Every semester is a chance to start fresh.

Whether you鈥檙e navigating your first days on campus or a returning Knight, each new academic semester is an opportunity to discover what works for you, meet new people, challenge yourself and take advantage of everything UCF has to offer.

No matter what you set out to accomplish, you鈥檒l find the support to help get you there. Whether you鈥檙e in need of academic guidance, career preparation, wellness resources and support or ways to get involved, here are the tools to set you up for success.

Build Strong Habits with Academic Support

The key to overcoming academic challenges isn鈥檛 waiting until you鈥檙e struggling 鈥� it鈥檚 knowing where to turn before you get there.

If you鈥檙e adjusting to college-level coursework, working through a difficult class or trying to stay ahead, UCF provides a variety of academic support services 鈥� available in person and virtually 鈥� to help you stay on track all semester long.

Start here:

• Academic Success Coaching:鈥疭tudents are encouraged to meet regularly with their for help setting goals, staying on track, improving study strategies, managing time and connecting with campus resources.
  • Support Pop-Up Station: Visit the UCF Student Union from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, and Thursday, Aug. 27, for on-the-spot support and guidance from Academic Advocates and Academic Success Coaches.

• Peer Tutoring: The Student Academic Resource Center (SARC) offers鈥�痠n more than 30 subjects. Visit the SARC office in Trevor Colbourn Hall Room 117 or the Engineering II atrium for assistance.

• : Drop in for help with undergraduate math courses and work through challenging concepts with experienced tutors.

• : Whether you鈥檙e writing your first college essay, polishing a lab report or updating your resume, writing consultants are available at every stage of the writing process.

• Academic Calendar: Refer to the official for important dates for enrollment, holidays, exams, commencement and events.

• : Academic Engagement Librarians are available to help graduate students find research materials, navigate databases, develop stronger research projects and access additional library resources and services.

• : From laptops for class to calculators for exams, this new service on the second floor of the John C. Hitt Library makes it easy to borrow the tools you need to succeed academically.

• Study Spaces: If you prefer complete silence, a lively atmosphere or the outdoors, there are plenty of places to help you stay productive. Check out some of these favorite spots across UCF鈥檚 campuses:

• • Grab your favorite drink and settle in at a coffee shop. Campus favorites like Dunkin鈥� Donuts, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Foxtail Coffee or Starbucks are ideal if you enjoy a little background noise while studying, meeting with a group or working on a project.

• • Escape the bustle of campus at the Burnett Honors College Meditation Garden, a peaceful outdoor space where shaded seating, lush greenery and a tranquil koi pond create a relaxing environment for reading, studying or recharging between classes.

• • If you’re crossing the Dr. Phillips Academic Commons Bridge between classes at UCF Downtown, pause to review your notes or catch up on reading in one of the quiet seating areas overlooking campus.

• • The shaded lounge area in front of Addition Financial Arena at Knights Plaza offers a comfortable place to catch up on assignments, meet up with friends or unwind between classes.

• • Looking for a quieter environment? in the John C. Hitt Library or find one of the many individual and group study spaces designed for focused work.

• • Take your studying outside at the Reflecting Pond by spreading a blanket on the grass or settling into a shady spot along the water. Fresh air and a change of scenery can be a great way to recharge while reviewing notes.

Prioritize Your Health and Well-Being

Taking care of yourself is just as important as keeping up with your coursework. When you feel your best, you鈥檙e better prepared to succeed both inside and outside the classroom.

Through UCF鈥檚 wide variety of health and wellness services, you鈥檒l have support physically, mentally and emotionally throughout the semester.

That holistic approach to serving students recently earned UCF national recognition. The university received Insight Into Academia magazine’s 2026 Excellence in Mental Health and Well-Being Award for fostering a campus culture in which students and employees have access to meaningful wellness resources, supportive communities and proactive care.

