Paula Gaspar

My participation with Kristi House through Psych Force this semester allowed me to take my last active role in turning our club’s efforts into real community impact. Building on the $280 we raised last semester, I helped plan an off-campus event to formally deliver the donation and connect with Kristi House representatives. I was involved in securing the check, organizing the venue, and coordinating communication, which showed me how much responsibility and attention to detail is required behind the scenes. On the day of the event, I took on a leadership role by setting up the space and delivering the opening remarks, where I had to represent both our club and the purpose behind our work in a clear and meaningful way. This experience helped me develop stronger organizational and communication skills while also reinforcing the importance of community engagement in psychology, especially when supporting organizations that work directly with individuals affected by trauma.

During this semester as Communications and Engagement Coordinator for Meraki Youth, I contributed to the organization’s outreach, content creation, event promotion, and member engagement. I created and edited social media content during Changemaker Week, designed flyers and Instagram posts for events like the Gifts of Hope Toy Drive and the Breast Cancer Awareness Workshop, and produced reels and photo posts to highlight our community impact on Instagram. I also recorded and edited media at community events, managed engagement posts such as the Meet the E-Board feature, and developed both the proposal and promotional materials for the in-person Storytelling Workshop. Beyond content creation, I supported the internal operations of the organization by approving members’ community service hours on the Changemaker Hub platform.

Participating in Kristi House’s backpack distribution day was a meaningful experience for me, as it showed me how small acts of service can make a real difference for children and families in vulnerable situations. By helping organize supplies, hand out backpacks, and interact with parents and kids, I understood how much relief and gratitude the event brought to the community. This experience strengthened my commitment to advocacy and reminded me of the importance of showing up for others, especially in moments that can ease their stress and help them start the school year with confidence.

I participated in setting up the event and then helped middle school children write letters to their loved ones for Valentine's Day. We started by explaining the purpose of the activity and then distributing the materials. The rest of the time we let them use their own creativity to make their letters and answer any of their questions about writing. The whole experience was fun, and it reminded me how much I like working with children.

Today, we took a tour of the Zen Garden and learned about some of the plants that were kept there. We then started redecorating by painting the signs and stones. We also learned about Florida's native plants, pollinators, and aquaponics and built a new hanging garden with recycled bottles. This was a fun way to connect with nature and take care of the garden.

I helped set up the event for the Keep Miami-Dade County Beautiful project, where they gave out free plants and trees. I helped organize the plants on the shelves, took event pictures, and held the signs. In the process, I learned how different plants look and how to identify them. I liked this initiative because it encouraged taking care of native species and having plants in our environment.