EngageTLH Facilitators

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EngageTLH Facilitator Hunter DennisName: Hunter Dennis

Agency: Damayan Garden Project

My name is Hunter Dennis, I am a senior from Tampa, FL majoring in International Affairs with a concentration in Sociology and minors in Communications and Business. I serve as an EngageTLH facilitator as well as a Community Ambassador for the Damayan Garden Project, and take trips of engaged students to Kate Sullivan Elementary every Monday afternoon from 12:30-2pm. I have been involved with the center through the Social Justice Living Learning Community since my freshman year, and have been privileged enough to serve as a 2017 Orientation Leader as well as a 2018 Orientation Team Leader. My hobbies include cooking and playing volleyball with friends.

 

EngageTLH Facilitator Valeria RigobonName: Valeria Rigobon

Agency: Project L.O.V.E.

My name is Valeria Rigobon and I am a first-year graduate student in the developmental psychology program at FSU. I am pursuing a PhD with research focused on reading disability and bilingualism among underrepresented/minority students. Outside of class, I have been working with Project L.O.V.E. at EngageTLH for the past year and have thoroughly enjoyed getting to befriend the elderly residents at Westminster Oaks while listening to live music every week! Facilitating with my best friend, Joseph, and introducing volunteers to this project is the best part about my Mondays.

 

EngageTLH Facilitator Joseph HennessyName: Joseph Hennessy

Agency: Project L.O.V.E.

My name is Joseph and I am a senior majoring with dual degrees in Music and International Affairs. I started facilitating with Project L.O.V.E. a year ago because I loved the program’s goals and how it fosters a connection between the volunteers and the residents at Westminster Oaks through music. Now, it has become such a special time of my week and I have grown to adore the residents that we spend time with on Monday nights. Nothing warms my heart more than to see the residents light up when we enter the facility to talk with them and take them to the Monday Night Music concert!

 

EngageTLH Facilitator Lauren de JonghName: Lauren de Jongh

Agency: Habitat for Humanity ReStore

My name is Lauren de Jongh and I am a junior majoring in IMS: Clinical Professions. My future goal is to attend medical school and become a doctor. I chose to be a facilitator because I love serving the community and helping others. I facilitate the Hartsfield trip on Thursday afternoons and enjoy working with the children to maintain their school gardens.

 

EngageTLH Facilitator Jessica MitchellName: Jessica Mitchell

Agency: Second Harvest

My name is Jessica Mitchell and I am currently a third-year student. I am double majoring in Cyber Criminology and Computer Science. I chose to be a trip facilitator because I wanted to help to get other FSU students more involved in outreach. I enjoyed going on trips previous years and remember how great of an experience it was. I love volunteering with America’s Second Harvest of the Big Bend because something so simple as sorting product is able to positively impact so many. There are many different tasks I have been able to do and those who also work at Second Harvest are extremely personable.

 

EngageTLH Facilitator Shoshanah BushName: Shoshanah Bush

Agency: Second Harvest

Hey y'all! My name is Shoshanah Bush, and I am a Psychology and Media Communication Studies major. I'm from Gainesville Florida, and I came to Florida State to escape my hometown. I'm really interested in tackling food insecurity on college campuses. Outside of classes, I'm doing a DIS at the KAT Lab in the psych department, where I am also the Recruitment Coordinator for several labs who go out into the community to get families involved in research. I'm a member of the counseling organization RENEW. In my free time I listen to history podcasts, hang out with friends, thrift, go to the Tally Cat Cafe, and listen to music whenever there is a moment of silence.

 

Name: Christina Saint-Ilma

Agency: Boys Town

My name is Christina Saint-Ilma, a fourth-year Athletic Training major on the Pre-Physician Assistant track. I decided to become a facilitator because I was interested in doing some sort of service at least once a week. I started going on trips as a participant during the summer and really enjoyed it. What I love about working with Boys Town is getting to know the kids that live there and building a bond with them.

 

EngageTLH Facilitator Jacob Piros-ParksName: Jacob Piros-Park

Agency: Big Bend Homeless Coalition

I am Jacob Piros-Parks, and I'm a junior at Florida State studying finance and economics. I'm very interested in financial markets and investments. I volunteer because I believe a community only exists when everyone helps each other. I enjoy the BBHC because I get to serve meals to kids and their families.

