With more than 200 participating funds and so many opportunities for inspiration, activation and growth — we’re counting down to liftoff by highlighting unique areas to consider supporting with your gift this UCF Day of Giving.

As Knights, we challenge status quo. We charge boldly ahead toward industry evolutions and technological advancements. We dare to build a future the world has only begun to imagine. And it’s all driven through moments like this and individuals like you.

Together, we’re launching Knights to new heights.

When the unexpected arises, help sometimes comes in the form of . Created to support Knights facing hardship that may hinder their education, this fund provides financial support for textbooks, fees and other education-related expenses for qualifying students.

Your gift ensures that when life’s trials test our Knights, they pass with flying colors, securing the education and future they deserve.

The  provides services, programming and resources for thousands of military-connected students currently enrolled at UCF.

helps ensure that those who have served and their connected students are fully supported as they pursue their educational and career goals.

UCF has been recognized with a Gold Award on the Military Friendly Schools list, as a Florida Collegiate Purple Star Campus, a Best Military-Friendly Online College and on the Military Times’  2025 Best for Vets Colleges List. Help us continue that legacy of serving those who’ve served.

offers an intensive, comprehensive therapy program to those navigating Aphasia, a language disorder that can arise from health challenges such as stroke, brain cancer and brain injury, and affects an individual’s ability to read, write, speak and comprehend language.

Through the program, individuals are empowered to make progress on their long-held goals, like talking with their grandchildren or ordering their favorite restaurant meal.

 on UCF Day of Giving supports the continuation of this important service for our community, as well as the hands-on experience UCF student clinicians receive.

Support UCF College of Medicine researchers as they break into new realms of understanding around the country’s second leading cause of death — cancer. Through innovative science, they’re exploring key avenues of discovery including the role that genes play in determining a person’s cancer risk, what causes cancer to spread and how to harness the body’s immune system to kill cancer cells.

The goal: to prevent cancer and find new therapies that improve quality of life for patients.  brings us one step closer to lives saved, families unburdened and a cure realized.

Did you know that UCF has one of the top Moot Court teams in the nation, ranking among the top 15 overall by the American Moot Court Association? Supervised by the , these student advocates are challenged with arguing mock supreme court cases on constitutional amendments.

and national leadership by making a gift on UCF Day of Giving. Help cover competition travel expenses, as well as the cost of the annual tournament hosted at UCF Downtown each fall.

It’s time for launch, Knight Nation! Join us as we rally around our favorite causes, and maybe even uncover some new ones, during UCF Day of Giving. Find more areas of support by ������ǰ����Բ����ٳ����, and save the date to  on Thursday, April 9.  

It’s taken the UCF student years to get to this point in his life; a place of acceptance for the abuse he suffered as a child and the disappointments he has had to endure. Now, as the 30-year-old is one semester away from becoming the first person in his family to earn a college degree, he’s grateful for the focus and drive that brought him to this point in his life.

“I’ve learned if you just persevere and have a clear goal and focus,” he says, “you can get through anything.”

Daniels was born in West Palm Beach and was in kindergarten, the oldest of three brothers, when his parents split up and his mother soon after began dating someone who was abusive. He says he went to school with bruises, sometimes a sprained limb, until child services eventually intervened.

He spent two years in foster care while the courts figured out what his fate would be. He didn’t realize it at the time, but the lawyers involved in his case made an impression on him and would play a role later in shaping his career aspirations.

“They seemed like they’re valued members of the community and people cared about what they had to say,” says the legal studies major. “They were kind of like modern-day heroes, saving children or people in need. They just had a very professional and commanding attitude and presence that I respected.”

Once Daniels was deemed a ward of the court, he was placed with his grandmother, who he says welcomed and adored him. Daniels and his youngest brother, an infant at the time who went to live with an aunt and uncle in Massachusetts, kept in contact over the years and saw each other during the holidays. His middle brother stayed with his mother and moved to the western part of the country. Daniels rarely spoke to either of them.

When he graduated from high school, Daniels planned on enlisting in the Air Force to become a pilot. Just before he was set to head to boot camp, he found out he had a blue-red color vision deficiency, which meant no flying.

