Warner Students Awarded 2022 Undergraduate Student Project of the Year

On May 10, 2023, President Hoag and Dr. Verna Omanwa attended an award ceremony at the University of South Florida (USF) to receive an award for the “Florida SBDC at USF 2022 Undergraduate Student Project of the Year.” The award recognized the outstanding work of a team of undergraduate students from Warner University who worked on a small business analysis project for Rignanese & Associates PLLC, a law firm owned by Cynthia Rignanese.

The student team, composed of Ryan Wimbush, Jada Cruz, and Connor Cook, worked on the project as part of their Business Capstone class under the guidance of Dr. Omanwa. The project was conducted in partnership with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and involved consulting with various small businesses around Polk County.

The Rignanese & Associates project was selected for the award due to the exceptional quality of the work done by the student team. The project demonstrated a deep understanding of the challenges facing small businesses in the legal industry and provided actionable recommendations to improve the firm’s operations.

As a professor, Dr. Omanwa is proud of her student’s accomplishments and grateful for the opportunity to partner with the SBDC to provide real-world experiences for her students. This award is a testament to the quality of education offered by Warner University and the SBDC’s commitment to supporting small businesses in the community.