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Center for Leadership and Service

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Hello Gators,

Welcome to our Fall issue of the Center for Leadership and Service (CLS) Newsletter! We are very excited to be delivering updates on the great things going on around the Center for Leadership and Service.

To start off, let us tell give you a little history on the CLS. Community service at the University of Florida has evolved dramatically since the creation of the volunteer student organization, Gators Involved in Volunteer Endeavors (GIVE), in 1992. An analysis of GIVE's activities in 1997-1998 revealed the program's effectiveness in stimulating group service projects. It was determined that GIVE had been less effective at providing a volunteer clearinghouse for UF, and that this service was sorely needed.

Accordingly, the Office of Student Activities established the TreeHouse in 1998 to serve as the campus clearinghouse for volunteerism with the mission to foster an atmosphere of giving and community on the UF campus through involving volun-teers in civic leadership. In 2000, TreeHouse was renamed the Office of Community Service, to reflect more accurately its function as the volunteer service center on campus.

In 2005, the Office of Community Service was bound for further change. The physical office location was moved from the Reitz to the Dean of Students Office as part of the new Center for Leadership and Service. The organizational change stemmed from the recognition of the need for an office that brings the related components of service learning, student volunteerism, and leadership development into a coherent, inclusive experience for students. Accordingly, the CLS is organized into leadership and service branches, each housing their own respective student groups, projects, and events. The CLS also houses 10 popular student groups. UF students have a need to connect with other organizations and institutions so they can witness coop-erative efforts in their community that address social issues facing our country, and the CLS provides the structure and resources to promote such experiences.

In this issue, as well as our upcoming ones, we will be providing feature articles on outstanding achievements by our organizations, spotlights on current students and alumni who have been very successful, and future opportunities available to students and staff.

Visit our website and send us feedback on things you liked or would like to see in future issues! We look forward to hearing from you all!

Sincerely Yours,The Administrative Student Team

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contentsFeature02 FABulous ServiceFlorida Alternative Breaks was named 2009 National Alternative Breaks Program of the Year by Break Away, a national organization that works with alternative break programs across the nation.

In Every Issue04 Alumni Stories06 CLS Spotlight08 Event Recap

CLS News09 CLS Spotlight Recap

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02F A L L 0 9

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FAB Site Leaders re�ect on what they learned at their 2009 Site Leader Retreat at Lake Wauburg.

CLS QUICK PICSA. First Year Florida students participate in ACTIONS! 2009 Gator Plunge.B. UF Students help beautify Glen Springs Elementary School for Gator Plunge.

FABULOUS

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FABULOUSby Nicole Azzi

lorida Alternative Breaks (FAB) has experienced incredible growth and success over the past few years and the results of

their e�orts are beginning to show. This organization provides UF students with the opportunity

to do community service around the United States or abroad during their aca-demic breaks. More and more people are attracted to the idea of doing something meaningful during their free time. In fact, FAB has seen an overwhelming increase in demand after they received over 350 applications last year.

Other than their growing popularity, another important accomplishment FAB has been recognized for is their commit-ment to giving students a holistic expe-rience. FAB is not just about a week of community service. Instead, they focus on educating participants about the social issue before the trip, engaging in insightful re�ections during the trip, and encouraging students to take action and catalyze social change after the trip. FAB is continually working on how they can improve this experience for others.

- Elizabeth Hernandez

“ Whether it’s focusing on pre-trip service in Gainesville, fundraising, or providing a wider variety of trips, FAB has grown stronger each year.”

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Elizabeth Hernandez, a FAB alumni, has seen the progress over her past four years with FAB. “Whether it’s focusing on pre-trip service in Gainesville, fundraising, or providing a wider variety of trips, FAB has grown stronger each year,” says Her-nandez.

FAB has even gained national attention. During the 2008-2009 academic year, the national organization Break Away which works with alternative break programs in different universities across the nation recognized FAB as the National Alterna-tive Breaks Program of the Year. That same year, FAB won the UF Center for Leadership and Service Organization of the Year Award as well. Clearly, these accomplishments reaffirm the great work that FAB has been doing on our UF campus.