“I was devastated,” he says. “For a little while I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I felt like I had let my whole family down because I felt like there was a lot of hype and when it didn’t happen, I was crushed. I ended up running away from home because I didn’t want to face it.”

“When I was younger, I wished all the time, ‘Why can’t I just have a normal life?’ Now that I’m older and I’ve learned a little bit more, I think it’s like the furnace for steel — it hardened me and made me a stronger person.”

For a while he did odd jobs. He worked at Panera Bread. He sold nuts and bolts for an industrial-supply company. He was a car salesman for a couple days.

“I just felt a longing for something more,” he says. “I just knew I wanted to go to school and make something of myself.”

He enrolled at St. Johns River State College and eventually transferred to UCF to major in computer science. When he quickly realized the required math classes weren’t for him, he took an aptitude and personality test he found online. Lawyer popped up among the list of professions he matched with, and he started to think about the lawyers from his childhood.

He switched his major to legal studies and nearly every facet of his life started pulling in the right direction, he says. He made the dean’s list. He started seeking counseling through to unpack his childhood trauma. He finally made lasting friendships he always wished for as a kid by playing his favorite game, Dungeons & Dragons. He became engaged in his classes, even when they challenged his weaknesses.

“We have a mock courtroom on the downtown campus so we can get a feel of how it will be. I’ve shied away from public speaking, but it’s been a really fun challenge to see myself progress,” he says. “I found that I like to command that room.”

He says once he pays off his student loans, he would like to offer legal services pro bono to help children who are in the same position he was in as a child. Daniels is most proud of the work it took to get this far, and that his youngest brother has told him he wants to go back to school, just like Daniels did.

“At risk of sounding cliché, they say ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’ I definitely agree,” he says. “When I was younger, I wished all the time, ‘Why can’t I just have a normal life?’ Now that I’m older and I’ve learned a little bit more, I think it’s like the furnace for steel — it hardened me and made me a stronger person.”

However new research co-authored by a ��AV researcher and appearing in the journal today offers evidence that criminal laws come from an intuitive and shared, universal sense of justice that humans possess.

“We sometimes think of the law as this completely rational enterprise that is the result of wise experts sitting around a table and working from logical principles,” says Carlton Patrick, an assistant professor in the Ů��AV’s and study co-author. “And instead, what this study suggests is that these intuitions that people tend to share about justice may be the things that are becoming institutionalized.”

Patrick and Daniel Sznycer, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Montreal and the study’s lead author, made the finding by comparing modern and ancient people’s sense of whether a punishment fits a crime.

And while previous studies have examined people’s intuitions about justice, this is the first one that compared them across thousands of years.

Using participants from the United States and India, the researchers had people rate offenses from one of three legal codes: the Laws of Eshnunna, Sumerian laws from nearly 3,800 years ago; the Tang Code, Chinese laws from nearly 1,400 years ago; and the Criminal Code of Pennsylvania, which reflects modern U.S. laws.

Participants were shown the offenses, but not the punishments that the law established.

The crimes ranged from ancient offenses, such as not keeping an ox in check, which caused a person to be gored, to modern ones, such as assault.

Some participants were asked to determine the appropriate fines for each offense, while others were asked to determine prison sentences.

The researchers found that the more seriously modern people judged a crime to be, the higher the actual legal punishment for the crime.

This was despite participants living in different countries and legal codes that were separated by thousands of years.

“The match between participants’ intuitions and ancient laws was notable,” Sznycer says.

“This new research adds empirical weight to the possibility that the capacity to make laws—the brain mechanisms that appraise offenses and generate justice intuitions—are universal, and a part of human nature.”

“Criminal laws, like the writing that supports those laws, are cultural inventions: present in some societies, absent in others,” he says. “However, this new research adds empirical weight to the possibility that the capacity to make laws—the brain mechanisms that appraise offenses and generate justice intuitions—are universal, and a part of human nature.”

Patrick says the study is an important step in helping to demystify the origin of laws.

