Honorable Mention Winner
Tammy Hohimer
University of West Florida
Graduate Student in Public History
3.78 GPA

After seeing her enthusiasm for college activities and academics, it’s somewhat surprising to learn that University of West Florida graduate student Tammy Hohimer didn’t begin her college career until 17 years after she graduated from high school. When she approached her guidance counselor as an eager 16-year-old, he crushed her hopes of attending college when he threw a university brochure in the garbage can and told her to forget about going to college. Hohimer followed his “advice," got a job with 14-hour shifts, and put aside her dreams of being the first in her family to attend college.  But she never forgot about college, and in 1997, she took her first course at Lincoln Land Community College in Illinois.

Hohimer took no time to get involved in student activities and became a Student Government senator during her first semester.  By her second semester, she won the office of secretary in Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and at the same time became editor of the Lincoln Land student newsletter.  Despite a full schedule, Hohimer founded the Environmental Club in which she co-wrote and received a state and federal grant with the college to fund a recycling program that continues to be funded today.

Her quick involvement and steady commitment followed when she started attending UWF in 1999. Former Vice President for Student Affairs Linda O. Dye, says Hohimer “is thoughtful, dedicated, committed, and a person of integrity who relates well to faculty, staff, and students.” Once again, she got involved in SG by joining the Student Government Association as a senator, and she later served as the Academic Committee chair. Hohimer was committed to the student body but more specifically to her peers in the history department who selected her as president for both the History Club and the Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society in 2002. While she was the acting president, Hohimer used her position to encourage significant growth among both groups including doubling the membership of Phi Alpha Theta. Together these organizations worked to become two of the most active student groups on campus. “My ultimate goal in everything I do is simply to increase students’ awareness of their environment while working to improve their educational experience, in and out of the classroom,” Hohimer says.

Later that year, Hohimer was selected to be chair of the Office of Multi-Cultural Studies Student Advisory Board. She was in charge of organizing a student advisory board that included some of the top student leaders from the African-American Student Association, Hispanic Student Association, and the Muslim Student Association in order to increase the awareness of individual cultures on campus. UWF’s President Dr. John C. Cavanaugh recognized her strengths by selecting Tammy as one of 12 staff members to serve on an advisory board regarding issues affecting staff, policies, and procedures.

Hohimer also served as a student representative on 10 different committees at UWF including the Office of Multi-Cultural Studies Advisory Board, the UWF Search Committee for Vice President of Student Affairs, the UWF Graduate Committee, and the UWF University Planning Council.

During her undergraduate years, Pell Grants and scholarships completely covered Hohimer’s tuition. She supported herself with student loans and college work-study including work in UWF Support Services and UWF Student Affairs. Throughout her graduate studies, student loans and scholarships covered tuition, and money left over assisted in her living expenses. Hohimer also worked 30 hours per week with the UWF Clove Office in Career Services in addition to her 10 to 15 hours per week as a graduate assistant. -BF

Contact Hohimer at tsh3@students.uwf.edu.