StudentsCare matches hospitalized children with college students to help address the emotional effects of long-term illnesses, such as cancer, and create more empathetic future healthcare professionals.

• Assist International Coordinator in arranging pre-medical students’ medical mission trips to Central America• Utilize organizational and administrative skills to coordinate several trips at a time, executing over 30 trips per year• Develop relationships with student leaders on college campuses to help facilitate development of campus chapters • Promote trips to Central America to provide medical assistance to the needy• Accompany students on medical missions, facilitating student groups in coordination with local doctors

Report to and interact directly with the Interim CEO and Leadership Team of ACHIEVEability, whose mission is to break the generational cycle of poverty for low income, single parent, and homeless families through higher education, affordable housing, supportive services, community and economic development, and accountability. Gain exposure to a broad range of executive responsibilities covering all aspects of the agency operations.

• Supervised and interacted with children ages 7-16 with serious illnesses• Helped facilitate team building and social activities for various age groups• Participated in over 25 family weekend and summer camp sessions• Received on the job training on how to best work with children and the many social, emotional, and physical challenges associated with their various illnesses

Piloted the pediatric oncology program to provide therapeutic support to local children and families affected by childhood cancer. Collaborated with Holtz Children’s Hospital and Miami Children’s Hospital to offer programming to inpatient children and families. Oversaw all programming and marketing efforts for pediatric programs. Facilitated support groups for children and teens.

• Plan and execute local fundraising events benefitting various childhood cancer organizations • Utilize communication and organizational skills in obtaining sponsorships and donations and coordinating all event logistics• Generated fundraising proceeds totaling over $65,000 • Past fundraisers have included 5K walk/run and community soccer clinics

• Assist local Development Associate in regional fundraising efforts• Recruit and coordinate patient and family representatives to provide testimonials for fundraising events• Apply logistical tactics to coordinate sufficient campaign supplies at over 150 participating Walmart and Publix locations• Past campaigns have generated over $1,000,000 for the local Children’s Miracle Network hospital

• Expanded knowledge of Child Life and child development• Enhanced therapeutic play skills• Developed ability to provide education, procedural preparation, and support to hospitalized children and their families• Strengthened assessment, intervention, and evaluation skills• Gained experience in numerous specialty units throughout the 176-bed facility, including E.R., Outpatient Clinic, and Respiratory Unit

• Organize, staff, and facilitate Bone Marrow Donor Registration Drives across the state of Florida• Recruited and supervised over 400 volunteers to date• Coordinated Drives that have registered over 3,000 participants in the bone marrow database

• Created and implemented the program in the Pediatric Oncology/Hematology Unit at Shands Hospital for Children at the University of Florida• Coordinated the matching of each volunteer 1:1 with patients and families in the 18-bed unit• Supervised 40 student volunteers each semester• Organized, staffed, and facilitated activities/events in the unit's playroom, patient rooms, and local community on a year-round basis

• Gained first-hand knowledge of the profession of Child Life/Therapeutic Recreation in the hospital setting • Observed Child Life professionals providing procedural preparation/support, medical play, and therapeutic interventions with patients on the general pediatric floor and specialty units

• Studied preschoolers’ behavior and response to a specialized trap tube test thus measuring inhibition and response to imitative learning• Learned proper research coding methods• Aided in guiding children through age appropriate developmental tasks

• Coached, educated, and advised low-income and educationally disadvantaged students in grades 6-12• Focused on one-on-one after school tutoring sessions, addressing individual needs.• Worked with students on a continuous basis to best meet identified needs