“I think what this study does is lead us into the black box a little bit,” he says. “It removes one layer of the shroud of mystery that surrounds the lawmaking process, and it also gets us closer to understanding why we sometimes feel that something’s wrong, even when we can’t explain why.”

Patrick received his law degree from Boston University School of Law, his doctorate and master’s in psychology from the University of Miami and his bachelor’s from Florida State University. He joined UCF’s Department of Legal Studies, which is a part of UCF’s , in 2018.

1. Pop Parlour

Serving up sweets is practically in graduate Brandon Chandler ’10’s DNA. In 2013, Chandleropened Pop Parlour, a shop offering fruity, creamy and boozy frozen treats as a tribute to his grandfather PopPop, who sold similar items after World War II. Pop Parlour has grown to two locations and serves coffee, tea, craft beer and wine, depending on which spot you visit.

���dz����پ��DzԲ�:��4214 E. Plaza Drive on the UCF campus; 431 E. Central Blvd., Suite C; ThePopParlour.com
(Pop Parlour’s UCF location will be closed on Small Business Saturday due to campus closures, but you can still visit the downtown location or stop by another day.)

2. Six28 Boutique

Six months after graduating with a degree in elementary education, Rachel Ledbetter ’16 took a risk to pursue entrepreneurship by opening clothing boutique Six28. Located near UCF, Six28 sells trendy, affordable women’s clothing and accessories, which can also be purchased on the store’s online site.

Location:12082 Collegiate Way; 407-630-3890; Six28Boutique.com

3. Bikes, Beans & Bordeaux

Cycling enthusiasts Darrell Cunningham ’93 and Jen Cunningham ’95 ’96MSW opened Bikes, Beans and Bordeaux to provide a space for people to bond over good food, drinks and company. With a commitment to health in mind, the shop sells breakfast items, sandwiches, soups, salads, desserts, beer, wine and more daily and at special events each month. While at UCF, Darrell studied civil engineering and Jen majored in social work.

Location:3022 Corrine Drive; 407-427-1440; BikesBeansandBordeaux.com

4. Deli Fresh Threads

Marketing major Anthony “Biggie” Bencomo ’98 merged his love of sandwiches with another creative passion by opening Deli Fresh Threads, a clothing store? with designs inspired by what he considers the #KingOfMeals. You can buy foodie fashion in the form of T-shirts, hats, pins and stickers on the online shop. Bencomo also hosts a monthly #SandwichEatUp at local shops around Central Florida to help support other small businesses.

Location: 321-303-5129; DeliFreshThreads.com

5. Tactical Brewing Company

Owned and operated by veteran and psychology graduate Doug Meyer ’14 ’16MBA, Tactical Brewing Company serves craft brews created on-site to veterans, first responders and all beer lovers alike.

���dz����پ��Dz�:��4882 New Broad St.; 407-203-2033; TacticalBeer.com

6. Retrolando

Retro Orlando captures the City Beautiful’s history while giving back to others. The online T-shirt company offers men and women’s clothing inspired by former iconic Orlando businesses, organizations and landmarks. Each purchase is something you can feel good about because owner and English major Shannon Flesch Couillard ’04, donates a new shirt to a local homeless shelter for each shirt sold.

���dz����پ��Dz�:��Retrolando.com

7. Yaupon Brothers Tea Co.

Brothers — UCF senior hospitality major Kyle White and legal studies graduate Bryon ’09— have revived an ancient Native American superfood with their yaupon holly tea company. The brothers sustainably harvest their organic crop and distribute their product at restaurants and shops. Online purchases can also be made on their official site and Amazon. Yaupon Brothers also offers sustainable agricultural consulting services for Florida farmers looking for alternative crops.

���dz����پ��DzԲ�:��Various local shops such as Lucky’s Market, Credo Coffee, Infusion Tea and Dandelion Communitea Café; YauponBrothers.com

8. A Piece of Work

Started by marketing graduate Curtis Young ’04 in 2007, A Piece of Work apparel company creates custom embroidery and screen printing. Through partnerships with companies such as the Orlando Magic, Funky Buddha and more, the online site offers quality work clothing. A Piece of Work also sells eco-friendly items such as recycled journals and organic cotton totes.

