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Advisor Spotlight

Support students. Serve communities. Be part of the experience.

Bulls Service Breaks are powerful because of the students who serve, the communities who welcome them and the faculty and staff members who help make these transformative experiences possible.

Trip Advisors play an important role in supporting student-led service experiences, helping participants connect their service to reflection, learning and personal growth.

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Emily Granville continued...

Granville, who serves in Student Conduct & Ethical Development, participated as a Trip Advisor for the weekend service experience coordinated through the Center for Leadership & Civic Engagement. In that role, she helped support a student Trip Leader and eight participants as they engaged with children and families at Camp Boggy Creek, a 232-acre camp that provides medically sound camp experiences for children ages 7���16 living with serious illnesses.

For faculty and staff Trip Advisors, Bulls Service Breaks offer an opportunity to mentor student leaders, encourage reflection and help students approach service with compassion, humility and purpose. For Granville, the experience also became a powerful reminder of the impact that kindness and presence can have on families facing difficult circumstances.

���This past weekend I had the incredible opportunity to serve as a Trip Advisor for one of our Bulls Service Breaks at Camp Boggy Creek, a camp dedicated to providing life-changing camp experiences at no cost to children with serious illnesses,��� Granville said. ���Myself and the eight students on the trip were each paired with a family whose main camper was or still is experiencing some form of cancer. During these weekend retreats, their whole family gets to come experience the magic of camp.���

At no cost to families, Camp Boggy Creek creates a safe and joyful environment where campers can simply be kids. Throughout the weekend, children and their families participated in activities such as horseback riding, archery, fishing, talent shows and other camp traditions designed to create lasting memories.

Granville said the experience underscored the mission of the camp and the importance of helping others feel safe, respected and loved.

���Camp Boggy Creek centers their mission on ensuring all campers feel safe, respected and loved,��� Granville said.

���What I will take with me most ��� besides the smiles from my campers ��� is the reminder that choosing kindness is the best first step in helping someone feel safe, respected and loved.���

Granville highly recommends becoming a BSB advisor. "It���s a wonderful opportunity to engage with students beyond our typical office roles and hours. Shaun Harris, Associate Director for the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement, does an excellent job of setting you up for success, allowing you to focus on building meaningful connections with students and contributing to impactful service projects. If you���re looking for a way to give back to the community while helping develop student leaders, this is a fantastic opportunity."

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Anna Kovach continued...

During the service experience, Kovach and students worked together to sort, package and distribute food that would support individuals and families across the Orlando area. The trip, coordinated through the Center for Leadership & Civic Engagement, gave students the opportunity to engage in hands-on service while learning more about the broader issue of food insecurity in Central Florida.

Kovach said the experience served as a meaningful reminder of what can happen when people come together around a shared purpose.

���Watching our students step into an unfamiliar warehouse environment, quickly learn the process, and work seamlessly as a team was one of the most rewarding parts of the experience,��� Kovach said. ���Everyone brought different perspectives and experiences, but they supported one another and stayed focused on the collective goal of helping the community.���

As a Trip Advisor, Kovach helped support the student-led service experience by encouraging teamwork, reflection and connection to the community partner���s mission. 

For Kovach, one of the most powerful parts of the experience was seeing students connect their volunteer work to Second Harvest���s broader approach to addressing food insecurity.

In addition to distributing food, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida supports workforce development initiatives, including a culinary training program designed to help individuals gain job skills that can lead to stable employment and greater long-term food security.

���I was inspired by learning how Second Harvest is addressing the root causes of food insecurity. Seeing our students connect their service to this broader mission felt like a full-circle moment and emphasized the purpose of Bulls Service Breaks.���

Kovach said the experience showed students that meaningful community change extends beyond meeting immediate needs.

���They recognized that meaningful community change goes beyond meeting immediate needs,��� Kovach said. ���It also requires investing in long-term solutions.���

According to Kovach, being a Trip Advisor, "is an opportunity to make meaningful impact while experiencing service alongside students. You'll get to witness moments of growth, connection, and reflection. If you're looking for a rewarding way to support student development and engage with the community, I encourage you to take the leap."

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Dr. Shaun Harris continued...

