"Give it up. You're just not college material." A friend gave Diane Boczkowski that advice after the high-school senior received her fourth college rejection letter.

Today, nearly 30 years later, the University of South Florida Polytechnic has named Diane Boczkowski of Lake Wales as the recipient of the spring 2009 Outstanding Senior Award. The award recognizes her for exceptional achievements in leadership, academics, school spirit, work experience and community spirit.

Boczkowski graduates May 4 with a bachelor of applied science degree in information technology. She works full-time for the Polk County School Board as a network manager for the Polk Life and Learning Center in Bartow. After graduating from high school, she spent 20 years working at various jobs, including driving a school bus, selling home-grown produce, and raising quail and pheasant. 

In 2000 Boczkowski moved to Florida to care for her elderly mother and enrolled at Polk Community College. She spent the next six years taking classes while working full-time and graduated from PCC in 2006 with two associate of science degrees and an associate of arts degree, all with honors.

After enrolling at USF Polytechnic in August 2007, Boczkowski joined the Students and Technology in Academia, Research and Service (STARS) Alliance. As a founding member of the program, she helped promote women and under-represented student populations in the field of information technology.

"In the majority of my computing classes, I was usually the only female, which made me feel lonely and isolated," says Diane. "I saw a distinct need to recruit and motivate more women for the IT field."

 "Typical of how Diane approaches life, her involvement in STARS has been full-scale," says Dr. Dave Armitage, interim chair, Department of Information Technology. "Working with USF students, as well as middle- and high-school students, she has changed many lives, brightening their prospects for success. She is an exceptional person."

According to Dr. Nathan Thomas, campus diversity officer, "Diane has developed into an outstanding student leader. She is a phenomenal woman with incredible energy, talent, wisdom, strength, a good heart and a don't quit attitude. I find it to be my privilege to have worked with and learned from her during these past years." 

A member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Diane received the 2008 School-Related Employee of the Year award from Polk Life and Learning Center. At USFP, she organized a drive that collected more than $1,5000 and hundreds of belts and socks for needy children in Polk County schools. She twice served as host of USFP's annual "Leading the March: A Discussion with Successful Women of Central Florida" event.

"I will always remember the day I opened my acceptance letter from USF Polytechnic and the overwhelming emotions that swept over me," says Boczkowski. "Reflecting on all the disappointing previous college rejection letters, who would now dare say I wasn't college material?"

"Life experience has taught me to believe in myself and through years of tenacity, persistence, sacrifice, discipline and hard work I have learned there is nothing I cannot achieve. More important, I have learned the value and satisfaction in giving back to my family, school, classmates, job and community.

As the Outstanding Senior, Boczkowski will be honored as a special guest at USF Polytechnic's May 5 commencement and sit onstage with the distinguished platform party. The president of the university and a representative of the USF Alumni Association will recognize her during the commencement exercise.