���dz����پ��Dz�:��321-662-3836; APieceofWorkGear.com

9. Just Save the Date

Whether you need to put together a small intimate gathering or a major extravagant event, Just Save the Date can help make any occasion special. Communication graduate and owner Kelly Erickson Fowler ’02 started the event planning company after planning her own destination wedding. Just Save the Date operates from two locations in the Orlando and Key West areas.

���dz����پ��DzԲ�:��Orlando – 407-258-1944; Key West – 305-767-3774; JustSaveTheDate.com

“By establishing an undergraduate law journal, UCF joins a very elite group of universities that provides students this unique, unparalleled and quintessential experiential learning opportunity,” says Alisa Smith, chair of the Department of Legal Studies.

Patricia “Trish” Cashman, a local attorney and longstanding member of the Department of Legal Studies Advisory Board, said the process of creating the journal provides a great educational benefit for the students and is a great way to educate and connect with the local community.

“It’s a journal that has something for many different people in the community who are interested in different issues,” says Cashman, also a legal studies adjunct professor for UCF. “It’s a great way to engage people in thought for them to potentially learn something new.”

Legal studies professors recommended students for the editorial board during the fall semester, and UCF legal studies professor James Beckman, who served as the journal’s faculty advisor, selected the inaugural board, which comprised 15 students.

As part of the journal’s board, students enrolled in a new legal-studies course focused on the best practices involved in preparing and editing an academic scholarly journal for publication in Spring 2018. The students also completed extensive research and reading in order to conduct multiple blind peer reviews typical for an academic journal and conducted extensive editing of the accepted articles prior to publication.

The editorial board invited UCF students from any major to submit articles. By late January, the editorial board had received more than 50 in-depth and well-researched pieces covering a variety of topics for the journal. They chose 12 articles and a book review for publication. Topics in the 175-page journal include President Trump’s use of social media, the impact of race on the U.S. correctional system, and the legality of police officers’ use of automatic scanners and whether such practices are privacy violations.

“It was so wonderful to do it and publish it at the end,” says legal studies junior Samantha Forkel, who authored “Making Millions of Dollars off Constitutional Violations.” “I learned a lot about legal writing and editing.”

Beginners and high rollers alike enjoyed fine wines, craft beers and hors d’oeuvres, while pressing their luck with the house.

Proceeds from the event will benefit scholarships for students in pre-law programs.

“Since this organization started, we’ve always focused ourselves on providing UCF students aspiring to go to or are already in law school with something many different lawyers in our local community didn’t have while in school: Perspective and the opportunity to help fund the start of their careers,” says Mike Mendez, ’04, immediate past chair of the Legal Knights & Friends Alumni Chapter. “I’ve met all of the recipients of the scholarships we’ve awarded throughout the years, and there’s no better feeling than seeing the difference we’ve made for these hard-working students.”

MORE INFO

legalknights@ucfalumni.com | 407.823.3491 | 407.823.3525

A forum to celebrate the Constitution and the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 will be sponsored Wednesday by the Ů��AV’s Office of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Legal Studies, Department of Political Science, Department of History, Lou Frey Institute, John C. Hitt Library and Student Government Association. The forum will focus on how different interpretations of the Constitution have changed over time and the effect it has on society.  

The event will be from 10 a.m. to noon at FAIRWINDS Alumni Center and is free to UCF students, faculty and staff members. Former Ambassador William J. Hughes and Congressman Peter Torkildsen will address the topic, after which they will join a panel alongside Legal Studies faculty members James Beckman and Cynthia Schmidt to answer questions.

“We encourage the involvement of UCF students, as this is a wonderful opportunity for them to be a part of an event with such prestigious speakers,” said Juan Lugo of the Office of Undergraduate Studies.  

For more information about the Constitution Day event

Brandon Clark, a junior with a double major in criminal justice and legal studies, and Caroline Engeman, who graduated in December with a bachelor’s in event management, are working in Washington through May.