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by Amber Valentin

Well it’s safe to say that all those late nights planning events, meetings, and newsletters actually paid o�.

When you’re knee deep in midterms, have to work over-time for your side job to make rent and somehow have to plan a service event in between all of that, the last, or possibly �rst, thing you determine is, “Good grief, this better be useful after college.”

Well I’m here to tell you to take a deep sigh of relief; all of it is in fact useful. Hard to believe I know, but somehow those skills you gained while helping to plan a protest against your own school to stop them from cutting funding to the CLS is in reality a good thing to know how to do. The point of this article is to explain why my experience at the Center for Leadership and Service has translated into tangible, real-life skills and bene�ts.

My various volunteer and leadership roles within the CLS culminated with my position senior year as the Communications Chair. Direct quote from my postiton description: “This person oversees a commit-tee of members who direct all o�ce internal communications, includ-

Do what you

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ing the CLS Challenge, photography, min-utes, and weekly update emails. This person also works with the CLS Newslet-ter, campus and community partners, con-ducts agency, community and university needs assessments, and helps plan the Volunteer Organization Fairs, Celebration of Service, and CLS Olympic Bonanza.”

So that’s what I did then, and here’s what I do now: “This person will execute admin-istrative and grants management respon-sibilities, and assist with project coordina-tion and program activities as needed. Assist in communications with Advisors, donors, other related partner institutions, and grantee organizations.”

Hmm… seems oddly familiar. That’s because they are! I loved my time spent working at the CLS, so I decided why not look for a career that already matched my passion, skills and experience. And that’s just what I did. Granted, the CLS doesn’t pay well (or at all for that matter), but that doesn’t mean your future job won’t either. Today, as the Project Coordinator (and only full-time sta� ) of the Gulf Coast Fund (www.gulfcoastfund.org), I am doing a job that I enjoy and I am producing work that I can be proud of. At the Fund’s core is an Advisory Group of 23 leading policy advo-cates, community activists and grassroots organizers from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas representing a broad swath of constituencies, geographies and issues. These people are like the modern day Civil Rights leaders, �ghting for social, environmental and economic justice for all us. And the coolest part of it all… they’re my bosses. For instance, do you know the who the 18th Surgeon General for the United States is? Her name is Dr. Regina Benjamin and she was just appointed by President Obama. Oh yeah, and she is a founding board member of the Gulf Coast Fund... sweet.

So when you’re trying to convince your roommate to join you for a service trip or spend a few hours volunteering on your clean up crew, remember that you play a small part in a larger story that is always being written. You’re a big part of the

- Amber Valentin

“ Remember that you play a small part in a larger story that is always being written. ”

reason why the world wakes up and gives a damn.

So the moral of this story, (if you can really call it a moral or a story), is that by committing just a little bit of your time to volunteerism and leadership roles, you will open up a world of possibilities for your future career. Leadership is a skill that never goes out of style or demand and altruism will help distinguish you from the millions of other people who just want to make that money honey. So don’t be afraid to stick to what you enjoy, life’s to short to get trapped in a career you don’t wake up every day excited to be involved with.

Do what you love, and love what you do.

Amber ValentinCLS Alumni

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really allowed me to pursue my passion of helping others. I really love helping others and through FAB I have been able to do that. With the CLS's help, I have even found other opportunities through which I am able to serve my commu-nity. Overall, the CLS has com-pletely had a positive impact on me, and I am continually inspired and encourage to be a better leader on campus and in my community.

What is your definition of a student leader?My definition of a student leader is one who makes a difference. Someone who is involved, committed to their organizations, helpful, and willing to lead others . For me, a student leader doesn't necessarily have to hold a high position of authority

to be called a leader, but a stu-dent leader is someone who believes that they can be a positive change and is willing to accomplish great things. Overall, a student leader is someone who gives their best to their involvement positions, willing to make a change, and willing to lead and help others to make a change. How did you make your first steps to get involved on campus?One of the first steps of involvement that I made on campus was through the Black

What is it that you do in the CLS?I am a member and Historian for Lead101 and I'm also involved with Florida Alterna-tive Breaks as a participant on their community service trips.