Available student well-being and support resources include:

• Mental Health Support:鈥� (CAPS) provides all students with free around-the-clock鈥痬ental health support. Additionally, they have complimentary access to ‘鈥痑nonymous peer support community and鈥�痶eletherapy sessions throughout the semester. Students can access support by calling CAPS at 407-823-2811, visiting in person or . For after-hours support, call 407-823-2811 and press 5 to connect with a counselor.
  • Spend time with from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Aug. 27 and enjoy a mindful break while learning practical stress-management techniques as you ease into the semester.

• : Build healthy habits that support your well-being and academic success with free services and programs, including wellness coaching, FreshU Kitchen, cooking demonstrations and classes, and access to free healthy food.

• Physical Wellness:鈥� is your on-campus healthcare home, providing convenient access to primary and preventive care, sports medicine, dental care, pharmacy, immunizations, laboratory testing and more. Looking to stay active? The鈥�痟as you covered with a two-story fitness area, group exercise classes and a variety of recreational activities. For some fresh air, head to 聽at Lake Claire, where you can unwind outdoors with free kayaking, canoeing and paddleboarding.

• Well-Being and Basic Needs Support: The Center for Student Care and Advocacy is a hub for navigating academic, personal and financial challenges. You can contact at 407-823-5607 or caremanager@ucf.edu for assistance. For help with everyday essentials, provides free food, clothing and toiletries daily to currently enrolled UCF students.

Prepare for Your Career Now

You don鈥檛 have to wait until graduation to start building your professional experience. The (DCDC) can assist you with exploring career paths, preparing for graduate or professional school,聽building professional skills and connecting with employers from your first semester through graduation.

This semester, you can:

• Meet with UCF DCDC staff for resume reviews, LinkedIn profile feedback, mock interviews and more at the center.

• Get guidance from team for exploring careers that require advanced degrees and preparing and applying to graduate, health professional and law schools.

• Attend career workshops covering everything from networking and interviewing to job searching and using AI in your job search.

• Discover internship opportunities that provide you with real-world experience 鈥� and, in some cases, the chance to earn academic credit.

• Secure your next internship or job and connect with employers from a wide range of industries at the on Oct. 1 at Addition Financial Arena.

• Connect with employers, discover career opportunities and receive a free headshot at the on Oct. 28 in the Darden Auditorium.

Even if you鈥檙e only beginning to explore your career options, these experiences can help you build skills and connections long before graduation.

Find Your Community on Campus

Some of your best college memories happen outside the classroom.

Whether you鈥檙e looking to meet people, discover new interests, give back or just get out and have fun, you鈥檒l find plenty of ways to get involved and connect with campus.

Take the opportunity to:

• Find your people by joining one (or more!) 色花堂鈥檚 650+ student organizations.

• Grab your game day gear and embrace the energy of Knight Nation while cheering on the Knights across 16 sports. Students can claim free tickets to home games throughout the season.

• Make a difference through Volunteer UCF, where you can sort donations at local food pantries, tutor students, assist in hospitals and connect with the community.

• Take part in iconic UCF traditions like Spirit Splash, one of the most beloved Homecoming Week events, and Pegasus Palooza, UCF鈥檚 official welcome week featuring free events and big-name entertainment.

• Graduate students: Build connections and get involved on campus through the Graduate Student Center, a welcoming hub in Trevor Colbourn Hall Room 213, where you can meet other graduate students and participate in , including Fall Take Off, two weeks of activities that welcome new and returning graduate students.

No matter what your interests are, there鈥檚 a place for you here and a community ready to welcome you.

Know Your Transportation Options

A little preparation can make getting around campus much easier 鈥� especially during the first few weeks of the semester.

Before heading to class:

• Make sure you have the correct parking permit and know where you can park. Beforehand, review and real-time to save time and avoid hassle. Parking Garages A and I often have the most availability.

• Check shuttle routes and schedules using the UCF Mobile app or the . offers 10 conveniently located stops near most academic buildings and popular campus destinations.

• Give yourself extra travel time during the first few weeks of the semester, when campus is busiest.

Friendly reminder: A valid UCF or Daily Parking Permit is required to park on campus at all times (24/7).

