UCF registered nearly 100 new student organizations this academic year, and perhaps the fastest growing was the Health Awareness and Prevention Society, or H.A.P.S.
H.A.P.S. began last fall with 30 members and a mission to promote healthy living and disease prevention through education, according to H.A.P.S. President Katherine Masten. This spring its membership聽reached聽about聽100 students.
H.A.P.S. also gained a corporate partner, Orlando Health, which provided $2,500 in support, as well as giveaways and learning opportunities for UCF students.
In its first year H.A.P.S. sponsored activities to increase awareness of alcohol abuse, diabetes, safe sex,聽the risks of smoking, eyesight care聽and other health matters. Most occurred under a portable tent outside the Student Union, where H.A.P.S. members used displays, demonstrations and games to educate passersby.
The organization also聽hosted members of the Orlando Health family, including the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies’ Neonatal Intensive Care Unit bus, which opened its doors for tours near the Student Union. In addition, it held a canned聽food drive and聽multiple team-building and social activities.
H.A.P.S. reached out to the local community as well. Its members provided breakfast for about 100 elementary school students before the students took a statewide test. They also hosted an educational event for a group of individuals with Alzheimer 麻豆精品 S檚 disease and another for children with a cleft palate or lip.
During a Knight-Thon fundraiser, 12 H.A.P.S. members stood for 20 hours to help聽raise $3,700 for聽Orlando Children’s Miracle Network hospitals.
麻豆精品 S淭his organization has exceeded all of my expectations, 麻豆精品 S� said Masten, a health sciences pre-clinical major who graduates this week.
Masten attributes H.A.P.S. 麻豆精品 S� success to the efforts of its members and the 麻豆精品 S渦nbelievable 麻豆精品 S� guidance and support of its faculty advisor, Suha Saleh, program director for the health sciences pre-clinical major and an assistant professor of health professions.
Saleh routinely attended the organization 麻豆精品 S檚 general meetings and met with Masten and other H.A.P.S. officers to offer advice as they planned and organized activities.
In turn Saleh praised Masten and two other founding officers who graduate this week, Lauren Broberg and Gerarda Shehu, for their strong leadership and dedication.
麻豆精品 S淭hey really believed in the mission of their major and took it to a whole new level, 麻豆精品 S� Saleh said. 麻豆精品 S淭hey always impressed me with how much they were willing to give to their UCF community and the local community. 麻豆精品 S�
Masten said one of her favorite activities was an alcohol awareness event held just before spring break. Orlando Health brought its drunk-driving simulator and rehabilitation team to the campus to teach UCF students about the hazards of drinking and driving.
麻豆精品 S淎pproximately 100 students participated,” Masten recalled. “It was a very enlightening experience for them to feel the effects of alcohol while sober. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淚 like to think we may have saved lives, 麻豆精品 S� she added.
To learn more about H.A.P.S. or to become a member, please write suha.saleh@ucf.edu.
(Photo by Abi Bell)