![]() ![]() ![]() Volunteers play a key role in our mission to engage our community by ensuring that all garden visitors and everyone attending our events is made to feel welcome and informed. "We hope to hear soon if we have a state winner," Stark said.As a small not-for-profit organization, Hollister House relies upon the time, energy and expertise of our team of dedicated volunteers. Schools in the district choose their own outstanding volunteer in each category, and most use votes from teachers to choose the winner, said Elizabeth Stark, district volunteer coordinator.Ī committee then selects a winner in each category to represent the district at the state level. The Outstanding School Volunteer Recognition program was started in 1981 by the Florida Department of Education. "The kids make me feel wonderful and they’re so loving." "They get very excited about learning and that is very nice to see," said VanSickle, a retired Alachua County teacher who has been volunteering for three years. VanSickle, 66, also said her love for children inspires her to volunteer. "I love working with the kids," said Kolb, program director at Abacus Learning Center in Haile Plantation. Kolb is president of the band booster club at GHS and has been involved with Junior Achievement and parent teacher associations. Kolb, 45, has been volunteering in schools for 13 years. "I want to improve the patient experience and create a better bond between patients and their doctors," Keshav said. Keshav said he wants to be a physician and a researcher. "I just love giving back to the community that has given so much to me," said Keshav, who is considering furthering his education at either Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, UF, the University of Pittsburgh or Washington University in St. "He is taking high-level sequencing data and applying machine learning algorithms to identify disease biomarkers."īesides his research and his volunteering at Eastside, Keshav said he also spends a lot of time volunteering at the Millhopper Branch Library in northwest Gainesville. "I just want to stress how unique and rare what he is doing is for someone his age," Brusko said. Keshav’s research involves identifying biomarkers that predict if a person will develop Type 1 diabetes, and is the type of research usually done by doctoral and post-doctoral researchers, Brusko said. Keshav, who moved to Gainesville with his family from Fremont, California before the start of his junior year, said he began last March volunteering after school in the Diabetes Institute at the University of Florida under the supervision of Todd Brusko, an associate professor in the institute. Keshav will be in South Florida next week to present his volunteer research on biomarkers in Type 1 diabetes to researchers from around the world at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation/Network for Pediatric Organ Donors with Diabetes annual meeting. Superintendent Karen Clarke served as the presider, and began by asking for a moment of silence on behalf of shooting victims and their families from Wednesday's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre in Broward County. "We could not do what we do without you."įor her volunteer service at Gainesville High and Kanapaha Middle schools, Stephanie Kolb was recognized as the adult volunteer of the year and Kristen VanSickle was recognized as senior volunteer of the year for volunteering at Archer Elementary School.Įach volunteer received a certificate of appreciation and a gift bag, and the Metcalf Elementary School Chorus entertained the crowd of more than 200 with their versions of popular songs from the 1970s – Shining Star by Earth, Wind and Fire and Hollywood Swinging by Kool & The Gang – and their school’s spirit song, "We are the Wildcats." "Thank you for what you do, and know that we do appreciate you very much," School Board Chairman Gunnar Paulson said. He was recognized for his efforts along with 88 other 2016-17 school adult, senior citizen and youth volunteers at a luncheon Tuesday at the Wyndham Garden Hotel on Southwest 13 th Street. ![]() Keshav, a senior at Eastside High School, is the School Board of Alachua County’s Youth Volunteer of the Year award winner for his countless volunteer hours at his school and in the community. Keshav Motwani has the demeanor of a typical 17-year-old high school senior, but his volunteer work with a diabetes lab at the University of Florida is anything but. ![]()
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