Winter Break Update

Monthly Community Service Hours Completed: January: 13 hours

Cumulative Spring Semester Service Hours Completed: 13 hours

It was quite a busy winter break for me. I feel I spent a good mix of relaxing, spending time with my family & friends, and getting a jump on my community service hours for the spring semester. I started out by conducting training for volunteering in the Superdome during the Superbowl. During the four hours of training, we learned about safe food-handling practices, how to properly serve alcoholic beverages to of-age patrons, what to do during emergency situations, and got to go on a tour of the facilities. We also learned about the different vendors and clients that the Superdome serves and the mission of Sodexo Live! in caring for its customers. I am definitely looking forward to the big game day!

The next community service project I engaged in was with the Celebration in the Oaks. It was so lovely seeing the park transform into a winter wonderland after volunteering in the same park during the spooky season of Ghost in the Oaks. I enjoyed this volunteer activity so much that I went two nights in a row for a total of six hours. I assisted patrons in taking photos with "Cajun Santa", which was a statue of a giant alligator dressed in a Santa outfit. There was also free hot chocolate, roasting of the marshmallows, and of course, unlimited rides for all of the guest. It was especially sweet because each volunteer member got a free voucher to do the walking tour also per volunteer shift. 

The last volunteer event I participated in was through United Way just before Christmas for three hours. We assisted in wrapping up gifts for boys and girls for people to come pick up for free at the community center. Each family was allowed to pick up five toys in total and the selection included a chemistry lab set, bead/jewelry making kit, a Jeopardy game, Throw Throw Avocado, a tabletop hockey set, and a tabletop bowling set. We set up a drive thru service so that the families didn't even have to leave their vehicle and we could deliver the toys right to the trunk after they made their selections. We were also joined in our volunteer work by one of the New Orleans City Council members. It was a gorgeous day and we as volunteers even had the opportunity to take some toys home to our loved ones! I grabbed a couple chemisty sets for my nephews! 

I had a few other volunteer events lined up over the break, but unfortunately they had to be canceled due to inclement weather. Another event I am looking forward to is volunteering with the Mardi Gras Mambo which is a 10K being held on February 15. I'll be sure to keep you updated. Overall, I am ready to get back into the swing of things and finish up the Spring semester with a bang! I did quite well last semester and I am hoping to keep that same momemtum and energy into this next semester with the Medical Pharmacology final exam looming in the distance. I am super excited about techniques that I will hopefully be mastering in the lab in the upcoming months so wish me luck! Lastly, I'll leave you with a photo of me riding a hot-air balloon in Teotihuacan, Mexico overlooking ancient pyramids - it was easily the highlight of my winter break!