Warrington well-represented at Presidential Service Awards ceremony
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Seven students from the Warrington College of Business Administration were honored with the University of Florida’s Presidential Service Awards on March 31 during a ceremony at the President’s House.
The Presidential Service Awards recognize students who have dedicated their time and efforts while at UF to promoting social justice, community awareness, and civic engagement on campus and in the community. The Presidential Service Awards are a chance to acknowledge those students who have made outstanding efforts towards community service and too often go unrecognized and unrewarded for their selfless labor.
Franchesca Beatty (BSBA ’17): Beatty completed 114.5 hours of service, all with Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed national service fraternity. Beatty, who has received the Presidential Service Award in consecutive years, primarily worked with underprivileged area youth. She mentored children from a local apartment complex, tutored children from an area Boys & Girls Club and also participated in UF’s Project Makeover.
Kaitlyn Czencz (BSBA ’17): Czencz completed 110.5 hours of service, primarily with Alpha Phi Omega. Czencz volunteered at the Humane Society and HarborChase Assisted Living, tutored children at a local Boys & Girls Club and prepared meals at the Salvation Army.
Elizabeth Kleinfeld (BSAc ’15): Kleinfeld completed 320 hours of service. She co-founded and serves as Vice President of Dream Team, a student-run volunteer organization that donates time to children in cardiac care at UF Health Shands Hospital. Dream Team, including is executive board and more than 200 volunteers, provided more than 2,500 hours of community service this past year.
Kelsey McKeag (BABA ’15): McKeag completed 139 hours of service, primarily with the Student Museum Advisory Council at the Harn Museum of Art and MentorUF, an organization within the Center for Leadership and Service. At the Harn Museum, McKeag focused on projects to increase student involvement with museum activities. At MentorUF, McKeag served as the organization’s Fundraising Director this past year.
Abdul-Kader Okab (BSBA ’17): Okab completed 101.5 hours of service, primarily working with area youth and preparing meals for those in need. He said “service is a part of life that allows those to give back to their community and the people that are in their community.”
Griffin Plattner (BSBA ’15): Plattner completed 131.5 hours of service. Plattner, a member of Circle K International, participated in a variety of projects throughout the Gainesville community, including Salvation Army Dinners, a canned food drive and a back-to-school drive benefitting homeless students at a local elementary school. Plattner said his most rewarding experience was with Footprints Buddy and Support Program at UF Health Shands Hospital, where he volunteered as a playroom/day buddy with the patients of the pediatric oncology unit.
Karanbir Singh Sekhon (ISOM ’15): Singh Sekhon completed 165 hours of service, primarily through UF Student Government. He is a graduate student enrolled in the Master of Science in Information Systems and Operations Management (ISOM) program.