Clark is interning in the correspondence department in the Office of the First Lady.

“We process all of the first lady’s mail from the public. I help process mail from students, letters inquiring about the first lady’s Joining Forces and Let’s Move! initiatives, and policy-related correspondence for my department,” he said.

A graduate of George Jenkins High School in Lakeland, Clark plans to attend law school after graduation and stay engaged in public-service opportunities.

“Through this internship I hope to better understand how the executive office of the president works and runs,” he said. “I believe it will provide me with an opportunity to develop skills necessary to further my education and future career goals.” 

Engeman is interning in the White House visitors office.

“We handle all events open to the public, such as White House tours, the Easter Egg Roll, spring/fall garden tours, state arrival ceremonies, and other various events that take place at the White House,” said the Winter Park High School graduate.

Engeman, who plans to stay in Washington to continue a career in government, said she hopes to learn during her internship “why there is a great emphasis on opening the White House to the public.”

“Also, I hope to learn more about the different roles that each department within the White House holds pertaining to all events and how together they build the foundation for the success of the event,” she said.

White House interns work in one of several White House departments, ranging from the Office of Legislative Affairs, to the Domestic Policy Council, to the Office of the Vice President. The mission of the White House internship program is to make the White House accessible to future leaders around the nation and to prepare those devoted to public service for leadership opportunities.

The students will serve as UCF Legislative Scholars, conducting research, assisting with constituent relations, tracking bills and supporting other daily operations of a legislative office during the session, which runs March 4 to May 2. They will work full-time and receive a stipend and housing in the state capital for a minimum of three months.

UCF established the Legislative Scholars Internship in 2005 to provide students with insight into the workings of state government and the Florida Legislature. To be eligible for the internship, students must be a junior, senior or graduate student in a communication, legal studies, political science or public administration academic program.

Students are selected for the internship through a rigorous application and interview process led by Fred Kittinger, associate vice president of state and local government affairs. Kittinger appoints a committee of UCF faculty and staff members and representatives from local legislative offices to select the interns.

Successful candidates exhibit strong communication skills, including speaking, writing, research and computer skills; an interest in or knowledge of the legislative process; and a demonstrated ability to work with others in a fast-paced, highly visible environment.

“This year’s field of candidates for the internship was the strongest to date,” Kittinger shared.

The 2014 interns include seven legal studies majors, two communication majors, a political science major and a graduate student in public administration. Ten have been assigned to state senator and representative offices, and one has been assigned to the government relations office of a law firm. (For the intern placements, see http://bit.ly/1j2Zk5u.)

Kathy Cook, instructor of legal studies, is especially proud so many students in her program are participating this year. “They are very professional students and well-prepared for this experience,” she said.

Legal studies junior Mikaela Duffy moved to Tallahassee last weekend to intern in Senator Alan Hays’ office. She will room with Jessica Sirianni, a legal studies and finance junior who heads to Tallahassee next month to intern at the Gray Robinson law office. Both plan to attend law school and are thrilled to be part of the legislative process.

“This will do nothing but help us learn how to work in the legal and legislative fields,” Duffy said excitedly.

Duffy’s excitement is understandable. Alumni of the internship program have been hired by both state and federal legislative offices and other government offices, and several have been accepted to prominent law schools.

Orlando’s WDBO FM will broadcast the debate from 7 to 8 p.m. from the Morgridge International Reading Center on the main campus. The debate is free and open to the public.

Mel Robbins, a trial lawyer and national radio news commentator, will moderate the student debate, and Dick Batchelor, founder of the Dick Batchelor Management Group and a former member of the Florida House of Representatives, will join the discussion panel. Michael Frumkin, dean of UCF’s College of Health and Public Affairs, will provide the opening remarks.

The students speaking on the side of limited reform are: Kyle Ross, Todd Foster, Jack Flanary and Jessica Sirianni. Arguing for more reform are: Taylor Koshak, Chris Chambers, Brittany Hollenbacher and Justine Poteau.

“We appreciate the opportunity to explore important topics with the students and with the community,” Frumkin said. 

The debate will be broadcast on FM 96.5.