 

Name: Phillip Ofuani

Agency: Big Bend Homeless Coalition

My name is Phillip Ofuani and I am currently a senior-level Statistics major. I chose to be a facilitator because I wanted to give back to the community that I spent time in as a child while also representing my school. I enjoy being a facilitator to the BBHC trip because I believe that everyone has preconceived notions of what people are like due to social or economic status, but through this I would like to transform their ideas into positive and outgoing thoughts, regardless of the person.

 

EngageTLH Facilitator Leesa NewbonName: Leesa Newbon

Agency: Kids Inc.

My name is Leesa Newbon and I am a junior majoring in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences and Social Entrepreneurship. I have been attending outreach trips since my freshman year and am excited to be a facilitator for Kids Inc. I love being a facilitator for Kids Inc. because I am passionate about helping lower income communities and working with children.

 

EngageTLH Facilitator Sarah VernonName: Sarah Vernon

Agency: Hartsfield Elementary

Hey, I’m Sarah! I am a first-year student majoring in Social Work and I hope to one day work in child welfare. Throughout high school I worked at a preschool and since coming to FSU, I have wanted to continue to interact with and volunteer with kids. When I found out about the Hartsfield Elementary garden club, I knew it would be a perfect fit! The students at Hartsfield are always so full of joy and eager to learn, they truly brighten your day!

 

EngageTLH Facilitator Mageda NaderName: Mageda Nader

Agency: Boys Town

My name is Mageda Nader and I'm a sophomore from Daytona Beach, FL. I'm majoring in Anthropology with a minor in Museum Studies and hope to pursue museum work post-grad. I love facilitating for EngageTLH because of the connections I have made at Boys Town as well as relationships I've established with volunteers and the youth that we tutor and mentor!

 

EngageTLH Facilitator Samantha CrawfordName: Samantha Crawford

Agency: Boys Town

I'm a sophomore majoring in English Literature. I chose to become an EngageTLH facilitator because I wanted to be a liaison between Florida State and the Big Bend community. I enjoy serving Boys Town because I feel that we as humans have the responsibility to make sure that everyone––no matter their background––is given the opportunity to be at their full potential.

 

EngageTLH Facilitator Ana MonticelliName: Ana Monticelli

Agency: Damayan Garden Project

My name is Ana Monticelli, I’m a sophomore studying Political Science and History. I decided to apply to be an Engage TLH facilitator when I got involved with working with the Damayan Garden Project. Engage TLH became the perfect way to bring FSU and Damayan together. It’s so easy to get stuck on campus and forget about service. The Engage TLH trips make it so easy to get involved and facilitating them is a very fulfilling experience.

 

EngageTLH Facilitator Sierra RandolphName: Sierra Randolph

Agency: Damayan Garden Project

I am a second-year student pursuing a bachelor's degree in International Affairs. I was interested in committing to service routinely, and facilitating volunteer trips was an incredible opportunity to do so. Working with the Damayan Garden Project has helped me better engage with the community, as well as contribute to their motivation to improve quality of life through community gardens.

 

EngageTLH Facilitator Isabel QuililanName: Isa Quililan

Agency: Gretchen Everhart School

Hello! I’m Isa, a freshman at Florida State University majoring in Behavioral Neuroscience. I chose to be a facilitator with the Center for Leadership and Social Change because I wanted to learn how to be a better leader, a better citizen, and a better person by interacting with others. I enjoy serving the Gretchen Everhart School because I learn more about inequalities in many realms—education, public systems, people—and how I can do my part to equalize them.

 

EngageTLH Facilitator Diana ConradName: Diana Conrad

Agency: Gretchen Everhart School

My name is Diana Conrad and I am a second-year Chemistry major. After volunteering with EngageTLH for two years, I wanted to become a facilitator so that I could have the opportunity to help other FSU students find a volunteer service they are passionate about. Working with Gretchen Everhart's students has been the most rewarding service I have done since coming to FSU. I love service with this school because the kids the group works with are so great and always brighten my day.

 

EngageTLH Facilitator Sebastian MejiaName: Sebastian Mejia

Agency: Frenchtown Urban Farm

I am a third-year student studying International Relations and Latin American & Caribbean Studies. I got involved with service through the Service Scholars Program where I was directed towards the Frenchtown Urban Farm and spent my time volunteering there to provide low-cost organic produce to the surrounding community. I then became a facilitator for EngageTLH to bring more people out to the farm and so others can see how they can connect with agriculture/nature while doing service at the same time.