Fueled by philanthropic gifts and faculty mentorship, members of UCF’s Student Nurses’ Association continued an upward trajectory of excellence — earning accolades and gaining valuable experiences at the annual national convention.
Among more than 2,000 students, faculty and leaders at the 2026 National Student Nurses’ Association Convention in Houston, Texas, the cohort from the University of Central Florida shined the brightest to represent the Sunshine State.
The Student Nurses’ Association (SNA) at UCF Orlando once again, for the sixth year, returned home with at least one national award. For the second year in a row, the chapter earned the Financial Excellence Award — outperforming more than 800 chapters from all 50 states. The chapter already holds a five-year Stellar School designation, one of only 41 schools recognized with the national honor.
“SNA at UCF Orlando is not only consistently the top chapter in Florida, but has become one of the most respected nationally because of its sustained success,” says Brian Peach, nursing associate professor and SNA faculty co-advisor.
“Winning the awards … boosted the spirit of the board and encourages the new board to work hard this year for similar results,” says Hallie Schroeder, incoming president of SNA at UCF Orlando. “We’re setting our goals for the upcoming semesters to help our communities, support our students, and make the biggest impact that we can.”
UCF’s 27 nursing students from all three campuses were the largest representation in the Florida caucus at the convention. Orlando senior and chapter legislative director Madeline Sink presented a resolution titled, In Support of Increasing Prenatal Suicide Screening for Expectant Mothers with Prenatal Depression, which passed unanimously in the House of Delegates.
Other student awardees include:
- Orlando senior Cieara Ambroise who placed third in the international photo competition for an image taken during a study abroad trip to Mexico, and
- Accelerated student Alexandra Duran Angulo who received a Johnson & Johnson scholarship.
Additionally, during the convention, Allyson Crighton, Aiya Falhi, Madeline Sink, Hallie Schroeder, Alexandra Duran Angulo, Marion Jones, Willow Bynum, Brooke Bynum, Ronica Bukasa, and Cieara Ambroise were inducted into the National Student Nurses’ Association Leadership University Honor Society.
“It’s clear that our college, across all campuses, are among the higher engaged schools — ensuring students and advisors are supported,” says Kate Dorminy ’06BSN ’10MSN, instructor and SNA faculty co-advisor. “This experience would not be possible if the students didn’t have this collective support.”
Students also receive valuable financial support from generous donors to travel and attend state and national conferences.
“Attending conventions provides invaluable opportunities for growth, leadership, and connection,” says Allyson Crighton, Orlando senior and outgoing president of SNA at UCF Orlando. “Without support, many nursing students would not be able to access these experiences that shape our future in healthcare.”
If you would like to support UCF nursing students in success and professional development opportunities, click here.
Article by Julie Harper ’01
Has the UCF College of Nursing Positively Impacted You?
The mission of the College of Nursing at the University of Central Florida is to prepare nurse leaders and patient advocates through excellence in education, research and service.
Find out how to give back to your college, today!