As the 深夜看片 celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2026, colleges and departments across the university are reflecting on their histories,
influential leaders, and visions for the future. At the Judy Genshaft Honors College,
four former Student Council presidents gathered to discuss how the 深夜看片 student experience
has evolved over the years and the lasting impact Honors has had on their lives.
The college welcomed Ashley Hinton ('12), Jason Rodencal ('15), Naziza Naeer Bhuiyan
('23), and recent graduate Katelynn Paciorek ('26) for a conversation about student
leadership, belonging, and the future of Honors.
Finding a Home at USF
At the Judy Genshaft Honors College, Student Council serves as the voice of the student body, creating opportunities for students to connect with one another and get involved on campus. Led by an elected executive board and supported by student volunteers, the organization gives students hands-on leadership experience while shaping programming for the Honors community.
Katelynn Paciorek speaks at the Judy Genshaft Honors College 2025 Tampa Convocation Ceremony.
As Student Council presidents, Hinton, Rodencal, Bhuiyan, and Paciorek experienced the Honors College from a unique perspective. Working closely with students and college leadership, they witnessed firsthand how the college has evolved while maintaining its close-knit culture.
For Paciorek, serving as Student Council president meant creating a welcoming environment for others.
鈥淏eing Student Council president involved being a support for students, making sure that they feel empowered to pursue leadership, and being that face for the Honors College,鈥 Paciorek said. 鈥淪o that when people see me, they know that they're welcome and they have a home.鈥
That search for an on-campus family was also what initially drew Hinton to council in 2008.
鈥淚 was really kind of searching for a place that I felt like I belonged,鈥 Hinton said. 鈥淎nd for me, that was the Honors College Student Council.鈥
Naziza Naeer Bhuiyan in cultural attire with two Honors council members in Juniper and Poplar Hall.
For Bhuiyan, who came to USF from Bangladesh, student council offered an opportunity to represent the international student community. As the first international Student Council president, she worked to make Honors more accessible and welcoming for students from around the world.
At Honors Convocation, where council presidents traditionally welcome the incoming class, Bhuiyan wore a saree to celebrate her Bangladeshi heritage and encourage students to embrace their own identities.
During her presidency, she expanded programming for international students by organizing more on-campus events and offering workshops about international student employment.
鈥淚 came in as an international student, and I was also looking for my small pocket of home and people I could connect with,鈥 Bhuiyan said. 鈥淏eing from Bangladesh, I struggled to see a lot of Bangladeshis in leadership roles at that time. I felt like I needed to be that person for some people.鈥
Always a Bull
Ashley Hinton presents a research poster at a research conference.
As a student during a period of significant growth at USF, Hinton recalls how the Honors Student Council helped spark school spirit and connection among students at a largely commuter campus.
鈥淚 started as a freshman in 2007. There was no preeminent research institution, there was no football on the national stage, and there were no international students traveling from far away to come here,鈥 Hinton said. 鈥淧art of what council gave to us was a sense of USF pride when, maybe as a whole, USF was still developing that identity.鈥
Envisioning the Future of Honors at USF
As the 深夜看片 reflects on seven decades of growth, the experiences of Honors student leaders demonstrate that while the university continues to evolve, the sense of community students find in Honors remains constant.
Acknowledging the shift from the John and Grace Allen building to the Judy Genshaft Honors College building, Bhuiyan hopes the college can maintain its familial culture even as it expands.
鈥淚 know that the college is growing a lot, but I still hope that it will be a tight-knit community and feels like home to whoever wants to come,鈥 Bhuiyan said.
Similarly, 2025-26 council president Paciorek hopes future students will continue to receive the same encouragement and support that shaped her Honors experience.
鈥淚 want the Honors College to keep doing what they鈥檙e already doing: empowering students and finding talent and saying, 鈥業 want you to reach for the stars,鈥欌 Paciorek said.
Jason Rodencal (middle right) and other Judy Genshaft Honors College students at the John and Grace Allen building.
Rodencal, who graduated in 2015, credits Honors with strengthening his connection to the university. After earning a doctorate in cancer biology from Stanford University, he hopes USF鈥檚 growing national and international reputation will continue to elevate the institution he calls home.
鈥淚 could never say that I went to USF because everybody would think I was talking about that one,鈥 Rodencal said, referring to the University of San Francisco. 鈥淢y hope is that one day I can tell everybody in my life that I went to undergrad at USF, and they'll know exactly which college I went to because that's the first thing that comes to their mind.鈥
Though their experiences span different eras of the Honors College, each student leader has found in the Judy Genshaft Honors College a place to belong, grow, and form lifelong connections.
鈥淭he Student Council has long served as a cornerstone of the Judy Genshaft Honors College, providing students with opportunities to lead, advocate, and shape the Honors experience for their peers,鈥 said Judy Genshaft Endowed Honors Dean Charles Adams. 鈥淭hrough their vision, service, and dedication, generations of student leaders have strengthened our community and created lasting traditions that continue to enrich the college today. As we celebrate the 深夜看片鈥檚 70th anniversary, it鈥檚 important to reflect on how far we鈥檝e come because of the contributions of our student leaders. Their legacy not only defines our past but also empowers the next generation to dream boldly and accomplish even more.鈥