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Last Saturday, UTampa students rolled up their sleeves to clean a local beach and take part in environmental restoration at a community garden. The day of service concluded MLK Week — a week of reflection, dialogue and community-building centered on Martin Luther King Jr.’s call to live with intention and collective responsibility.

Organized by UTampa’s PEACE Volunteer Center, the MLK day of service is traditionally one of the University’s largest volunteering events. This year’s service efforts took place at two local sites: a beach cleanup at Ben T. Davis Beach on Tampa Bay and environmental restoration at the Tampa Heights Community Gardens.

At the beach, students sifted through the shoreline and collected trash that consisted largely of glass bottles and plastic bags, helping transform a popular public space into a safer, more welcoming environment.

Among the volunteers was finance major Brionna Friebel ’28. It was her first time volunteering with PEACE, and the experience quickly became meaningful.

“At the end of the day, it feels really nice to help your community in ways that are almost unseen,” Friebel said. “Not a lot of people know I’m here, but it’s a good way to reach out and do something that actually helps.”

At Tampa Heights Community Garden, another group of students took part in activities aimed to support long-term environmental sustainability and food access.

Tyler Smith ’28, a history and international studies double major and a student coordinator for PEACE, said the garden restoration has been a cornerstone of the MLK day of service for years.

“We’re helping replant trees and clean up the garden to make sure it’s healthy in the future. These community gardens are a project from the Tampa government that gives people the opportunity to create sustainable farms for themselves — especially for those who can’t always afford to purchase food from the grocery store,” Smith said.

By cleaning up garbage and replanting greenery, volunteers helped enhance spaces that allow residents to make the most of their community.

The work reflects King’s belief that service is a powerful tool for strengthening communities, said Sydney Farah ’28, an advertising and public relations major and PEACE student coordinator. Whether at the beach or in the gardens, Farah believes the day of service honors King’s legacy by working as one to achieve a common goal.

The Saturday day of service concluded the many campus activities that honored King and his legacy through the week.

On Thursday, the campus community gathered for a luncheon hosted by the Office of Access and Community Programs. Pat Williamson, OACP’s director of operations, invited attendees to reflect on their intentions for the day and beyond, reminding them that “change does not happen because time happens; it happens because people choose to act with intention.”

This idea was central to the luncheon’s keynote speaker, Melissa Morin ’11, who is the director of corporate philanthropy at the University of South Florida. Morin encouraged attendees to consider tangible ways to keep King’s legacy alive.

The event ended with a five-student panel featuring the “next generation of changemakers,” who highlighted perseverance as an essential leadership trait and reflected on finding confidence and purpose through community at UTampa.

On Friday, a campus cookout brought students, faculty and staff together to celebrate culture and community. Spartans mingled over food, added handprints to a collaborative mural and participated in activities that, while lighthearted, still reflected King’s mission of unity.

The impact of the week’s events extended beyond visible results. Through collective action and shared purpose, UTampa’s MLK Week acted as a living expression of King’s call to serve others — strengthening both the campus and the community it calls home.

Madeline McMahon M.A. '24 contributed to this report.