Elyna Gonzalez

Helping the Herbert A. Ammons Middle School Drama Club set up props for their High School Musical Jr. production at South Dade Senior High School through Cristina’s Academy helped me develop stronger teamwork and communication skills. It highlighted the importance of organization and collaboration when preparing for a live performance. Two days later, I attended the production and was happy to see how everything came together on stage, knowing that the behind-the-scenes work helped support the students’ performance.

Volunteering to help the Herbert A. Ammons Middle School Drama Club set up props for their High School Musical Jr. production at South Dade Senior High School through Cristina’s Academy helped me understand how creativity and attention to detail contribute to a successful performance. Working behind the scenes showed me how every prop and stage element plays a role in bringing the story to life.

I volunteered at BME Heart Day in collaboration with Healthy Hearts @ FIU by helping with event setup, organization, and participation throughout the day. My role involved preparing materials and assisting with logistics to ensure the event ran smoothly. Attending the event also allowed me to see how students and faculty collaborated while highlighting the importance of promoting cardiovascular health awareness within the community.

Fostering cats for several weeks was a truly gratifying experience, full of joy, learning, and connection. It was amazing to see the cats becoming more comfortable, lively, and loving with each passing day, and knowing we were providing a safe environment for them made it all worthwhile.

However, as much as we enjoyed their antics and embraces, one inescapable fact remains: cats poop a lot. Cleaning up after them became an important part of our daily routine, from sweeping litter boxes to dealing with the occasional mess outside of them. While it wasn't the most glamorous aspect of fostering, it was an essential labor of love to keep their environment clean and healthy.