5 Warrington students honored by UF International Center
Congratulations are in order for five students from the Warrington College of Business for being honored with Outstanding Achievement Awards from the University of Florida International Center (UFIC) on November 17.
The Outstanding Achievement Award recognizes international students who not only meet exemplary academic achievement, but also a wide range of accomplishments and contributions.
Warrington’s recipients for 2020 are:
Man Xie (Ph.D. ’21): Xie, originally from China, is a Ph.D. candidate in the department of marketing. She earned a bachelor’s degree in economics, a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in economics from Peking University in Beijing. Her research interests include online marketing, pricing, consumer decisions in incomplete information and sustainability.
Xie served as a teaching assistant for the graduate level International Marketing course in the fall of 2016, 2017 and 2019 as well as for the Ph.D.-level Advanced Marketing Models course in the spring of 2018 and 2019. Most recently, she was the undergraduate course instructor for Marketing Management.
“It is a great honor for me to receive this award,” Xie said. “I would like to thank UFIC and the Warrington College of Business for recognizing my accomplishments at UF. I am so pleased to be among the final outstanding international students. I am also so thankful for my advisors, colleges, family, and friends who have helped and supported me so much throughout my four years in the marketing Ph.D. program.”
Xie was nominated for the Outstanding Achievement Award by Dr. Jinhong Xie, JCPenney Eminent Scholar Chair in the department of marketing.
Saglara Sangadzhieva (BSAc ’21): Sangadzhieva is pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Accounting at the Fisher School of Accounting. She is originally from Elista, Kalmykia, Russia.
During her time at Warrington, Sangadzhieva served as a mentee in Florida Leadership Academy, participated in the Leadership Development Program and the Fisher School of Accounting Council. She credits her time in Florida Leadership Academy and the Leadership Development Program with helping her develop the necessary skills to be successful in her job search.
In her second year, Sangadzhieva was chosen to participate in Deloitte’s International Women’s Day Conference, resulting in an internship offer with the firm. In her third year, Sangadzhieva completed a semester-long internship with tax consulting firm True Partners Consulting as well as traveled to Spain for an unforgettable study abroad program.
Sangadzhieva was nominated by Kelly Woodfine, Assistant Director for International Programs at the Heavener School of Business, for the Outstanding Achievement Award.
“I was pleasantly surprised to hear that I was nominated for the Outstanding Achievement Award,” she said. “It is an honor to be nominated for this award, and I want to thank Ms. Kelly Woodfine for nominating me. I am extremely grateful to UF, Warrington, and International Center for support and for providing countless opportunities to international students to succeed in a country other than their own and make an impact.”
Federico Rojas (MSE ’20): Rojas came to Warrington from San José, Costa Rica to complete his Master of Science in Entrepreneurship (MSE) after receiving his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Universidad Latina de Costa Rica
During his time in the MSE program, Rojas served as a teaching assistant for MBA students in the Entrepreneurship and Venture Finance class from the fall of 2019 through the fall of 2020. He also was a member of the Gator Hatchery, where he developed a new venture called Surfing Happy, an app to serve people and help them create better digital device relationships. Rojas entered Surfing Happy in the 2020 Big Idea Competition and won the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award as well as made it into the top 8 teams.
In his first semester at UF, Rojas represented Warrington in the nation-wide CEO Conference, in which his team won second place in the Startup Simulation Competition. Rojas also represented Warrington at the annual Turkey Tank, a pitch competition between UF and FSU students with his first startup Coko, a task management app.
“It is a privilege to have been chosen for this recognition,” Rojas said. “Being part of the University of Florida was something I aspired to years ago, this award goes to my family and friends who have always supported me and to all those international students who are ambitiously pursuing their dreams. Graduating from the University of Florida has been one of the best experiences in my life; the people, the campus and the fact of being a Gator. I will always represent it with excellence wherever I go.”
Rojas was nominated by Clinical Associate Professor Dr. Alex Settles in the department of management.
Johanna Pallmann (MIB ’20): Pallmann is a student in the Master of International Business (MIB) program. Originally from Germany, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Clothing Management from Hochschule Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences in Germany and her Bachelor of Engineering in Textile Engineering from Tianjin Polytechnic University in China.
During her time in the Master of International Business program, Pallmann served as an MIB Program Ambassador, was the founder of the International Student Support Committee and a member of Retail You!. In 2019, she published a paper in the Journal of Applied Polymer Science titled, “Phosphorylated sodium alginate/APP/DPER intumescent flame retardant used for polypropylene.”
Pallmann also interned with SumUp as a strategic associate intern where she established a logistics role with lasting foundations and actively helped with the launch of three new products.
“I feel honored to have served the Warrington community during my time in the MIB program,” she said. “Receiving the International Student Award one month before my graduation gives me a feeling of gratitude and truly rounds up the wonderful experience I had at the University of Florida. I am grateful for the amazing people I met during my studies, and I want to thank the Warrington staff for their constant support.”
Pallmann was nominated by Management Communication Center Lecturer Dr. Sean Trainor.
Qirong “Sherry” Meng (BSBA ’22, MS-ISOM ’23): Meng is a junior majoring in marketing with a minor in professional sales. She is also pursuing a Master of Science in Information Systems and Operations Management in the combination degree program.
Originally from China, Meng has completed a number of internships during her time at Warrington. Currently, Meng is an intern with GEICO as an insurance sales agent. Previously, she interned as a marketing assistant with DegreeArt.com in London, and UF Advancement as a prospect strategy and research analyst. In addition, Meng participated in Florida Leadership Academy and the business fraternity Pi Sigma Epsilon.
Meng was nominated for the award by Kelly Woodfine, Assistant Director for International Programs at the Heavener School of Business.
“First of all, I am very excited and grateful that Mrs. Woodfine nominated me,” she said. “For me, this means that my efforts are affirmed by others. Second, I am happy to represent undergraduate international student groups here and feel honored as a representative. Third, I believe this international student award will motivate me to do better at school.”
See more from the UF International Student Awards on YouTube.
