At the end of the Fall 2020 semester, Florida State University inducted 39 students into the prestigious Garnet and Gold Scholars Society. The society recognizes undergraduate students who excel within and beyond the classroom in at least three of five areas: international experience, internship, leadership, research and service.

“As Garnet and Gold Scholars, your achievement speaks to your desire to make the most of your Florida State education and reflects well on the values of this university,” said President John Thrasher. “You have set a shining example for your fellow students and for all those who will follow in your footsteps. I am so proud of you.” Students were inducted in a virtual ceremony on December 8, 2020.

Two social work students were inducted as Garnet and Gold Scholars – Melissa Tillery and Tamara Gluck.

MELISSA TILLERY

Melissa Tillery graduated in Fall 2020 with a double major in social work and political science. She was honored as a Garnet and Gold scholar for her engagement in an internship, research, and service. She completed many of her service hours as the philanthropic service chair of Tau Beta Sigma, a National Honorary Band Sorority.

She completed her internship through her undergraduate field placement with Village Architects Incorporated, an initiative contracted with the Leon County School District that brings social workers into the school system to assist in case management with students involved with the juvenile justice system for misconduct. She learned a great deal about social service operations and the importance of being flexible, patient, and able to adapt due to the complications brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The engagement area that she credits as taking her out of her comfort zone was participating in research as a student. Through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program at FSU, Melissa worked on two research projects with FSU faculty. Her initial project included assisting Dr. Teresa Cornacchione, a 2018 doctoral graduate in political science, with her research on female political behaviors in the European Parliament. She also assisted political science doctoral student Kelley Doll with her research analyzing the language used in marijuana legislation in the United States.

Melissa remains at FSU, starting spring 2021, on her Master of Social Work degree in social leadership. She is most interested in macro social work along with policy and program analysis, with plans to pursue a career in the criminal justice system.

TAMARA GLUCK

Tamara Gluck also graduated in Fall 2020 with dual degrees in Social Work and Editing, Writing, & Media (English). As a Garnet and Gold scholar, Tamara’s engagement areas included international experience, research, and internship. She credits her international experience studying abroad in Italy (Summer 2018) as truly life-changing, positively enriching, and offered new perspectives on cultural systems. 

Her internship experience through the College of Social Work was a field placement along with Melissa Tillery at Village Architects Incorporated. Described as an impactful learning experience, she and her cohort helped establish agency methods and presence at Griffin Middle School, paving the way for future interns to continue interventions with the emotional and behavioral disordered youth.  

Tamara also enjoyed her undergraduate research experiences with the FSU English Department, studying collaboration and disability in the collegiate workspace with Dr. Ellen Cecil-Lemkin, a 2020 doctoral graduate in rhetoric and composition. Working through the dissertation process proved insightful for Tamara, helping prepare for her graduate research as well as finding insights to productivity in collaborative settings. “The ability to conduct research at the undergraduate level is amazing and offered great insight into what the future of graduate school has to offer,” she continued, “Learning about how students’ disabilities intersect with how a group functions helped me understand my own disabilities while contributing to a wealth of knowledge relevant to my fields of practice.” 

She is currently applying for graduate programs, seeking either dual master’s degrees in social work and public policy or continuing her English education with a master's in rhetoric and composition. Tamara is also co-authoring an article in the scholarly book series Writing Spaces based on her undergraduate research experience. She would like to pursue a career in policy and legislation, focusing on advocacy for at-risk populations and youth.