2013 Caring Awards  

Travis Pinckney-Recipient 

Graduate student - Counselor Education. Travis’ passion for mentoring at-risk urban youth led him to collaborate with Dr. Chris Janson to create an afterschool program called “Grind2Shine”. The program, designed for middle school students, uses writing, poetry and music to create positive messages on college and academic ambitions.  The program attracted enough attention that it was featured in the Florida Times Union and Miami Herald newspapers and was used as a model for the American School Counselor Association Conference.  Recently Travis finished writing and directing a documentary film called “4 Choices”.  The film portrays the challenges urban students encounter as they consider going to college. Travis is a guidance counselor at Andrew Jackson High School. He is to graduate this December with a master’s degree in Counselor Education. 

Caitlyn Andrews-Finalist

Junior - Special Education. Caitlyn’s passion to work with individuals that have intellectual and developmental disabilities began in high school as a member of Best Buddies. When she enrolled at UNF in 2010, Caitlyn was looking for the same opportunity. Discovering that the program had disbanded, she took the initiative and contacted the Best Buddies program in Jacksonville. With their assistance, she reestablished UNF’s chapter. Under Caitlyn’s leadership as president, the chapter grew to over 100 student volunteers. She currently volunteers with On Campus Transition (OCT) mentoring students with exceptionalities as they transition to college, learn life skills and become more independent. 

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Amy Hernden-Finalist

Senior - Communication.  Since 2009 Amy has been active with Dance Marathon, an event that raises money for pediatric programs in local hospitals. She became overall chair in 2012. Through her leadership, the event raised $42,000, a 40% increase over the previous year. As a member of Presidential Envoys, Amy helped coordinate several community service projects that included weekly mentoring of UNF’s On Campus Transition students and serving Sunday morning breakfast at the Clara White Mission.  With her Kappa Delta sorority sisters, Amy volunteered for Prevent Child Abuse America, the Monique Burr Foundation and Girls Scouts USA. Amy’s most transforming and far-reaching experience was traveling to Tamale, Ghana with UNF’s Ghana Project to help repair a children’s orphanage.  

Shaneta Oliver-Finalist 

Senior - Elementary Education. Given Shaneta’s major, it is only natural that her volunteer service focuses on children. Through the Emerging Young Leaders program Shaneta mentors middle school girls conducting workshops on leadership and self-esteem. She also volunteers at San Jose Catholic School as an assistant on the girls’ basketball team. Shaneta’s experience volunteering at Second Harvest Food Bank inspired her to start a campus-wide food drive to bring baskets of food to families in need. Last year she was instrumental in starting a branch of American Association of University Women (AAUW), bringing female faculty, staff and students together to discuss women’s issues. Shaneta currently serves as president of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. 

Anneliese Delgado-Cate-Recipient

Junior - Communication.  In February 2012, Anneliese began volunteering with World Relief Jacksonville.  She spends three to ten hours each week helping refugee families as they assimilate into life in a new country.  Duties range from picking them up at the airport to taking them to doctors’ appointments to doing the grocery shopping. Anneliese also volunteers in the World Relief office performing such tasks as organizing the supply closet, inputting data and assembling learning material for English language classes.         

Yasmine Zakaria-Recipient

Junior - Biology.   Yasmine’s service began in high school with the Volunteen Program at Baptist Hospital. She assisted in transporting patients throughout the hospital, learned to perform EKG’s, worked in the cardiovascular and blood labs and did data entry. Last year, as a member of UNF’s Honors Program, Yasmine participated in a service project mentoring refugee children-helping them with homework and planning special events. This year she is a facilitator for a group of 20 Honors freshman.  In this role she leads their breakout sessions and assists with their service project as mentors to refugee families.  Yasmine is also a volunteer at the Islamic Center of Northeast Florida tutoring 3rd grade students. She is an active member of UNF’s Muslim Student Association.