Honors Order of the Medallion

Who We Are

At the Judy Genshaft Honors College, USF’s most driven students are encouraged to explore, lead and innovate, gaining the skills and experiences needed for meaningful careers and impactful futures.

A vibrant academic community of 2,751 students across the Tampa Bay region, our students find the right fit for their academic and personal goals while embracing our core commitments of health humanity, sustainable futures and engaged citizenship. About one-third of our students are the first in their families to attend college, and we are committed to providing them with the resources and opportunities they need to succeed.

What We Do

The Honors Graduate Celebration Ceremony is a time-honored tradition that brings together families, friends and faculty to recognize the achievements of our graduates. At the heart of this ceremony is the presentation of the Honors Medallion — a symbol of perseverance and academic excellence that students wear with pride at commencement and cherish for years to come. In 2025 alone, we celebrated 534 graduates across spring, summer and fall semesters.

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, the Judy Genshaft Honors College continues to expand its impact and provide transformative opportunities for students. With a 77% increase in applications, the 760-student fall class entered with a 4.33 average high school GPA, making it one of the largest and most competitive cohorts in the college’s history.

New Opportunities:
Extending Honors Beyond Graduation
Whether you graduated a year ago or a decade ago, the new JGHC Alumni Society is designed to build community among Honors graduates while supporting professional growth.

Creating Meaningful Connections
In partnership with the JGHC Alumni Society, the college is piloting a new Honors Mentorship Program that connects current students with alumni for structured leadership and professional development.

Tampa Bay’s Talent Pipeline
A new collaboration with tech startup incubator Embarc Collective will give students expanded access to high-quality internships and employment opportunities across the region.

Innovating for the Future
With donor support, the college launched the Blanchard Sustainability Leadership Prize and expanded the Honors Grand Challenge, empowering students to present solutions on sustainability and accessibility at national research conferences.

Caring for Our Coast
Housed at the St. Petersburg campus, the new Gulf Scholars Program offers specialized coursework and funding to prepare students as Gulf Scholar Change Agents addressing the region’s environmental and social challenges.

Your support makes all of this possible, ensuring that our students have the resources, mentorship and experiences they need to thrive.

The Impact

By joining the Order of the Medallion with a $100 gift, you directly support the success of our students. Your generosity helps provide graduating students with their Honors Medallion and strengthens our ability to offer life-changing opportunities such as research experiences, conference presentations and scholarships. In recognition of your support, your name will be featured in the Honors Graduate Celebration program, a keepsake for our graduates and their families. Supporters who contribute $1,500 or more will be invited to an exclusive reception to celebrate their significant impact on our students’ lives.

USF Faculty and Staff: Make your gift online or enroll in payroll deduction using this payroll deduction form (enter fund #170024, Honors College Dean's Strategic Fund for Excellence) and email it to fscampaign@usf.edu.

Spread the Word

We are counting on your help! Make an even bigger impact by sharing your support of this campaign using the social media tools at the top of this page.

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Create an even brighter future for Honors students this #USFGivingWeek by supporting the Judy Genshaft Honors College Order of the Medallion at usf.to/honors. Thank you and Go Bulls!