Honorable Mention Winner
William Bludgus
University of Miami
Senior in Mathematics/German/Secondary Education
3.39 GPA

William Bludgus has his eye on the prize. He wants to see the University of Miami rise from the 60^th spot on Newsweek’s annual ranking of colleges into the top tier—and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to get there.

While most students dread the flow of incoming freshmen, with their maps and doe-eyed curiosity, Bludgus, 21, welcomes them with open arms. He saw that UM scored low on its retention of first-year students. To correct this problem, Bludgus founded the program “Cane for a Day,” which invites the school’s top prospective students to campus to shadow current UM scholars. Bludgus’ brainchild has quickly evolved into one of the school’s most effective means of working toward its “top tier” goal. “Not only does this program help to recruit top academic students who will most likely stay to complete their degrees, but it also helps these students to quickly connect with the university,” Bludgus says.

This varsity track and cross-country runner also saw other areas where his school could improve. Bludgus, who has a strong distaste for waste, took action when he realized that his school wasn’t recycling. He lobbied relentlessly to bring an extensive recycling program to the campus that included paper recycling at many of the offices and departments on campus. When Bludgus saw students simply throwing away their old textbooks that couldn’t be sold back, he again took action. He learned about the organization Better World Books, a national non-profit organization that collects used textbooks, sells them, and then donates the funds to school systems in developing parts of the world. So far, with Bludgus’ help, UM has collected approximately 3,000 textbooks.

Pushing his school up the ladder is only a green-bean-sized portion on Bludgus’ full plate. When many students only find time to graduate with one degree, Bludgus is majoring in three. But even with such a rigorous academic schedule, he still finds time to be extremely active in organizations as well as his community. Bludgus serves as the philanthropy chairman of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, has helped a fund-raising campaign for the Senior Class Gift Committee, and has held numerous titles within UM’s Student Government. Bludgus also has served as a Eucharistic minister for St. Augustine’s Church since 2001, initiated and coordinated a “Books for Africa” drive, and served as a counselor at an overnight camp for kids with terminal illnesses in the summer of 2004. Bludgus says the titles he holds aren’t as important as the actions he takes. He’s most proud of the times when he takes on the responsibility to create positive change and truly make a difference in people’s lives.

“When anyone mentions the name Billy Bludgus, my mind is immediately filled with very positive descriptors,” says Richard Walker, assistant vice president for student affairs. “He’s a true gentleman in every sense of the word; he’s compassionate, dedicated, responsible, caring, personable, unselfish, determined, approachable, and humble.”

The school’s vice president for student affairs also thinks highly of Bludgus. “Mr. Bludgus is one of our finest student leaders at the University of Miami,” Patricia Whitely says. “His versatility, enthusiasm, and energy are unparalleled, and his ability to always follow through is most impressive.”

All of Bludgus’ college expenses are paid for through scholarships. He has received so much financial aid that he’s able to send checks home to his parents to help pay for his younger brother’s education. During the summer and winter, he also works two jobs. At the moment, Bludgus is a full-time associate teacher in mathematics at Palmetto Senior High School.—JW

Contact Bludgus at b.bludgus@umiami.edu.