Six alumni from the College of Health Professions and Sciences have been recognized as 30 Under 30 Alumni Award recipients. Included in the Class of 2026 are: Cassandra Allen ’18, Chloe Artrip ’19 ’23DPT, Brenden Brown ’20 ’23MHA, Michele Guillard ’20, Jaquesha Jefferson ’22, and Jillian Pirozzi ’22 ’25MHA. The exemplary young alumni were honored at a May 16 ceremony for their commitment to helping others, dedication to UCF and their communities, and professional success.
Cassandra Allen
Allen came to UCF at 16–years–old as a first-generation college student. She is UCF’s Black Alumni Community Recruitment Lead, a role in which she guides newly graduated Knights through mentorship, advocacy and service. She works as a CityHealth program officer, advancing national healthcare access at the local level. Allen has fostered her experiences as a student to become a leader who transforms collaboration into impact.
Chloe Artrip
Artrip is a board-certified neurologic clinical specialist, published researcher and advocate for those with neurological conditions. Outside of her job at Orlando Health, Artrip works as adjunct faculty and a clinical mentor for UCF students. She has served in UCF’s Huntington’s Disease Pro Bono Clinic and volunteered for many other community programs. Artrip values education and research within the UCF community. She regularly collaborates with faculty and alumni on research and professional presentations at state and national conferences.
Brenden Brown
Master of Health Administration
During his time at UCF, Brown founded the Master’s in Health Administration Student Advisory Council and served as assistant vice president of membership for Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity, where he was also on the President’s Leadership Council. Brown is now a UCF mentor and serves on the Houston UCF Alumni Board. He also sponsors scholarships for first-generation and MHA students. Currently, Brown is a senior project manager for Houston Methodist.
Michele Guillard
Guillard continues to play an important role in the UCF community by serving as a UCF Alumni Board director, volunteering for both AlumKnights Give Back and Greater Orlando UCF Knights Council, and is a President’s Circle donor. She works as a client innovation experiences manager at Avenad and is vice president of public relations for the Project Management Institute. Guillard also coaches two Special Olympics sports.
Jaquesha Jefferson
Jefferson strives to strengthen healthcare in underserved areas while working as a project manager for the Rural Health Redesign Center. She founded a consulting business that works with nonprofits to build grant-ready projects that serve these communities. She has co-founded several programs, such as Girls and Pearls, that empower adolescent girls.
Jillian Pirozzi
Master of Health Administration
Pirozzi supports the Medical Disability Examination as a provider-network operations manager for Loyal Source Government Services, helping veterans gain healthcare benefits. She is a career mentor for students and alumni at UCF and supports the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities through the PALS program. During her undergraduate years, Pirozzi was band president and majorette section coordinator for the Marching Knights. She currently serves as Chair of the Marching Knights Alumni Chapter.
All six of these outstanding CHPS Alumni were recognized by UCF Alumni at a reception for the 2026 Class of 30 Under 30 on May 16. More about all the honorees can be found here.
