ST. PETERSBURG – After experiencing great success on USF's Tampa campus, the Business Honors Program expanded to the St. Petersburg campus in fall 2021. Now, in just three years, the program is poised to see the first member of its inaugural class walk across the commencement stage.
The Business Honors Program at the Muma College of Business is one of the most rigorous programs the college offers. The highly selective and immersive program provides an early introduction into the business community for incoming students with a history of academic success.
The program at USF was established to inspire passion and nurture exemplary potential in its students. It includes advanced and challenging coursework, research activities, and corporate mentorship. Students learn the importance of applied learning opportunities found inside and outside of the classroom.
Launched with an inaugural cohort of seven students, the St. Petersburg program has grown to welcome 14 high-achieving Muma College of Business students into the comprehensive learning program.
April Bailey
“The program is exceeding any expectations I have had,” said USF Business Honors Program Director April Bailey, who is also an associate professor of instruction in the School of Marketing and Innovation. “Expanding to the St. Petersburg campus was something I didn’t anticipate, and we now have strong interest after only three short years of it being offered on the St. Petersburg campus.”
Sho Ishizuka was among the first St. Petersburg students accepted. Now he is preparing for his graduation in May, making him the first Business Honors Program alum from St. Petersburg.
“Coming into USF, I knew that on-campus involvement and immersing myself in a community of students with similar goals would be an important catalyst for working towards my professional goals,” said Ishizuka. “If it weren’t for the honors community, I would not have been able to meet many close friends I have today.”
Sho Ishizuka
Ishizuka is set to start his career as an analyst at Raymond James in their Equity Capital Markets team in St. Petersburg. However, his involvement with USF’s Business Honors Program doesn’t end with his graduation.
He plans to stay connected to his alma mater.
“The BHP helped me network with industry professionals since freshman year,” said Ishizuka. “Guest speaker events also helped me gain perspective on different job opportunities and filter down the career path that I wanted to pursue. I look forward to continuing learning from the team and giving back to the USF community by guiding students in pursuing their goals as they inch closer to graduation.”
St. Petersburg Business Honors Program students visit KEMCO.
Following Ishizuka, two more St. Petersburg Business Honors Program students in the inaugural cohort will cross the graduation stage in 2024 — Abdul Muqeet Khawaja and Paola Arnaldes Sicilia.
All three were selected as USF Muma College of Business 25 Under 25 honorees for 2023-2024.
Khawaja was elected the first Pakistani campus governor for the USF St. Peterburg campus in 2023. Additionally, he served as the events co-chair on the Judy Genshaft Honors College Student Council.
Abdul Muqeet Khawaja
“The Business Honors Program has opened doors to numerous opportunities that have significantly enriched my collegiate experience,” said Khawaja. “The speaker series class exposed me to a diverse range of industries through engaging discussions with industry leaders, broadening my perspective on potential career paths.”
Aside from being a member of the Business Honors Program, Arnaldes is also a USF Ambassador, serving as the student liaison between the USF Alumni Association and students.
Bailey says one of the biggest benefits of the program is their professional development.
“The students demonstrate networking skills, leadership skills, and have given back to the Tampa Bay community all by the end of their first year in college,” she said.
Business Honors Program students can take advantage of many special opportunities including smaller class sizes, internship opportunities at top-rated companies, corporate mentoring, personalized advising, and priority registration.
For more information on applying for the Business Honors Program, click here.