then,” Chavis says. “We talked about going to college as if it were a foregone conclusion. I thought I might even go to medical school at some point.”

In the fall of his senior year, Chavis went to meet his high-school counselor so they could discuss his plans after graduation. Chavis had done his research. He sat in the counselor’s office and said he planned to attend either Penn or Maryland. Then he awaited advice for his next steps.

“I remember the counselor looked up at me and flat-out said, ‘You won’t get into those schools. Be realistic. Look at local colleges.’ And that was it,” he says.

Chavis left school that day with disappointment and embarrassment replacing the space that hours earlier had been occupied with confidence and self-worth. He avoided everyone except one person.

“My mom,” Chavis says, “told me there will always be people in life who will not be supportive of your goals. You need to move beyond those people and pursue what you want to do.”

Chavis had an example in his own home. His dad, Gordon Chavis Sr., was one of the first five Black men to play on the Professional Golf Association (PGA) tour. There were far more doubters than believers in the early 1960s, but Gordon Sr. paid more attention to the latter — most of whom were also Black golfers who had chosen a path known to be full of resistance.

“Everyone needs a motivator to help imagine what the future could hold,” Chavis says. “I can point back to my experiences with the counselor and my mom as the reasons I got into enrollment management. I didn’t want anyone else to go through that.”

With the lift from his parents, Chavis received acceptance letters from Penn and Maryland. He chose Penn. After graduating from there, he earned his J.D. from Georgetown. At both schools he worked in the admissions departments, learning about data and details, but mostly providing a source of encouragement as he traveled the country to meet high school counselors, students and their families.

Then, in 1999 he heard from a colleague that a position had opened at UCF. Chavis wasn’t exactly sure where UCF was located on the map.

“I had no idea what the institution was all about,” he says. “So, I did some research and it looked as if they had some interesting strategies for growth.”

He met with Hitt and Huddleston and liked what he heard about building a brand, earning a reputation for excellence, creating partnerships, and opening pathways into communities where high school students might simply need a glimpse of what could be possible.

“I often say we had to be a scrappy institution. We aren’t tied to traditional ways of doing things, so we’ve had the freedom to try new ideas and set high goals. Back in 1999 UCF was number four or five in the state pecking order for kids looking at colleges. We set out to be the number-one destination. I’m sure the people on our team were the only ones who believed it could happen.”

For a gauge, the enrollment staff used the colleges chosen by high schoolers on their SAT and ACT tests. By 2007-08, UCF had already risen to number-one among Florida colleges and universities. Fall 2021 marked the one of the most accomplished incoming freshman classes in the university’s history with a class average GPA of 4.22 and SAT and ACT scores of 1323 and 28.6 respectively.��Students of color made up 46% of Fall 2021 first-year students.

“I had no idea we’d get there so quickly,” Chavis says. “And we’re still there, 14 years later.”

The sheer numbers tell us that enrollment has more than doubled to more than 70,000 in Chavis’ 23 years at UCF. But more important is a culture among a student development and enrollment staff that’s now 690 strong to never lose sight of this: every prospective student needs to feel important.

“We have an 80-20 rule,” Chavis says. “When a question comes up from a family that’s considering UCF, 80%of our response should be direct information. But the other 20% is knowing what the family is really trying to ask. If they ask about the student-faculty ratio, we provide the facts. But what they’re really asking is, ‘What will my child’s experience be like with the professors?’ We need to provide the personal encouragement they need.”

He’s never forgotten what it meant for 18-year-old Gordon Chavis.

In addition to mom’s words of support, Chavis laughs when he remembers another piece of advice she gave: “Don’t overstay your welcome.”

Chavis has not overstayed, but he wants to do some traveling. In June, he’ll pack up the pennant, the baseball, and the football from the school he knew so little about 23 years ago, and he’ll find special places for them at home. Wherever he goes, he’ll hear reminders of the amazing ride.

“Last year I was playing golf in a remote area of New Hampshire. A caddie saw on my bag that I’m from Florida. Out of nowhere, he says, ‘I’d like to go to UCF someday.’ Stories like that give me so much joy. They make me proud of how far we’ve come just by believing in each other.”

