Sona Klucarova

Vranov nad Toplou, Slovakia

College:

College of Business Administration

Degree Program:

Business Administration PhD, Marketing Track

Research Focus:

Status consumption, pro-social behavior, word of mouth and perception

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Coming from Slovakia, the diversity of students found at UCF was a key factor for Sona Klucarova when deciding on universities to pursue her doctoral degree in Marketing. “I’m from Slovakia, but I feel very respected and accepted here at UCF regardless of my international background,” she says.

Klucarova received her Master of Business Administration from Webster University’s extended campus in Vienna, Austria. From there, she then moved to the states to continue her college career at UCF. The supportive community she has found within her doctoral program at UCF is what she likes best, saying, “I like that our faculty encourage collegiality and cooperation among PhD students. They keep reminding us that our PhD program is not a zero-sum game and that we all can be winners if we support each other.”

Klucarova encourages students to enjoy their time at UCF, as she has through her participation in the Miss UCF 2018 Scholarship Pageant. Upon making her journey to UCF, she made it her goal to make new friends as well as learn new skills. Through the pageant, Klucarova was able to accomplish the goal and awarded a scholarship for her participation in the pageant.

While at UCF, Klucarova began working as a graduate teaching associate, where her passion for teaching continued growing thanks to her students. She expressed that she is learning new things from her classes daily and is grateful for the opportunity to teach such a diverse student body. After graduation, Klucarova plans on staying in academia to become an assistant professor to utilize the skills gained in her doctoral program at UCF.

Klucarova has also received several other recognitions including the College of Graduate Studies Presentation Fellowship (2019) and the Academic Achievement and Excellence Award from the Department of Marketing and the American Marketing Association at UCF (2019).

Highlights:

• 2019 College of Graduate Studies Presentation Fellowship Recipient
• 2019 Achievement and Excellence Award from the Department of Marketing and the American Marketing Association at UCF
• Miss UCF 2018 Scholarship Pageant contestant