Stay Organized with Essential Tools

myKnight STAR

Keeping track of classes, appointments and deadlines is much easier when everything is in one place. That鈥檚 where , powered by Navigate Student, comes in. With tools designed to help you stay organized, connected and on track, it鈥檚 your go-to resource for managing the semester and accessing the support you need.

Using the app or web browser, you can:

• View your class schedule.

• Schedule appointments for Academic Success Coaching and other campus services.

• Explore majors and career pathways.

• Connect with classmates to form study groups.

• Receive reminders about important academic deadlines and upcoming appointments.

Student Center

The Student Center, accessible through , has a new, mobile-first design and updated navigation, but the tools you rely on 鈥� such as class registration, financial aid, tuition payments, grades and academic records 鈥� remain the same. They may just be in a different place. For help finding and accessing key tools, log in to myUCF and click the banner at the top of the page to visit the Help Center. Graduate students can also use the dedicated Graduate Students tile to access resources and tools for managing their academic journey.

Make This Semester Count

No matter where you are on your UCF journey, you won鈥檛 have to navigate it alone.

The habits you build now 鈥� and the people and resources you connect with along the way 鈥� can make all the difference in your college experience.

So ask questions, get involved, try something new and take advantage of the opportunities around you.

Wishing you a successful semester, Knights. Charge On!

Fear not. TD-33348 of the Makaze Squad, Florida Garrison at your service to share my story in the hopes that you might become a volunteer in your community 鈥� because when we give back, everyone wins.

I joined the 501st Legion of professional Star Wars costumers in June 2020. The 501st is the largest Star Wars costume group in the world, with members in nearly every country. We have thousands of members in Florida alone.

The group鈥檚 webpage notes, 鈥淲hile the 501st was initially founded to unite costumers with a penchant for Star Wars villainy, one of our real-world missions is to bring good to our communities through volunteer charity work. The 501st is always looking for opportunities to brighten the lives of the less fortunate and to bring awareness to positive causes on both a local and global scale.鈥�

Why did I join this particular group? Because Star Wars is my passion.

I鈥檝e been a fan of the series ever since I sat on the steps of a standing-room-only movie theater to watch A New Hope in 1977. I have seen every film, studied the reviews, analyzed the characters and read dozens of books and blogs on the trilogies.聽I even at UCF.

To become a member of the 501st, you must first build a costume and have it approved by your local garrison. In my case I spent nearly six months ordering plastic armor from the UK and sourcing parts from all over the states to complete my sandtrooper build. A buddy remarked, 鈥淭his is the largest model kit I鈥檝e ever put together.鈥� That鈥檚 an apt description.

Once your costume is complete, you submit photos to the garrison for approval. Once approved, you can 鈥渢roop鈥� with your local squad, participating in all kinds of events. The cool thing about being a trooper is that it combines my love of Star Wars with the importance of giving back to my community.

Our group has participated in troops at schools, science fiction conventions, weddings, parties, animal rescues, charitable organizations, and most importantly at children鈥檚 hospitals, where we are able to bring fun and joy into the lives of families facing some of life鈥檚 most difficult challenges.

My first troop was at a comic book shop for a toy collectors convention. The owner of the shop made a sizable donation to help support our local Orlando charities. I had a great time meeting parents and children, and it was heartwarming to see their reactions to some of their favorite characters from the movies.

During the past year I鈥檝e completed nearly 30 troops, and I鈥檝e come away from every event with a deeper sense of gratitude. I鈥檝e learned that volunteering is as beneficial to the volunteer as it is to those in need.

The Mayo Clinic has done extensive research on this subject and shares the benefits of volunteering, from decreasing the risk of depression to developing new and meaningful relationships to even enabling people to live longer.

It鈥檚 a win-win, or as Obi-wan Kenobi might say, if you volunteer, you鈥檒l take 鈥測our first steps into a larger world.鈥� I never realized that putting on a 鈥渂ucket鈥� (stormtrooper helmet) would allow me to experience so many emotions and so many mental and physical benefits.

I also didn鈥檛 realize how rewarding it would be to put smiles on people鈥檚 faces and show my support for organizations like the Make A Wish Foundation and Give Kids the World Village in Kissimmee that provide so much aid to children and their families.