The annual Eternal Knights program is an opportunity for families and friends to join the campus community in a solemn tribute to their loved ones. During the eulogy, each student is recognized and given the title, “Eternal Knight.”

This event, while somber, is incredibly meaningful and is a powerful indicator of what makes UCF special. Consider joining us virtually or in person on March 25 at 2 p.m. at the Reflecting Pond for this important tradition.

Those that wish to attend must RSVP at the Eternal Knights website or KnightConnect website.

You may also help commemorate the lives of those we have lost by participating in a 27 second, campus-wide moment of silence on Thursday, March 25, at 2 p.m. This marks one second for each Eternal Knight.

Those that wish to attend must RSVP at the Eternal Knights website or KnightConnect website.

If joining us in person, please remember to submit your daily COVID self-checker and wear your mask.

In remembrance of Eternal Knights 2020:

Interdisciplinary Studies

Civil Engineering

Statistics

Political Science

Psychology

Health Sciences

Digital Media

Human Communication

Political Science

Advertising / Public Relations

Finance

Event Management

Criminal Justice

Legal Studies

Nursing

Statistics | Computer Science

English

In remembrance of Eternal Knights 2021:

Criminal Justice

Public Administration

Entertainment Management

Psychology

Biology

Exceptional Student Education

Health Sciences

Mechanical Engineering

Legal Studies

Kinesiology

The donations gathered — enough to fill two, 16-passenger vans — were transported to a local collection center managed by the National Association of the Bahamas and will be shipped directly to the impacted islands. The drive was a joint effort between , and the Student Government Association.

“We are very happy about the results of the Bahamas Relief Fund drive. More so, we are excited to see the impact of all our university partners, who collectively stepped up to the plate to help our Bahamian brothers and sisters,” says SGA president Kyler Gray. “Whether here in Orlando or afar, UCF stands committed to always lending a hand for those that are in need.”

Drop-off boxes on the main campus, at Rosen College of Hospitality Management and UCF Downtown quickly filled to capacity as the campus community rallied to support those affected by the storm. Donations included boxes of diapers, tools, cleaning supplies, cooking utensils, blankets, dozens of cases of water and hundreds of cans of food.

Staff members with UCF Global sorted the supplies and readied them for transport. “We’re very humbled by the demonstration of love and support shown by our UCF family to alleviate the hardship faced by the people of the Bahamas,” says Nataly Chandia, assistant vice president for UCF Global. “Efforts like this highlight how we are all committed to doing extraordinary things.”

The National Association of the Bahamas is a nonprofit organization that works to support the Bahamas and provides scholarships to students of Bahamian descent.

The state Board of Governors’ metrics require at least a score of 90 percent to count toward the calculations when determining the preeminence standing. The rate was based on students who entered UCF in the summer or fall of 2017.

The university’s retention rate was 89.6 percent last year, which encouraged Maribeth Ehasz, vice president of , and her team to implement Operation 90%, an initiative to push for that goal.

“This is something that has been a priority for us a long, long time,” Ehasz says. “A year ago we got close. We learned from that how important it is to keep an eye on students through the entire registration cycle.”

“This is something that has been a priority for us a long, long time.” — Maribeth Ehasz, vice president of Student Development and Enrollment Services

As a result, SDES along with its college partners reached out this year to students who hadn’t re-registered to come back to classes. The SDES staff tried to help solve any personal, financial or academic problems the students may have been experiencing, and even the college deans called students to encourage their return and to offer assistance.

“There was a continuous effort to work with the first-year students and a specific high-intensive initiative between May and September to ensure that all students who could, were registered,” Ehasz says.

The latest national retention data available, which is two years old, shows an average of 81.9 percent retention for public research universities, says Paige Borden, associate vice president of UCF’s . Using those numbers, UCF’s performance was 48^th in the nation. But calculating with the current 90.4 percent score would boost the university to 40^th, she says.

“Together, we will build on this effort to champion more student success.” — UCF Provost Elizabeth A. Dooley

The increased retention of first-year-in-college students also should help boost UCF’s future graduation rates, Borden says. The new retention rate is 3.5 percentage points higher than the rate achieved by the 2012 entry class. That 2012 class also just set a six-year graduation rate for UCF with 72.6 percent, strong enough for a Top 50 achievement nationally.

