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Editor’s Note:

I have two children that Good Life Community readers have got to know through ‘Kids Talk’ and other editorial pieces. I remember as if it were yesterday their first day of pre-school but now Colt is 14 and Brooke is 12 years old. Time is just flying by and I worry about their future. I always tell them that good grades lead to a good education that leads to a good job and a great future. With this in mind I asked the University of Florida President, J. Bernard Machen for some words of encouragement for our local young people and here is what he said:

Dear students,

You are growing up near the University of Florida, and you have probably visited our campus, taken in our natural history museum or attended a Gator game. As you move up the grades, I hope you will also set your sights on going to college at UF.

If you work hard in school, you will have many options for pursuing your college degree. UF is an excellent one. Whether your interests run to anthropology or zoology, we have a huge variety of degree programs. Many are considered among the best in the nation. And UF students always give high marks to campus life, with its bustling residence halls, abundance of extracurricular activities, intramural sports and Gator athletics.

It is tough to get into any good college, and UF is no exception. Last fall, our first-year students had an average GPA of 4.2, SAT score of 1963, and ACT score of 30. Many were the top students in their senior class in high school. It is no wonder that UF graduates include two Nobel Prize winners, numerous senators and governors, astronauts, CEOs and leaders in entertainment and the arts.

UF’s tuition remains well below the national average. When considered with the strength of our programs, as well as the reach of our $574 million research operation, that makes UF a great bargain. Even so, we recognize that some families can’t afford to pay for a college education, so we offer many financial aid options. For example, our four-year-old Florida Opportunity Scholarship pays tuition and room and board for students whose families earn $40,000 or less and are the first in their families to attend college. We graduated our first class of almost 200 scholars this spring.

A great education, a smart and diverse group of students, a rich and memorable college experience: That is the University of Florida in a nutshell. Each fall, we welcome more than 6,000 first-year students to our classrooms and residence halls. I hope to see you among them in the future!

Sincerely,
J. Bernard Machen