GET INVOLVED

Student finds that opening one door opens many.

College student and business representative on the Business Alumni Chapter’s
Board of Directors Kenneth Rojas thanks Office Depot, on behalf of the
college’s student body, for its generous gift.

At the time Kenneth Rojas, an accounting major who will graduate in May, 2006, transferred to Florida International University as an almost-junior, he wasn’t aware of the student activities the College of Business Administration offered.

That quickly changed.

“I got involved in Beta Alpha Psi, the national accounting honor society,” he said. “Being involved with one organization gave me an insider’s view about how the university functions and what’s available to students.”

As a result of this one door opening, he became active in a number of other organizations, serving as student representative to the business honor society Beta Gamma Sigma, a member of the Honors’ College, and treasurer for the Honors’ Council.

In addition to being so active—or partially because he was so involved—he met key personnel in the college and has had opportunities beyond the norm.

“I wanted people in the college to know that I was very willing to help out and that I wanted to be an asset to the university,” he said. “I think it’s very important that students become active in the community, especially the academic community.”

Being known for his dedication led to his appointment as the first undergraduate representative on the Business Alumni Chapter’s Board of Directors.

“We noticed that Kenneth was a leader and was very active and engaged,” said Monique Catoggio (EMBA ’03), the college’s director of alumni and partner relations. “We felt he would be a good advisor to us.”

Not surprisingly, when the college needed a student speaker at a high-profile event, Annabelle Rojas (MBA ’98), director of resource development and external relations, thought of him. She asked him to represent the student body at the recent ceremony recognizing a $1 million gift from Office Depot to the college’s Building for Business Campaign. Among the other speakers: University President Modesto A. Maidique and Steve Odland, chairman and CEO of Office Depot.

Fortunately, it was a task Rojas felt comfortable taking on. As president of Beta Alpha Psi, an office he held in the Fall, 2005, he had the opportunity to speak to the group weekly and honed his public speaking skills.

“I took communication classes and practiced the techniques for writing and presenting a speech,” he said.

As he crafted his speech for the Office Depot ceremony, he thought carefully about the words he was saying, the effect they would have, and his goal of having everyone remember the importance of his message of gratitude. He thoroughly enjoyed the experience—not only making the speech, but also socializing with the attendees.

“Learning how to socialize in a business environment is another skill worth knowing,” he said.

Rojas loves the academic world and plans to remain in it longer: he’s looking ahead to starting work on a master’s degree.

“I like the idea of a university—a place where there is a common interest and people learn from each other,” he said. “I think it’s essential to ask, ‘why am I here?’ and ‘how and why am I learning?’ You also need to know what’s happening around you so that you can help the university progress.”

And he believes in being adventurous.

“You are only in college one time in your life, so it’s vital to experiment to see what you might like,” he said. “The skills you acquire are very useful and the experiences have a great deal of practical application. Plus, I think it’s valuable to be able to look back and say that you took risks and enjoyed the time to the fullest.”