What motivates you to go above and beyond?The main thing that moti-vates me to go above and beyond is my commitment and dedication. As a member, I really want to do my part to help my organization flourish and impact other students. As a result if I see an opportunity where I am able to contribute more, I try to grasp on to that opportunity and run with it. If given a task, I want to give my best to it and use all my effort to make sure that is done in the best possible way. My dad always tell me "Give your best

and do your best and God will take care of the rest" and that is something that I always try to live by.

How has the CLS affected you on campus and in the community?Being involved in the CLS has definitely had a positive influence on me. On campus, I see myself shaping and growing into a better leader. I have learned what it means to be a servant-leader and with the help of the CLS, I try to put that into action. In the community, the CLS has

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Student Union's Leadership Development Institute (LDI). Through this organization, I was able to enhance my lead-ership skills and learn what it meant to be a servant-leader. LDI allowed me to make great friends and meet awesome people who wanted to see me succeed and do great things. Because of my involvement in this organization, I was in-spired to get involved in other things on campus and that is what led me to an awesome center such as the Center for Leadership and Service.

Advice you would give to someone looking to get more involved?For someone who is looking to get more involved, find something that you really enjoy doing or that you are interested in doing. When you find something that you enjoy doing or being apart of, you automatically want to give your best to that orga-nization and want to see it grow. Whether its an activity or an issue in the community, involvement is a great way to meet new people and make an impact on the lives of others. Not only do you receive the chance to impact others, but you receive the opportunity to enhance your-self as a person. And if you are unsure of exactly what you want to get involved in, try something new or something you've never done before. You never know, you might find one of your true passions.

by Mark Hermano

On Tuesday, September 15th, 2009, the Center for Leadership and Service hosted its annual Volunteer Organization Fair. The event brought over 40 volunteer organizations from the Gainesville community to the Reitz colon-nade to promote the benefits of community service to students. Among those in attendance were Alachua County Public Schools, Gainesville Rabbit Rescue, Sweat Monkey, all of CLS organizations, and many others. “It was really impressive to see not just how many people were involved in commu-nity work in Gainesville, but also how many students were interested in starting service and getting involved,” says junior Brandon Maxwell. The event lasted from 10am to 2pm and drew large crowds of students curious of the many service opportunities presented.

The annual Service and You showcase was held this past semester on October 7th, and was a great way for students in attendance to build work related skills through community service and learn about some of the organizations Gainesville had to offer. There were about 50 students in attendance and 10 panelists from Campus Kitchens, Teach for America, and Lifesouth, among others. The students were able to discuss with panelists the different types of work they did, as well as how they went about doing it and what resulted. “I learned a lot from the students and fellow panelists here and am looking forward to jump-starting our community service program,” said Lifesouth panelist Clay Gibbons. Service and You is one of the many programs put on each semester to illustrate how students can go from “volunteer” to career.

Service & You

Volunteer Org Fair

by Mark Hermano

Go from “volunteer” to career.

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Photo from Getty Images

CLS Spotlight Recap

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Julie Novack is a 3rd year Speech Language Pathology major. She wants to work with children who stutter. She is a part of the Delta Gamma Sorority. This spring she will be studying abroad in Madrid. She is very energetic and goal oriented. As fundraising chair of Project MASCOT she has organized and executed over 6 fundraisers helping us raise almost $4000 this semester bringing us closer to our $8000 goal.

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Alex Hanfinger Alex currently serves as the Site leader trainer for Florida Alternative Breaks. His passion and dedication for FAB throughout the years has shined as he arduously contin-ues to work towards creating active citizens. Every action, every sentence, and every step Alex makes complies with what the CLS mission of fostering life long service and civic participation by en-gaging others in service learning, leadership, and social change.

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Center for Leadership and Service

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or Leadership and Service

University of Florida 202 Peabody Hall, PO Box 114075, Gainesville, FL 32611Phone:(352) 392-1261; Fax: (352) 392-5566

For more information contact us at: leadershipandservice@u�.edu or visit: www.leadershipandservice.u�.edu