During the 2025 Bulls Service Break: Tallahassee Impact ��� A Spring Break of Service and Discovery, Dr. Harris served as the Trip Advisor alongside student Trip Leader Fernanda Trajano Bogue and eight student participants. The immersive experience combined direct service, philanthropy, civic engagement, and leadership development while exposing students to organizations working to strengthen communities throughout Florida's capital city.

As Trip Advisor, Dr. Harris mentored and supervised the student Trip Leader throughout the planning process and the week-long experience, while also serving as the trip's financial and risk manager. Her role was to ensure the safety and well-being of participants, steward university resources responsibly, and create opportunities for students to lead with confidence while engaging in meaningful reflection and learning.

What I enjoy most about serving as a Trip Advisor is seeing students discover their capacity to lead through service. The goal is not simply to complete volunteer hours but to help students understand the systems that shape our communities and recognize how they can become lifelong active citizens.

The Tallahassee experience began weeks before the group departed. CLCE's Student Board organized and led a campus-wide donation drive benefiting Making Miracles Group Home, collecting items for women and children experiencing hardship. During the service trip, participants personally delivered the donations to the organization, allowing students to witness the direct impact of their collective efforts and better understand how philanthropy can strengthen community partnerships.

Throughout the week, participants served with several nonprofit organizations across Tallahassee. At Elder Care Services, Inc., the group celebrated St. Patrick's Day by providing desserts and leading a lively game of Bingo for older adults.

 The Tallahassee experience began weeks before the group departed. CLCE's Student Board organized and led a campus-wide donation drive benefiting Making Miracles Group Home, collecting items for women and children experiencing hardship. During the service trip, participants personally delivered the donations to the organization, allowing students to witness the direct impact of their collective efforts and better understand how philanthropy can strengthen community partnerships.

Throughout the week, participants served with several nonprofit organizations across Tallahassee. At Elder Care Services, Inc., the group celebrated St. Patrick's Day by providing desserts and leading a lively game of Bingo for older adults.

"One of my favorite memories from the trip was leading Bingo at Elder Care Services," Dr. Harris reflected. "Watching the smiles, laughter, and excitement on the clients' faces reminded all of us that meaningful service is often found in simple moments of human connection. It brought just as much joy to our participants as it did to those we were serving."

The majority of the week was spent partnering with Big Bend Habitat for Humanity. Participants volunteered at the Habitat ReStore by sorting donations, repairing furniture, organizing inventory, and preparing the store for its grand reopening. Students also learned how revenue generated by the ReStore directly supports Habitat for Humanity's mission to build affordable housing throughout the Tallahassee community.

For Dr. Harris, one of the most meaningful aspects of the experience was helping students understand the connection between nonprofit operations and long-term community impact.

"Students were able to see that every donated item, every repaired piece of furniture, and every purchase made at the ReStore contributes to building affordable homes for families. It was an excellent example of how partnerships and sustainable community resources create lasting change."

Beyond direct service, the trip also provided participants with a meaningful civic learning experience. The group toured Florida's Historic Capitol and the Florida Capitol Complex, gaining a deeper understanding of the state's executive and legislative branches while exploring the important role government plays in addressing community issues. By combining civic education with direct service, participants were encouraged to consider how public policy, nonprofit organizations, and engaged citizens work together to strengthen communities.

Reflection remained an essential part of the Bulls Service Break experience. Through daily conversations, guided discussions, and journaling, students examined the root causes of the social issues they encountered, reflected on their personal leadership growth, and connected their service experiences to the broader mission of civic engagement.

The Tallahassee Impact experience embodied the mission of Bulls Service Breaks by integrating philanthropy, community service, leadership development, and civic education into one transformative week. From organizing a campus donation drive to serving older adults, supporting affordable housing initiatives, volunteering with Ronald McDonald House Charities, and exploring Florida's state government, participants experienced multiple ways to create positive change.

Through her leadership as a Trip Advisor, Dr. Harris continues to cultivate student leaders who understand that service is most meaningful when paired with education, reflection, and sustained community partnerships. By mentoring student leaders and creating immersive learning experiences, she helps students move beyond volunteering to become conscientious leaders and community collaborators dedicated to making a lasting impact.

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Faculty and staff interested in becoming a Trip Advisor for a future Bulls Service Breaks experience can email civicengagement@usf.edu to learn more about supporting meaningful, student-led service opportunities.