Honorable Mention Winner
Joshua Pila
University of Florida
Senior in Political Science
and Public Relations
3.92 GPA

Joshua Pila has a talent for uniting people. During the course of his undergraduate career at the University of Florida, he has worked hard to break down the barriers of communication that exist among diverse groups. As a hearing-impaired student, Pila, 21, is no stranger to the difficulties that arise from mutual misunderstanding and poor communication, and he works hard to ensure that the barriers to mutual respect and consideration crumble for every community.

“It seems simple to gather people in the same room, but in reality, the task requires a great deal of coordination, paperwork, and managerial skill,” Pila says. “I would say that I’ve done a very good job of enabling communication between diverse communities and individuals that often self-segregate.”

Whether creating a new Student Government organization to unite multicultural campus leaders or installing closed captioning at UF’s Gator Growl and ACCESS speeches, you can find Pila in the thick of social reform. Coordinator for the SG Cabinet, Pila oversees the Academic, DisAbility Affairs, Health Programming, and Career Development Cabinets, tracking and managing director progress and providing them with resources and advice.

“There’s only one word to describe Josh Pila and that is inspirational,” says Sheila Dickison, associate provost and director of the university Honors Program. “Josh is a doer. He has not let his hearing disability slow him down one bit.”

In January 2003, Pila designed and hosted the first Florida leadership conference for college students with disabilities, which aimed at bringing attention to the human side of disabilities, and highlighting the fact that not all disabilities are visible.

 “This conference brought together students from all over the state to learn about leadership and to network,” Dickison says. “ABLE2 won the UF award for SG program of the year and got great press coverage for bridging the gap between disabled and non-disabled persons.”

Pila acts as an associate justice in the Student Honor Court for the College of Journalism and Communications. He is also a student representative for the University Commencement Committee, People Awareness Week, and the Division of Student Affairs Consultancy Meetings. In addition, he has served as a member of the Reitz Union Board of Managers, one of the most prestigious student appointments at UF.

In 2003, Pila founded the Multicultural Information Council, bringing together leaders of different multicultural groups and encouraging communities to work together toward common goals. Through Open MIC Nights, students have an opportunity to discuss those concerns at the heart of their organizations. It took just two of these events for students to embrace the concept of an open forum.

“As JAM [Jewish Awareness Month] chair, I’d attempted co-sponsored programs and saw a need for neutral space for these self-segregated communities,” Pila says. “Both of those were successful programs that helped show people of many different communities that there were many problems that could be solved with common solutions.”

Pila’s dedication to his beliefs and making the world a more accepting and understanding place have earned him recognition at UF. He’s a Florida Blue Key and Matthews Society member, was elected to Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges in 2003, and won the UF President’s Humanitarian Award in 2004.

“Josh is one of the rare students who stands out at a school of approximately 48,000 students because of his committed leadership, his inclusive nature, his strong ethical principles, and his ability to take multiple perspectives into consideration,” says Mary Schneider, associate dean of students. “He stands up for principles and helps others understand the issues.”

Pila stood up for his beliefs when the Independent Florida Alligator published a controversial editorial concerning the conflict between Israeli and Palestinian student organizations on campus. Instead of merely protesting the editorial, perceived as offensive to a number of students, Pila organized a moderated discussion between the newspaper and the multicultural student community, emerging with a resolution on both sides to better the lines of communication and understanding.

Pila’s Bright Futures and AT&T Scholarships pay for half of his expenses. To cover the other half, he works as an LSAT instructor and receives some parental aid. –MDJ

Contact Pila at Jpila@ufl.edu.