By Luke Zolotorofe
This semester I had the privilege to join the Footprints family and volunteer at the UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital. Throughout the new member process, everyone in Footprints has taken me under their wing and has shown their dedication and passion for the organization. Meeting a group of students with similar goals and interests has been extremely helpful for me to find my true path at UF. My Big Foot, Michael, has been a mentor along the way, answering a bombardment of UF and career-related questions. Entering the unit for the first time was intimidating for me, but my shift buddies Delaney and Marissa made me feel at home and guided me through my first semester of volunteering.
One of the most impactful experiences for me on the unit was teaching a boy how to play checkers. While there was confusion at first, within fifteen minutes he was beating me with ease. Seeing him light up when he found out strategies to overtake my pawn was truly priceless. We ended up playing for over two hours, and he still wanted to play when it was time for me to check on another patient. Moments like that are what makes Footprints so amazing. Outside of the unit, attending events such as Chalk the Walk and the Cancer Chomp 5K were also extremely worthwhile and gratifying. I can’t wait for the future of Footprints, hopefully getting my own Little Foot one day, and making an impact both on and off of the Footprints unit.
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