“Reaching this key [retention] milestone underscores UCF’s strong commitment to student success and our dedication to become a leading preeminent university for the 21st century,” says Elizabeth A. Dooley, UCF’s provost and vice president for . “Thanks to our faculty, staff, advisors, coaches and academic leaders for their sustained hard work that made this achievement possible. Together, we will build on this effort to champion more student success.”

If the name Trevor Colbourn Hall sounds familiar, that’s because the 136,786-square foot structure is taking the place of��Colbourn Hall, one of the oldest buildings on campus. That Colbourn Hall is set to be demolished, and the space it occupied will be landscaped until the pad is eventually repurposed for a new building yet to be determined.

The new Trevor Colbourn Hall has been in the works since May 1, 2017, and was created with themes of collaboration, flexibility, sustainability and beauty in mind.

“We’ve started moving into some new concepts because teaching methods are changing. People are coming together differently. There’s a lot of active learning in our classrooms, so we looked at how we could make the space usable for that, and I think we succeeded in that goal,” says Lee Kernek, associate vice president for Administration and Finance, where she oversees facilities planning and construction.

Here are 10 noteworthy features (along with some history of the building) that you should know about.

The building is named after former UCF President Trevor Colbourn, who led the university from 1978-89. Some things we have to thank Colbourn for: UCF’s name (he changed it from Florida Technological ����ֱ�� in 1978 when he took office), an honors program that eventually became the Burnett Honors College and the football team.

The new building houses 10 classrooms and 19 study rooms.

The mobile desks that inhabit these spaces can be left- or right-hand oriented and easily combine with other desks for group discussions or projects. Don’t need the writing surface? Simply rotate it to the back and the desk morphs into a chair.

Collaboration spaces exist specifically to encourage the next big idea. You’ll find small yellow ottomans and black-and-gray-patterned seating along with 157 charging outlets in common spaces.

From tiles on the floor to wall color, you can spot if a space is meant for meeting up by the traces of blue that are incorporated throughout pathways in the building.

The building is flooded with natural light thanks to a concept that Kernek dubs “GLO (gained light officing).” Through the strategic layout of 343 office spaces and the use of glass walls, sunlight can be seen by virtually every staff member, which ultimately leads to happier and healthier people. Studies have shown that individuals who are exposed to more daylight throughout their work day experience benefits such as better sleep quality, fewer headaches, less eye strain, decrease in drowsiness and overall greater productivity.

Even the artificial lighting seems natural. Sky domes in the ceiling are shaded light bulbs that mimic daylight.

The building is oriented to the sun’s movement, so all those windows that let in the sunshine don’t take a direct hit from the sun’s rays (and the heat that comes with it), meaning a more energy-efficient building.

Trevor Colbourn Hall is the second building on campus to use chilled-beam technology, which uses pipes of water to help cool down and maintain the overall temperature. The pipes help dry the air inside the building and push warmer air to the ceiling. Basically, this means you won’t be blasted with frigid air the minute you walk in the front door or sit underneath an unrelenting vent. UCF Global was the first building on campus to use this eco-friendly system.

The building’s steel roof was designed to be fitted with solar panels. Although they aren’t fixed to the roof now, solar panels, like the ones near Garage B (pictured above), can be an easy addition in the future as UCF works toward its promise to become a climate-neutral campus by 2050.

“There’s certainly a sharp increase in walk-ins this time of year,” Hofmann says gently on a busy Monday afternoon.

To someone as positive as Hofmann, the traffic at CAPS is a reason to be encouraged. It means students are opening up about what they perceive as a crisis. The counselors listen. And they listen. Only when there’s a long pause will they offer the following valuable tips.

(Here’s a bonus tip: Save these because you don’t have to be a student at the end of a semester to benefit from them. They might even change your life.)

1. Move.
   It’s impossible to be relaxed and stressed at the same time. So one of the best things to do is to fatigue your body. Take a walk. Ride your bike. Work out. It will physically relieve your stress and, in recovery, replace it with relaxation.

