The University of Central Florida Knights of Distinction Program: Supporting Undergraduate Student Academic and Career Success

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present the Knights of Distinction, a co-curricular program that encourages undergraduate students to plan, connect, and reflect in the pursuit of their academic and professional goals. Knights of Distinction is a program within the Office of Experiential Learning at the University of Central Florida. Its purpose is to help students make connections between theory and practice and that they possess valuable skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, time-management, and communication that employers and graduate schools prize. This program is intended to help students connect with resources through high-impact practices that support student learning and academic success. The program encourages metacognition, reflection, and integrative learning through the creation of an e-Portfolio which showcases their skills and goals as well as their relevant academic and extracurricular experiences. Most current data show that students positively articulate the benefits of the program as they advance in their professional careers.