The Florida Cicerones has stepped into the national spotlight by taking the top prize in its field.
The Cicerones has been named the Most Outstanding Organization in the nation by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and its Affiliated Student Advancement Programs division, or CASE ASAP.
The Cicerones received the award at the 40th annual CASE ASAP national conference that took place Aug. 8-10 in New Orleans.
The awarding group is a nationwide network of more than 300 student ambassador and student alumni association groups, according to a Cicerones news release.
“It was a huge win for not only our executive board and delegates at the conference, but for every single member of the Florida Cicerones, past and present,” Cicerones President Blaire Shoor wrote in an email.
The Cicerones were awarded Most Outstanding Organization in its district in the spring, which automatically nominated them for the national award.
The top leaders for CASE ASAP ultimately chose the winner based on programs within the organization and the university, said Shoor, a 21-year-old finance and information systems senior.
The Cicerones received its award on the last night of the conference in front of about 600 students.
“The coolest part was right after they called our name — we looked around the banquet [and] the audience was Gator chomping in applause,” Shoor said. “It is pretty surreal to be named best in the nation and to feel so supported at the same time.”
Being titled top organization isn’t the only honor the Cicerones received.
Last year it was asked to co-host this year’s conference with Tulane University, said Lindsey Shaw, conference planning committee co-chair for the Cicerones.
“It was an honor in itself that we were approached by the board of CASE ASAP to host it,” said Shaw, a 20-year-old communications sciences and disorders junior.
Shaw said the Cicerones will take its award and use it to help drive it into the new school year.
“It’s really neat to go to the conference and be looked up to, but also to help other schools,” Shaw said.
The Cicerones, which hasn’t received the top honor in years, gives tours on campus and is responsible for the student alumni association, among other tasks. Its members do so voluntarily and are unpaid.
“We run off of appreciation, respect and recognition,” she said.
Shoor said that while at the conference, the group was able to get many ideas from other schools and will apply them to the UF organization.
“Winning this award means that we are the best in the nation, but it doesn’t mean we don’t have room to grow,” Shoor said. “If anything, I think winning this award pushes us to be innovative and to continue to work hard to serve the university in the best way possible.”
A version of this story ran on page 1 on 8/22/2013 under the headline "National award deems Cicerones ‘outstanding’"