2. Eat colorful foods.
   This does not mean pizza, gummy bears and 5-Hour Energy. Carrots and kale and fruits are examples of foods that are dense in nutrients. They actually help you focus properly. Junk foods only speed up a downward spiral.

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3. Write down your to-do’s.
   A big factor with anxiety is the feeling “I’m going to forget to do something.” Putting it on paper is therapeutic. It eases your mind because you’re ensuring that you won’t forget, which allows you to relax. You’ll sleep better, too.

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4. Speaking of sleep …
   It’s common for students to try and function on minimal sleep. This is one of the worst things you can do. Lack of sleep means everything else on this list suffers — exercise, nutrition, positive thinking, all of it falls apart. However, if you quiet your mind and commit to rest, you’ll be less prone to emotional swings.

5. Be creative.
   We all have an artistic side — it’s literally the right side of your brain. Sing. Dance. Paint. Play an instrument. Doing anything creative will mentally give a break to the analytical side of your brain — the left side. It needs rest, just like the rest of you does.

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6. Control your thoughts.
   It’s easy for your thoughts to take over your mind. Fortunately, it isn’t as difficult as you think to take back control. You have to intentionally eliminate negative thoughts. Say “stop” to yourself, out loud, as many times as necessary. Replace those thoughts by purposefully thinking of what you’re grateful for — little things like comfortable shoes and butterflies to the bigger picture like a beautiful sunset and friends and family. You can also try prayer and meditation and calming music, which push negativity aside.

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7. Get organized.
   By uncluttering your room and your head, you can think more clearly. Do not look at all of your responsibilities en masse. Take that to-do list you wrote down and complete tasks one bite at a time. The smaller the bites, the easier it will be to manage your entire plate.

8. Connect with a friend or family member or a group.
   It’s best to disconnect from social media and the inherent pressures that come with it, like the fear of missing out (FOMO). Instead, fully connect with people you can laugh with and who will share encouragement. We’re all wired for relationships, which are among the best antidotes to stress.

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9. Spend time with an animal.
   There’s a reason why Paws-a-Tively Stress Free and Purrfectly Stress Free (hosted by CAPS at their office on campus) are such popular events. Dogs and cats are happy — and the mood is contagious.

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10. Communicate your concerns.
    Be proactive when you feel stressed or, worse, at a dead end. Explain your situation. Ask what your professor suggests you do. He or she might appreciate you being honest and initiating the conversation. You never know what might result from it.

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Above all, consider talking with a professional. Just make a call to CAPS. There’s even an after-hour crisis hotline. Call 407-823-2811 and press “5” or visit��.

Always remember this: if you feel anxiety in any way, you’re not alone.

Fall classes started and you realize you have a conflict with one of your classes. You have to drop a class and add another. You ask yourself, “Do I drop my class or do I withdrawal?” The first week has very important academic dates and deadlines. Do you know what they all mean and if you are making the right choices? Do you know the consequences of not meeting those deadlines?

The Add/Drop Workshop will benefit all students especially first time in college students. Students will gain insight to the academic terms and procedures of Add, Drop, Swap, Late Registration, Payment and Withdrawal Deadline. The presentation will also include enrollment procedures.

After the presentation, students will have the opportunity to ask questions and voice their concerns to a panel of experts.

On June 12, 2016, 49 people were killed when a shooter opened fire in the nightclub in downtown Orlando. Among those killed were Juan Ramon Guerrero, a ����ֱ�� student, and Christopher Andrew Leinonen, a UCF alumnus.

In the days and weeks following, the UCF and Orlando community showed an outpouring of kindness to support the victims, their families and friends. At UCF alone, 10 blood drives June 13-27 resulted in 424 donated units of blood and 74 new bone-marrow donor registrations.

UCF’s June 8 blood drive, in partnership with OneBlood, will be the largest blood-donation site in east Orlando in remembrance of Pulse.

Walk-ins are welcome, but to make a reservation for a certain time, visit .

