Professionalism, Gratitude and Insights

Since I started college at UCF, I’ve been a regular volunteer at Knights Pantry. By the end of this semester, I will have been volunteering at Knights Pantry for exactly two years now. Having the opportunity to work closely with a non-profit organization has given me the time and space to cultivate my leadership skills and grow and a professional.

Since I started volunteering in Fall 2022, I’ve improved upon my ability to communicate, solve problems, and work in large teams. Furthermore, I’m grateful to say that I’ve always had pleasant experiences working directly with the student leadership at Knights Pantry, especially with the Assistant Manager Chloe Milliron. Chloe and I have developed a comfortable working relationship through our shared experiences being LEAD Scholars, we’ve interacted during LEAD Events and working extra shifts at the pantry many times in the past. I’m grateful to her exercising patience and compassionate towards, especially when I just started volunteering. Her hard work and dedication demonstrated within Knights Pantry inspired me to become a more active volunteer and become more involved on campus.

During my time at Knights Pantry I’ve learned the following leadership insights:

1. Listen to understand first, respond second
2. Be kind and patient with everyone, because you are not a mind-reader
3. Be proactive, not reactive
4. Be assertive, not arrogant
5. It’s ok to ask questions and make mistakes because that’s how you learn

Overall, I am grateful for the unique leadership experience Knights Pantry gave me. It definitely wouldn’t have been the same college experience without Knights Pantry being a significant aspect of my on-campus involvement.

To the left is a copy of the Thank You email I sent to Knights Pantry. Within the email, I personally thank all of the student leaders, especially Chloe Milliron.