Krista Smith
University of FloridaKrista Smith, a third year Psychology and International Studies major within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, is committed to finding solutions for challenges facing communities and demonstrates this through her leadership as Executive Director of MentorGNV, a student site leader within Florida Alternative Breaks, and as an officer for the student organization Health the World. In the last two years, she has served as a mentor, site coordinator, and executive director for MentorGNV. Krista has assisted in placing hundreds of UF students to serve as mentors with students in the Alachua County school system who often come from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Krista has also served in a number of leadership roles across campus in facilitating her peers' service experiences. Krista has served as a student site leader for a winter service immersion experience for Florida Alternative Breaks, a site leader for UF's Day of Service program. Krista has also serves on the leadership team for Heal the World and works to support efforts to educate children who lack access to affordable education. Krista has also participated in service mission experiences in Peru and the Bahamas.
Personal Statement
Like many students, I spent countless hours volunteering in my community throughout high school. It was during this time that I developed a passion for and dedication to service. However, it wasn't until coming to the University of Florida (UF) that I realized the importance of addressing social issues and their root causes in my service. Understanding this, I put my passion to work through efforts such as executing mentoring relationships between hundreds of UF students and elementary to high school age students from the local community often of lower socioeconomic status. In these efforts to educate my peers and encourage community collaboration, I have also served as a trip site leader for Florida Alternative Breaks and UF's Day of Service program. Interested in applying similar sustainable-minded service to many other communities during and after my time as a student, I have been a part of international mission trips to Latin America and the Caribbean as well.