By Alina Rezepova, Staff Writer
Saint Leo University is beginning a new chapter with the arrival of Dr. Jim Burkee as its 12th president. On Nov. 19, Dr. Burkee organized Service Day to bring the university community together.
Students, university staff, and faculty came together to participate in Service Day in honor of the new president’s appointment and to demonstrate their commitment to the university’s values of service and community. The event highlighted Saint Leo’s core values: leadership, responsible stewardship, and a strong sense of community.
Participating in the activities allowed students to help the community and strengthen ties within the university. Service Day showed that leadership is not only about administrative decisions, but also the ability to inspire others to do good deeds.
“One of the changes I would like to see under Dr. Burkee’s leadership is a closer community among students and staff,” said Alyssa Lankenau, a sophomore majoring in Cybersecurity.
A wide variety of volunteer activities took place that day, ranging from trimming palm trees and weeding gardens to painting walls in campus buildings, waxing statues, and creating decorations for donation.
“I decided to take part in creating polymer clay jewelry so that I could give it to those in need. This activity was interesting for me; the time passed very quickly. I am glad that I not only enjoyed it myself, but also helped other people,” said Lankenau.
The event was especially significant for the students, as they could demonstrate the university’s values in practice.
“Service Day showed that in our small university community, everyone can connect with others. This helps to strengthen the university’s internal ties and build closer relationships between everyone involved with Saint Leo University. I do not think this would have happened at any other bigger university,” said Yulissa Barrios, a junior majoring in Marketing.
Some students worked on projects that directly helped the local community, while others focused on helping fellow students and improving the campus environment.
The volunteers realized that even small actions, such as cleaning the campus’s territory, organizing supplies, or helping those in need, can make a big difference.
“It is great to see how the entire campus community is helping each other,” said Barrios.
Participation in such events strengthens both the campus as a whole and students’ team spirit, fostering cooperation, empathy, and dedication.
In addition, Dr. Burkee organized the distribution of free, themed T-shirts to make students, faculty, and campus staff feel like one community. Also, at the initiative of the new president, a free lunch was organized on campus for all participants. This strengthened the university’s spirit because Dr. Burkee showed that any work, even volunteer work, deserves attention and recognition.
Celebrating Dr. Burkee’s arrival through Service Day demonstrated that leadership at Saint Leo University is not only about politics and meetings, but also about creating opportunities for students, staff, and faculty to connect and benefit.
Events of this kind set the tone for his presidency, emphasizing cooperation, service, and gratitude as key elements of the university’s culture. Since the beginning of Dr. Burkee’s presidency, students have been inspired to bring these values to life through small but meaningful actions.
The Day of Service was a clear reminder that community building and leadership go hand in hand. Saint Leo University looks to the future with confidence that the joint efforts of students and staff, under the leadership of the new president, will bring even greater connection, care, and shared achievements.
1 Comment
This was such a fun experience! Great article Alina! Love the photos!