Students who want to learn more about volunteering at UCF can visit the .

The world has never needed us volunteers more than it does now. I urge you to get out there, donate just a few hours of your time to a worthy cause, and then reflect on that experience.

Being empathetic to the plight of others is a great step toward a kinder and more peaceful world鈥攁nd a more healthy you! These are the volunteer experiences you鈥檙e looking for.

Do or do not. There is no try.

Students who want to learn more about volunteering at UCF can visit the Office of Student Involvement鈥檚 VUCF webpage:

VUCF Facebook page: facebook.com/volunteerucf/

May the volunteering be with you!

Peter Telep 鈥�95 鈥�98MA聽is a senior instructor in UCF鈥檚 Department of English. He can be reached at聽Peter.Telep@ucf.edu.

The聽UCF Forum聽is a weekly series of opinion columns from faculty, staff and students who serve on a panel for a year. A new column is posted each Wednesday on聽UCF Today聽and then broadcast on WUCF-FM (89.9) between 7:50 and 8 a.m. Sunday. Columns are archived in the campus library鈥檚聽聽collection and as聽WUCF podcasts. Opinions expressed are those of the columnists, and are not necessarily shared by the 色花堂.

The program sends teams of students around the country and internationally to engage in community service and learn about a variety of social issues. Through these service-learning trips, students will be exposed to new cultural experiences while building leadership and teamwork skills as they network with fellow students.

An informational showcase for the program will be held 6:30-8 p.m. Jan. 24 in the Student Union鈥檚 Pegasus Ballroom.

Students will have the opportunity to register for one of five alternative break trips at Lottery Knight on Jan. 30. Students who attend this 6-9 p.m. event in the Student Union鈥檚 Cape Florida Ballroom can enter their name in a lottery to determine the order in which they can sign up for the experience of their choice. To RSVP for Jan. 30鈥檚 Lottery Knight, .

To sign up for the Alternative Break Program, you must be a UCF student enrolled in at least six credit hours in both Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 semesters. You must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 for undergraduates, or 3.0 for graduates. You also must be free of financial or disciplinary holds on university records, and you may not be on probation for academic or disciplinary reasons.

Domestic trips cost $250 and international trips requiring flight travel cost $550. Prices cover food, lodging and travel for the week.

More information about the program and answers to frequently asked questions can be found at .

Here is a look at this year鈥檚 spring break experiences, which will be March 10-16:

Environmental Awareness

West Jefferson, North Carolina
Students will work alongside community partner Woodland Harvest Mountain Farm. Examples of activities include construction of cabins and greenhouses, water and solar-energy installations, animal care and gardening.

International Children鈥檚 Outreach

Guyana
Students will work to uphold International Children鈥檚 Outreach鈥檚 ideals of providing food, clothing, and medical and educational supplies to underprivileged children.

Youth Education Outreach

New Orleans, Louisiana
Students will work with community partner Apex Youth Center, which serves children, teens and young adults with programs involving academic tutoring, mentoring, recreation, community service of their own and training to become leaders and active citizens.

Refugee Relations

Clarkson, Georgia
Students will work with local organizations offering various service-learning opportunities. In addition to learning from the stories and experiences shared by the refugee community, examples of activities include school programming, housing prep and assisting with local business construction.

Community Support

Sarapiqui,聽Costa Rica
Details of the trip are being finalized.

The main goals are to raise awareness of hunger and homelessness on our campus and in our community, educate individuals on resources available assist those in need, and encourage people to get involved to help overcome these social issues. Some events include:

The National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is in collaboration with Volunteer UCF (VUCF), Graduate Student Association (GSA), Knights Helping Knights Pantry and various campus partners.

The events are worth up to 1,000 LINK Loot points and qualify as LEAD Impact events. More details at: or the . For additional information contact: Angela Newland, Student Care Services, angela.newland@ucf.edu.

Knights Go Green will feature 40 to 60 student volunteers stationed near recycling and trash bins on Memory Mall and at Bright House Networks Stadium, to help inform people what can be recycled. Student volunteers also will pick up recyclable items that are left behind at Memory Mall and other tailgating areas.