Those being honored are:

In its 17th year, Eternal Knights is an occasion for the UCF community, family and friends together to remember the lives of those lost. All are welcome to a 3:30 p.m. ceremony in the Student Union Pegasus Ballroom where President John C. Hitt and Maribeth Ehasz, vice president of Student Development and Enrollment Services, will speak.

The UCF community also is invited to join a 36-second, campus-wide moment of silence at 3:30 p.m. April 11. This represents two seconds for each Eternal Knight.

For more on the Eternal Knights ceremony, .

She said her immigrant parents from the Dominican Republic – her mom a high school graduate and her dad, who completed third grade – “never helped me with my homework assignments or seemed to enjoy reading or learning themselves.”

But during her high school years, she said, a program that encourages low-income children to attend college ignited an educational spark in her. That is when she decided she wanted to become the first in her family to go to college and learn about social work so she could combat social injustices in today’s world.

“Being in the Upward Bound program in high school, I met people who were struggling with problems I knew existed in other people’s lives, but I did not expect to be happening to my peers,” said the 22-year-old ����ֱ�� senior who has lived in Orlando since she was 5.

“This really opened my eyes and it made me realize that I’d like to help people have their needs met. These past couple of years, there have been a lot of social-justice movements and issues that have been getting time in the spotlight and I love seeing people get together to advocate for a cause. It has also made me more aware of the micro aggressions, discrimination and limitations placed on minorities.”

Soon after Tejada told her college plans to her parents – a public school “cafeteria lady” and a restaurant cook in south Orlando – the news seemed to also ignite an educational spark in them, too.

“My mother would take me to as many Upward Bound events and workshops as she could,” she said. “Once I started going to college, my father would brag to his coworkers and friends about how his first-born is studying hard and would graduate with a college degree.”

At first she said she had no examples or knowledge about college.

“I didn’t know what a college campus looked like, what college life was like, how to apply for college, what a scholarship, grant and loan were, and so many other things about college,” she said. But the Upward Bound workshops and out-of-state conferences opened her eyes to what would be possible at UCF.

Tejada next earned her AA at Valencia College and used the DirectConnect to UCF program to transition to the university. The program guarantees admission to UCF with an associate degree from one of the university’s partner state colleges.

She said she chose UCF because she wanted to stay close to home and help her family. She lives with her mother and two sisters, one of whom is a high-functioning autistic 20-year-old with ADHD.

“My mother works two jobs, so there’s really no time for her to relax and take care of things in the household or my youngest sister,” Tejada said.

She also works as a student assistant in the campus TRiO office, which helps prepare low-income/potential first-generation college students for successful entry and retention in post-secondary education. One of her responsibilities is providing campus tours for TRiO programs that visit from other colleges and universities.

“She does a fantastic job shepherding the groups across campus,” said Rebekah McCloud, director of the TRiO programs in Student Development and Enrollment Services. ”She deftly intersperses her story as a first-generation college student into the narrative about UCF. She generously shares what she didn’t know about going to college, what she learned and what she wished she had known.”

Working in the office, Tejada said, has helped build her confidence to talk to people and gain skills in time management, social engagement, business, networking, public speaking and presentation.

Also during her time on campus she has become a LEAD scholar, UCF Cares ambassador, a member of the Bachelors of Social Work Student Association, and has participated in Volunteer UCF opportunities and events.

In addition to all her on-campus activities, she is interning with the Orlando Youth Advocate Program Inc., which provides children the opportunity to develop and be of value to their community. The program connects youths with caring adults and provides opportunities for them to assume leadership roles and learn healthy behaviors.

“We hold activities for children in the program that help them understand that there are other ways we can react to a stressful situations and how to be able to avoid conflict,” she said.

Despite all her many activities, she said she’s “not as involved as I would have liked to be, but I feel that I have done the most that I could with the time and energy that I had.”

She now plans to graduate this spring with a bachelor’s degree in social work.

After graduation she plans to work in the social-work field for three to five years to gain experience and then pursue a master’s degree once she knows what specialization she would like to focus on.

“She has blossomed into a very capable young woman,” said McCloud in the TRiO office. “She��is always a helper, always a listener, and now she is ready to step into a career as a social worker. She is bound to make a difference in the world.”