Honorable Mention Winner
Michael Petrauskas
Florida State University
Senior in Actuarial Science
4.0 GPA

The odds of a student being chosen as a contestant on TV’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? College Edition, are—well, probably one in a million. Even more exceptional is when a student of this academic caliber takes time from intellectual endeavors to profoundly impact his academic department and the larger community. Florida State University’s Michael J. Petrauskas had the brains to represent his school on the show—academically, he’s ranked first among 7,866 FSU seniors—but takes more pride in being a campus leader. Petrauskas, 21, has prepared fellow students for the job market as a teaching assistant through tutoring and preparing lecture series, designed a mock-interview service at the career center, and served as chairperson of FSU’s largest student-run philanthropy, Dance Marathon.

As an undergraduate teaching assistant in the actuarial science department, Petrauskas steps out of the classroom to help prepare his students for their careers. He discusses test-taking strategies and exam preparation individually with his students in an effort to prime them for the series of eight required examinations. “Also, because internships are very important, I’ve organized a lecture series in which people with experience speak to students about their internships and the process of finding them,” Petrauskas says.

“Michael’s desire and drive to continue academically and his enthusiasm for learning raise him in my estimation to the No. 1 position among our students of the last five years,” says Bettye Anne Case, professor and director of financial mathematics. “More important to me, however, is the way he works with his undergraduate peers. Though his quality of thinking and quickness are the best among of the students in the course he has with me, he is unfailingly courteous regarding the thinking of others, respects different types of ability among his classmates, and works effectively as a peer tutor.”

Reaching outside of his major, Petrauskas played an integral role in designing and evaluating a mock interview service at FSU’s career center. “As a result of the program, hundreds of students have had the opportunity to practice their interviewing skills,” Petrauskas says. “Many of them have thanked those of us who volunteer in the program for helping them to be successful in their job searches.”

Petrauskas also is the current overall chairperson of FSU’s Dance Marathon, the school’s largest student-run philanthropy. Last spring the event raised $140,000 to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network, Shands Children’s Hospital, and the FSU College of Medicine's pediatric outreach program. “Although the work associated with this project is extensive and year-round, simply seeing the smiles of the miracle children who visit the Dance Marathon is enough to make every second of the work worthwhile,” Petrauskas says. “Because of the project’s wide scope, it’s one of my favorite ones.”

Scholarships and job earnings cover all of Petrauskas’ expenses. –AT

Contact Petrauskas at mjp@garnet.acns.fsu.edu.