Zachary Good, Volunteer UCF environmental director and a sophomore political science student, developed the plans for Knights Go Green after learning of the success that other universities, such as the University of Colorado and Arizona State University, have experienced with their recycling programs.

鈥淓ducation, in my opinion, is the biggest component for bridging the gap between apathy and inconvenience聽that hold a lot of individuals back from recycling,鈥� Good said. 鈥淜nights Go Green provides volunteer聽opportunities to students while simultaneously educating tailgaters and attendees of the game on how to appropriately聽dispose of their waste.鈥�

The spring game will be a pilot for Knights Go Green, which is being led by Volunteer UCF in partnership with the Student Government Association and several UCF departments. The program is expected to continue into the 2017 football season and also could eventually expand to basketball games and other events on campus.

Volunteers can be students, staff or faculty members. To sign up, go to signupgenius.com/go/409044bafab2ba2ff2-knights.

Tailgating Times for Spring Game

As in prior seasons, tailgating for the spring game will be allowed only in the E lots around Bright House Networks Stadium and at Memory Mall.

The E lots will open to all fans at 9 a.m. Memory Mall will open at 12:30 p.m. for students and alumni who have made reservations in advance. The open container waiver for both the stadium lots and Memory Mall will begin at 12:30 p.m.

Tailgating in all lots and the open container waiver will conclude at 6 p.m., 30 minutes prior to the 6:30 p.m. kickoff.

Reservations will become available for students and alumni at 6 p.m. Sunday, April 16. To sign up, go to ucfsga.com/knightsonthemall.

Knights fans also on April 22 can join in on the second annual UCFastival, which will include pre-game events like food truck wars and a concert from country music singer Lauren Alaina. Festivities begin at 11 a.m. For more information, see the聽UCF Knights website.

New Tailgating Policies for Regular Season

For UCF鈥檚 seven regular season home games, tailgating on Memory Mall and in most other areas of campus will now start six hours prior to kickoff 鈥� but no earlier than 8 a.m. To encourage Knights fans to arrive at the stadium before games begin, tailgating will conclude 30 minutes prior to kickoff.

UCF and the Student Government Association wanted to bring the tailgating times more in line with the policies of the National Football League and American Athletic Conference teams.

UCF鈥檚 new policy permits 5陆 hours of tailgating for most games. The NFL permits 5 hours, and American schools generally allow between 4 and 6 hours of tailgating.

For the regular season, the E lots near the stadium, which are primarily reserved for Golden Knights Club donors, will continue to open at 8 a.m. on all game days.

More than 50 students will travel on one of three trips to Guatemala, Dominican Republic or Costa Rica as part of that connects students with volunteer opportunities across the U.S. and the world.

The program offered its first international volunteer trip in 2013 to San Miguel de Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, and since, there鈥檚 been a high demand for more, said David Oglethorpe, assistant director of the Office of Student Involvement.

鈥淕oing abroad gives students such a change of perspective,鈥� said Danielle Soto, student coordinator of the Costa Rica trip. 鈥淚t shows us the privileges we have here, how deep some social issues can run and how these issues vary in different parts of the world.鈥�

One of the forefront animal-rights issues in the United States, for example, is a push to adopt rescue animals instead of buying from pet stores or a breeder, Soto said. However, in Costa Rica, the focus is on curtailing illegal trade of exotic animals and habitat deforestation, she said.

Students volunteering in San Miguel, Costa Rica will work in an animal-rescue center dedicated to the rehabilitation of wildlife. In Antigua, Guatemala, students will help teach English, build tilapia ponds so the community can have a direct food source, and will help build stoves that use less wood to reduce the burden on the Guatemalan forests. In Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, students will work with at-risk children and women to help teach them new art skills and how to sell their art.

About another 60 students will travel across the eastern United States to volunteer with organizations that address homelessness, hunger, human trafficking, refugee resettlement, the environment and more. These trips span from Roanoke, Va., to Nashville, Tenn., to Key West, Fla.

