Extracurricular Activities/Volunteering

 

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I have been involved in the Get Fruved Research Project since my freshman year and have been part of the founding committee of the connected student organization, The Fruvement, since my sophomore year. Get Fruved is a USDA-funded 4-H project designed to ultimately decrease the proportion of older adolescents who are overweight or obese by developing an effective behavioral intervention with environmental supports. I was a research assistant and assisted with pre and post assessments for participants, such as calculating height, weight, hip and waist measurements. Additionally, I served as a peer mentor in which I worked with first year students each year to help them make a healthy transition to college. I also served as the peer mentor co-chair to overlook and enhance other peer mentor and mentee relationships.

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        Additionally, I was involved in Campus Juice Healthy Lifestyle Club since my freshman year, serving as the president for the last two years. I wanted to make this club intersect between socializing, service and education. In this organization, I coordinated volunteer opportunities, such as preparing juice for chronically ill children and their families and educating them on juice benefits. Furthermore I volunteered at Walk Alachua County and  organized like-minded students to engage in activities that promote health, such as nutrition workshops and yoga classes.

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      During the summer of 2016, I served as a research intern with UF Family, Youth and Community Sciences Department on improving nonprofit organizations serving the elderly in Florida. I  learned about all facets of research, including transcription, data analysis and publication. I also got to conduct interviews and meet with local professionals. It was an invaluable experience to learn about research and taught me that I don't want to do it! (For now at least)

 

     A month prior, I interned at the Marilyn Magaram Center for Nutrition at California State University right outside of Los Angeles, which was a branch of their School of Nutrition that served the community. I helped with gardening for health research, grocery store tours and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). This opportunity inspired me to develop a grocery store tour program in Gainesville through Get Fruved and eventually develop it at my Health Education Internship in Martin County.

 

       During my last semester of college (Spring 2017), I had the incredible opportunity to learn about disabilities by volunteering with severely disabled adults in their worksite and occupational/physical therapy department at Tacachale Developmental Disability Center to supplement the concepts I learned in my Adapted Exercise Therapy for Disabilities course. It was an incredible way to get hands on experience and become more compassionate about a population I had no experience with before.

 

      I also continue to serve on the communications committee of the Florida Food Policy Council. This organization is a grassroots group that is volunteer led to reform our Florida food system through education and policy. I help with Facebook posts, organizing members and member payments and advertising. This has been very helpful for learning about the field and networking. My love for food and agriculture also presents itself in my involvement with gardening for UF's Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Club, which donates most of the food grown to the UF Field and Fork Food Pantry. I also worked for a local farmer, Farmer John, at the Bo Diddley Farmers Market selling greens, vegetables, turmeric and plants. I started college hating gardening and ended college wanting to integrate it into my career and personal life!

     

        I have participated in two Florida Alternative Breaks trips during my Spring Breaks, namely “Children’s Nutrition” in 2015 and “Sustainable Agriculture” in 2017. During the Children's Nutrition trip, we worked with the Edible Schoolyard program in New Orleans, setting up school gardens with the kids and mentoring students at Boys and Girls Club on healthy eating. During the Sustainable Agriculture trip, we did a variety of organic farm tasks like weeding, planting and putting up trellises while learning about cancer since the farm donates their produce and eggs to the Cancer Treatment Center of America.

     

        Lastly, I am involved in UF Chabad to become more engaged in my faith, attending Birthright Israel to connect with Judaism and its roots and Living Links Poland to learn about the Holocaust and Jewish history. Since beginning school at UF, I went from wanting nothing to do with Judaism to being very connected to and knowledgeable about the culture.

Since 2011, I have been a mentor for my amazing seven year old mentee, Talisse, with Big Brothers Big Sisters. We have gone on outings to the park, bowling alley, museum and various festivals. I have also taken here volunteering with me and taught her about organic gardening. She has taught me so much more.

 

      Some awards I have received during my college career are International Scholars and Peace Corp Prep Programs, Civic Scholars Program, and recipient of Bright Futures Academic Scholars and Presidential Service Award in Childhood Development.

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