November 8, 2016
For our last pledge class event, we wanted to do something meaningful, make a difference in other’s lives, and serve the community together. The Pledge Professional Committee worked diligently to plan a service event at the Boys & Girls Club of Alachua County. The Boys & Girls Club’s vision is “to inspire all young people, especially those who need us the most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens.” They also stand for Inclusion & Opportunity, Respect & Belonging, Empowerment, Collaboration, and Advocacy - all aspects that resonate with us as a pledge class.
Although there were a few hurdles to overcome in the beginning of the planning process, due to an exam being moved to the same day as the event, the service event proved to be a huge success. We learned that communication and flexibility was key in making the event work. As soon as we walked into the organization, we were welcomed with many hugs and high-fives from the children of the Boys & Girls Club. Our pledge class split up to play different games with the children including tag, ninja, football, basketball, soccer, kickball, and other various games. Here we put our leadership, team-building, and competitive skills to the test. Many new memories were made, including a large group of children that continuously tackled Charlie Heng for 10 minutes (which initially raised some concern, but ended with a lot of laughter); a “cootie monster” tag game invented by Jonathan Dacosta; and an intense game of soccer led by Bill Mo and Jace Colina. At the end of the day, the children taught us the popular dance, “Juju on that Beat.” It was a great stress reliever for the first year students since their Drug Delivery Systems exam ended right before the event. For the second year students, it was a nice break from studying for their Patient Care 3 exam, which was scheduled for the following day. Volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club was a humbling experience, allowing us to make a difference in our community, and helping us to get know each other better by doing something we hadn’t done together before.
BY: TANAKA DANG
For our last pledge class event, we wanted to do something meaningful, make a difference in other’s lives, and serve the community together. The Pledge Professional Committee worked diligently to plan a service event at the Boys & Girls Club of Alachua County. The Boys & Girls Club’s vision is “to inspire all young people, especially those who need us the most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens.” They also stand for Inclusion & Opportunity, Respect & Belonging, Empowerment, Collaboration, and Advocacy - all aspects that resonate with us as a pledge class.
Although there were a few hurdles to overcome in the beginning of the planning process, due to an exam being moved to the same day as the event, the service event proved to be a huge success. We learned that communication and flexibility was key in making the event work. As soon as we walked into the organization, we were welcomed with many hugs and high-fives from the children of the Boys & Girls Club. Our pledge class split up to play different games with the children including tag, ninja, football, basketball, soccer, kickball, and other various games. Here we put our leadership, team-building, and competitive skills to the test. Many new memories were made, including a large group of children that continuously tackled Charlie Heng for 10 minutes (which initially raised some concern, but ended with a lot of laughter); a “cootie monster” tag game invented by Jonathan Dacosta; and an intense game of soccer led by Bill Mo and Jace Colina. At the end of the day, the children taught us the popular dance, “Juju on that Beat.” It was a great stress reliever for the first year students since their Drug Delivery Systems exam ended right before the event. For the second year students, it was a nice break from studying for their Patient Care 3 exam, which was scheduled for the following day. Volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club was a humbling experience, allowing us to make a difference in our community, and helping us to get know each other better by doing something we hadn’t done together before.
BY: TANAKA DANG