The Alternative Break Program has been offered at UCF for about 20 years, said Haley Winston, assistant director of the Office of Student Involvement. It鈥檚 run by Volunteer UCF and is funded by the Student Government Association, which sponsors a portion of the trips. Students pay $250 for domestic spring break trips and $550 for international trips.

Alternative Break Program also connects students with volunteer trips during winter break and the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a great opportunity for students to experience places outside 色花堂 and Orlando,鈥� Oglethorpe said.

As a single mother living in Guatemala with daughters 7 and 3 years old, Alison Batres earned just enough money working in a family-owned bakery to pay rent and feed her children.

Fed up and in search of a better life, she moved with her daughters to Miami, where her mother lived and worked as a housekeeper. Becoming a housekeeper herself, she saved enough money to get a place of her own five years later. Although still a modest lifestyle 鈥� a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in Miami鈥檚 predominantly Cuban neighborhood called Little Havana 鈥� the move positioned her daughters to attend a school that ultimately led to Kimberly Batres pursuing something no one else in her family had: a college degree.

Batres, now a junior at the 色花堂, is studying both anthropology and Latin American studies to work toward a career in archaeology. She plans to root her future research in Guatemala to discover its unmasked history and to further connect with her heritage.

鈥淥ne of the things I realized, through my minor in history, is a lot of research and resources accumulated for anthropology either go to Europe or the Middle East,鈥� Batres said. 鈥淭here isn鈥檛 much to document Latin America, and what there is, it鈥檚 information from an outsider. I want to bring the perspective of someone from that country.鈥�

Batres wants to help dig up undiscovered Mayan temples and precolonial sites and identify the history behind them.

鈥淲ith archaeology, we鈥檙e out there excavating, documenting everything we find and uncovering history. What people often don鈥檛 consider with archaeology is we include the local community people in our work. We also work to preserve cultural identity,鈥� said Amanda Groff, UCF archaeology associate lecturer. 鈥淲hen we involve locals, it gives them a sense of ownership in what we uncover, which can lead to a greater desire to preserve it.鈥�

Batres鈥� Guatemalan heritage can assist in her archaeology efforts, Groff said. That鈥檚 because the locals may be more willing to interact and participate because Batres has an established connection with their community and culture.

Batres鈥� educational success, which spans from being part of LEAD Scholars, Volunteer UCF and the President鈥檚 Leadership Council, began to blossom in 6th grade when an inspiring teacher helped her discover her love of history and opened her eyes to the possibility of attending college. A higher education was encouraged by Batres mother and grandmother but not often discussed, as neither of them had attended college.

Taking every advanced placement course she could in high school, often staying until 9 p.m. to study, plus joining clubs, sports teams and working part-time at Publix to pay for her college applications ultimately led to Batres鈥� acceptance at UCF. Now, a drive to one day help support her mom to thank her for her sacrifices pushes Batres to keep going.

鈥淢y mom worked from nothing to having her own apartment and to being comfortable enough to not be starving anymore,鈥� Batres said. 鈥淪eeing her hard work has motivated me to work hard, too, and return the favor to her one day.鈥�

Batres also wants to encourage others to pursue their dreams, as she鈥檚 seen firsthand how hard work pays off. As part of Volunteer UCF, Batres now is coordinating a trip to Charlotte, N.C., to help homeless families get back on their feet through an organization called Charlotte Family Housing. The volunteers also will work with Wings for Kids, an organization that helps low-income elementary and middle school students learn emotional and social intelligence through after-school programs.

Batres and nine other students will spend their spring break, March 12-18, volunteering with the organizations.

鈥淲e can give these kids the perspective of what they can accomplish if they continue in school,鈥� Batres said. 鈥淚 was sort of in their situation, too.鈥�

Through the years, volunteers have provided about $600,000 in services to the community on the annual day to give back, said Iqra Bhatti, the student coordinator for this year鈥檚 event at about two dozen venues around Central Florida.

