The UCF community gave President John C. Hitt a heartfelt thank you Thursday during a reception honoring his 20th anniversary at the helm of the university.
Family, friends, faculty and others 麻豆精品 S� both in person and in video messages 麻豆精品 S� praised the service and dedication of the president, who led the university to national prominence as enrollment has jumped from 22,000 to more than 58,500 during the past two decades.
Rick Schell, vice president and chief of staff, told the audience that Hitt, the longest-serving president of the 11 state universities, has 麻豆精品 S渢he courage of an offensive lineman, 麻豆精品 S� and Matt McCann, Student Government Association president, said Hitt is a 麻豆精品 S渟ervant leader 麻豆精品 S� who values the input of people around him.
麻豆精品 S淵ou were not only tall in stature, but also in vision, 麻豆精品 S� said Roger Pynn, a Distinguished Alumnus Award winner and president of the Curley & Pynn public relations firm. 麻豆精品 S淭he community 麻豆精品 S� all of 聽us 麻豆精品 S� owe you an incredible 麻豆精品 S榯hank you. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�
Hitt returned the compliments to those in attendance at the packed Pegasus Ballroom of the Student Union.
麻豆精品 S淚f you are fortunate enough to head a large and dynamic organization, people tend to credit you for much of the good that happens, 麻豆精品 S� he said. 麻豆精品 S淎nd, while such praise can be flattering, allow me to set the record straight. The achievements at UCF that coincide with my tenure have far more to do with you than with anything I could ever do. 麻豆精品 S�
The president added that the steady pursuit of the university 麻豆精品 S檚 goals has defined the UCF of today. The greatest catalyst for the school 麻豆精品 S檚 success, he said, is the goal 麻豆精品 S渢o be America 麻豆精品 S檚 leading partnership university. 麻豆精品 S�
Hitt also thanked his wife of 50 years, Martha, for her many contributions to the university and for being his 麻豆精品 S渂est adviser and the greatest joy of my life. 麻豆精品 S�
The president left the audience with a key lesson he has come to understand in the years since arriving at UCF on March 1, 1992:
麻豆精品 S淚f there is anything I have learned in 20 years, it is that our greatest danger is not to dream too large, but to dream too small. At UCF, we dream big. Our greatest limitations are those we place on ourselves. 麻豆精品 S�
After the president 麻豆精品 S檚 comments, Olga Calvet, vice chair of the Board of Trustees, presented the Hitts with a bouquet of yellow Pegasus roses and framed side-by-side aerial maps of the campus taken in 1992 and 2012.
麻豆精品 S淵ou can see the amazing physical growth, 麻豆精品 S� Calvet told them, 麻豆精品 S渁nd most of all it symbolizes our progress in those 20 years. 麻豆精品 S�
聽To leave a congratulatory message to the president, go to 聽www.ucf.edu/hitt20.