Steven Russell

UWF degree and year of graduation:
BA Communication Arts 2005

Why did you choose to attend UWF?
I received the Pace scholarship, so it was a financial reason for me to attend UWF. Also, it was closer to home and because I’m family–oriented, UWF appealed to be because I could stay in the area.

What were your goals as a student?
My initial goal was to graduate and get a job. The first year of school, I was not involved at all on campus. Then, I became exposed to a lot of different UWF activities, which opened up many opportunities to me. Through my experiences at UWF I learned life lessons that I apply to all areas of my life.

What is your best memory from your days at UWF?
The first SGA inauguration that I attended was my best memory. This experience, as well as exposure to UWF administrators who attended, made me “feel at home.” I knew that UWF was right where I was supposed to be.

Who was your favorite professor and why?
Eileen Perrigo, because she didn’t just lecture, she was a professional from the field. In fact, she taught from textbooks that she had written. She was easy to approach and had high expectations of her students.

What do you do now?
I’m a manager trainee at Enterprise Rent-a-Car, which was recently named one of the top five places to launch a career.

How did UWF help you progress to this point?
Through my SGA experiences and lobbying for UWF, I gained a lot of marketing and people skills. I also sharpened my networking abilities that I directly apply to what I do now. One of the best tools I learned was to repeat a person’s name five times when you first meet them, and you’ll remember their names later. This has helped me a great deal in my job.

Outside of working, what activities and organizations are you currently involved in and what are your hobbies?
My main hobby right now is being a newlywed. I just got married one month ago. I also enjoy anything athletic, mainly running. My job keeps me very busy, but I also plan to get involved with Pensacola Young Professionals.

How do you stay connected to UWF?
I stay connected to UWF through my family. My younger sister and brother are currently in school. I also stay connected through the SAE fraternity alumni group.

What advice do you have to current and future UWF students?
You will only get out of your experiences what you put into them. Being a smaller university, students will have more opportunities to do “big” things.

What quality makes UWF special or unique?
There is great communication between departments, faculty, students, staff and administration and definitely a culture of working together to make things happen.

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