This year about 1,300 to 1,500 students, alumni, faculty and staff members are expected to sign up to serve, she said, adding to the already 22,000 hours of work donated to help local individuals and agencies the past nine years.

鈥淲e like to say at Volunteer UCF that we have an impact on the community just by taking the day to provide for others what we have for ourselves,鈥� said Bhatti, an Orlando senior majoring in health science.

Projects are divided into different categories: health, environment, education and literacy, hunger and homelessness, youth and mentoring, and animal awareness. Volunteers should meet at CFE Arena on campus by 7:30 a.m. so they can be transported to the various work sites such as Clean the World, Mustard Seed of Central Florida, Center for Independent Living, and Oakland Nature Preserve. The event is scheduled to end at 1 p.m.

Volunteers can do things as varied as planting trees and shrubs, packing shelf-stable meals, cleaning tombstones, making cards for hospitalized children, recycling hygiene products, and numerous other projects.

Something new for volunteers this year will be a 鈥渇ield day鈥� of games in the CFE Arena for children with autism. Volunteer UCF is working with The Autism Society of Greater Orlando to organize the day.

If you鈥檙e registering a group of at least 10 to work at the same site, organizers ask that you sign up everyone at the same time.

Knights Give Back is just one part of Volunteer UCF鈥檚 projects. The group has a variety of events and programs throughout the year for students to gain knowledge and experience, and connect with volunteer opportunities of their interest. VUCF works with more than 200 community organizations to expand the agency鈥檚 outreach.

鈥淲hy do we do this? Four hours of time truly impacts the community,鈥� Bhatti said. 鈥淧lus, you learn what you want to see the world become. It鈥檚 a lot about helping others and self-discovery.鈥�

That sense of optimism can be felt in UCF students, many of whom are forgoing sandy beaches during spring break this week in favor of participating in one of the 11 service activities of the a initiative, or working with independent groups.

Two years ago, finance and economics senior Casey Field was working with orphanages in Guatemala to help disadvantaged and disabled children. This year she will travel to the Dominican Republic with Project Esperanza, rebuilding more than 62 homes burned down by fire, working with local craftswomen, and leading sex-education classes.

“When presented with the opportunity to go, I immediately said yes,鈥� Field said. 鈥淏eing able to learn from a community of women in the DR, experience a new culture, and serve with so many fellow Knights is the most rewarding way I can imagine spending my spring break.”

Nhu Nguyen, a human resources major and SGA senator, is volunteering her time in Alabama packaging healthy meals for hungry children in the United States and refugees at the Syria-Turkey border as a part of Feeding Children Everywhere.

鈥淚 joined FCE for experience but I stayed for another semester because I believe in their mission,鈥� Nguyen said. 鈥淔or each ‘hunger project,鈥� we get to assemble between 30,000 and 100,000 meals for children, for both local and international food pantries. It is quite an experience seeing the direct impact of what we are doing.鈥�

It鈥檚 not just undergraduate students joining in the spring break volunteerism.

Graduate volunteers from the DeVos Sport Business Management program are headed to New Orleans as part of the , founded by the program director, Richard Lapchick.聽Fourteen students will help rebuild homes in the Lower Ninth Ward that were affected by Hurricane Katrina and assist with drywall, painting and flooring.

鈥淰olunteering allows me to leave my personal worries behind and see that there鈥檚 a greater need out there, and that I can make a profound difference in people鈥檚 lives,鈥� said graduate assistant Sara Sanchez.

Volunteer UCF, in collaboration with the Graduate Student Association and various campus partners, is hosting National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week at UCF, November 16-22.

The event will include a week-long donation drive, interactive educational events, powerful speakers, community resources and service projects.

Donated items will benefit the Knights Helping Knights Pantry and the White Linen Project. For lists of the most needed items and locations, visit Facebook pages: and .

The event is to raise awareness of hunger and homeless on the UCF campus and in the Central Florida community, educate individuals on resources available to assist those in need, and encourage people to get involved to help overcome these social issues.

The National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week events are worth up to 1,000 LINK Loot points and qualify as LEAD Impact events. For more information, contact Todd at Todd.Currie@ucf.edu.