TAMPA, Fla. (Aug. 3, 2017) – An award-winning international student majoring in industrial and management systems engineering, Garrett Bowleg is the University of South Florida System’s Outstanding Graduate for summer 2017.
A leader and volunteer on campus and off, she says she looked for opportunities at USF to gain and hone the skills she’ll need to effectively encourage Bahamian girls to pursue STEM careers. That included volunteering with Invent It. Build It., a program of the non-profit Society of Women Engineers that gives girls engineering experiences and support. Her plans include bringing that program home to the Bahamas.
“I came to USF with a goal to someday serve as a female role model in the STEM field for young girls in my home country,” Bowleg says. “I quickly realized that this university would provide a space for me to become that role model and so much more.”
Bowleg maintained an overall grade-point average of 3.53 while participating in several student organizations. As a member of the USF Ambassadors, she was one of a select group of students chosen to represent the university on campus and in the community while gaining leadership, organizational and other skills. As the group’s director of organizational advancement, she spearheaded new recruitment initiatives that led to a record-setting number of applicants for the 2017-18 school year.
She also served for three years as a member of Lead Fellows for the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement where, as engagement and programming coordinator, she led efforts to plan a leadership conference and surrounding events. She received the organization’s Values Award for Empowerment as well as the Learn. Serve.Lead. Award at USF’s Celebration of Leadership.
In the meantime, Bowleg amassed more than 250 volunteer hours at the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge, where she helped out with game nights, potlucks and other events.
Bowleg will be recognized during Commencement exercises 1:30 p.m. Aug. 5 at the Sun Dome.
She has accepted a full-time position with Emerson, a global diversified technology and engineering company.
About the USF Alumni Association
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