“I hope the students I've taught and mentored the past two fall semesters embrace everything FSU has to offer.”
Florida State University student Jessica Nori is used to being in tight situations. As a relief pitcher for the women’s softball team, she steps in when the going gets rough and the pressure is on. She’s been playing softball since she was 8 years old and takes the challenges on and off the field in stride.
A four-time Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Academic Honor Roll member and three-time All-ACC Academic Softball Team member, Nori is the quintessential student-athlete.
“I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to not only attend Florida State as a student, but also represent it as an athlete. Softball has opened so many doors for me off the field, taught me life lessons and skills, and most importantly given me friendships and memories that will last a lifetime,” Nori said.
“Jessica represents all the good things you think about when you say ‘student-athlete,'” said John Lata, assistant athletics director for Student Services. “She is a leader, a motivator, a great student and performs on the field and in the community. She has been our Student-Athlete Advisory Council vice president for two years now, and was a captain for our Relay for Life team last year. She inspires and shows her teammates and her peers on other teams how to get involved and how to be successful.”
Nori is making all the right moves to ensure her future. She started at Florida State in the entrepreneur program with the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, but branched out into the professional sales program as she learned more about it. She did so well that she was chosen to be part of the Professional Sales Team. Each semester only the top sales students are selected to be a part of the team.
“Jessica and her team created a successful student-operated company and it was with great pleasure that I watched Jessica become a student entrepreneur,” said Jim Dever, research associate and entrepreneur-in-residence at the Jim Moran Institute. “She has continued to expand her vision of the future as an entrepreneur by being accepted into the prestigious Professional Sales Competition Team.”
“As a sales team member, we act as a liaison between the Sales Institute and current corporate partners. Being a part of the sales team this semester has provided me with so many networking and job opportunities with companies I never would’ve imagined possible,” said Nori.
Apart from her coursework, Nori also inspires her fellow students through her participation in a Freshman Interest Group (FIG). The FIG program seeks to help entering students make a smooth transition to college and engage with the academic culture of the campus. As a freshman, she was part of the pre-business FIG and was chosen to teach the class as a FIG leader the next year based on her grades and qualifications. Having never taught before, she had some trepidation but once again stepped in fearlessly and took on the new challenge.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to experience the FIG program as a ‘figlet’ and as a FIG leader. Participating in a FIG opened my eyes to the resources FSU offers to help us succeed as well as the opportunities to get involved on campus. I hope the students I’ve taught and mentored the past two fall semesters embrace everything FSU has to offer, and continue to make the most of their time here,” Nori said.
Alice Wright, the director of retention who oversees the FIG program chose Nori for the FIG leader role.
“When Jessica was chosen to serve as a volunteer peer instructor in our Freshman Interest Groups program I found her to be a bright, confident and outgoing young woman who has a genuine passion for learning and for helping others. I see in her the intellectual and emotional maturity, adaptability and dedication that should enable her to thrive and succeed in her future,” Wright said.
The opportunities for Nori’s future are boundless, but at this stage she has not made up her mind whether to go on in school for her master’s degree, or work, or a combination of both. Whatever she decides, she will step in with the confidence and abilities she has obtained from Florida State.
Produced by the offices of Information Technology Services, the Provost, Student Affairs, Undergraduate Studies and University Communications.