Three students from Florida State University’s (FSU) College of Communication and Information (CCI) were inducted into the Garnet & Gold Scholar Society this spring, recognizing their academic achievement, leadership, and dedication to experiences beyond the classroom. Among the thirteen inductees were three CCI students, Isabella Krukoski, Marissa Rouse, and Grace Elliott.

Established in 2010, the Garnet & Gold Scholar Society recognizes students who complete learning experiences in three of five engagement areas: internship, international experience, leadership, research, and service. The society encourages students to build a well-rounded portfolio through meaningful involvement beyond the classroom, while also providing professional recognition that can strengthen graduate school applications and future career opportunities.

Recent inductee and Media and Communication Studies and Editing, Writing, and Media graduate Isabella Krukoski reflects on her experience in the society.

“I was introduced to the Garnet & Gold Scholar Society my freshman semester and immediately applied for it, so it was a full-circle moment being inducted my final semester at FSU,” said Krukoski. “I’m incredibly grateful that the program pushed me to get involved on campus, and I could reflect on all of those involvements at the end of my college career.”

To be inducted into the society at the end of their college career, students must meet a series of academic and engagement-based criteria. Undergraduate students are required to maintain a minimum 3.2 cumulative GPA, complete and document experiences in three of the five engagement areas, submit formal reflections for each selected area, and complete a final synthesis project connecting their experiences to their future academic and professional goals.

“The inductee must successfully complete their chosen areas of engagement. For me, I chose Internship, Service, and Study Abroad”, said Marissa Rouse, a recent inductee of the Garnet & Gold Scholar Society. “They must complete said section and write a reflection on what was learned. This will be reviewed and then either rejected or approved by the Garnet & Gold Scholar Society staff”. 

Induction into the society not only provides students with professional recognition but also encourages them to pursue meaningful experiences beyond the classroom. The different areas of engagement are designed to challenge students to expand their learning through internships, research, leadership, and international opportunities that foster both personal and professional growth.

“The things you learn in the classroom can largely feel conceptual until you actually apply them elsewhere,” said Krukoski. “Through Garnet & Gold Scholar Society, I learned a great deal about what works for me, what doesn’t, and what kinds of experiences I want to seek out post-grad.”

The structure is designed to provide a clear outline of the requirements that students must fulfill to be inducted. However, once students begin their involvement, they can encounter other challenges when it comes to completing the program’s criteria.

“It was definitely difficult at times, and I had to learn a lot about discipline and time management”, said Grace Elliott, a recently inducted member of the society. “But it pushed me to be intentional with my commitments and helped me grow so much throughout my time at FSU”.

The Garnet & Gold Scholar Society honored its final class of scholars this past spring for the 2026 graduating class. The society’s sixteen-year run of the program was successful in establishing its core values of experimental learning within FSU’s undergraduate curriculum. For Krukoski, Rouse, Elliott, and many others, the program provided an opportunity to connect classroom learning with real-world experiences that will continue to shape their professional journeys beyond graduation.