The Paw Print University of Houston
Volume 3 | Issue 6
Mar 2019
CONTENTS 03
Officer Messages
04
Member Spotlight
05
District Events
06
Event & Project Recaps
08
K-Family Events
09
Service Hours Update
10
Farewell Messages
13
April at a Glance
14
UH Board & District 2 Board
Officer Messages Hi University of Houston! For those of you I haven’t met yet, my name is Laura Belmont and I am serving as our international president this year. I have spent all year hearing amazing things about your club, seeing highlights from your service events (including your incredible WASH week!!!), and absolutely loved getting to meet some of you at district convention. Over the past year, we as an organization have made some great strides. With over 180,000 hours of service, and an average of almost 5 interclubs per club and over 5 Kiwanis family events per club, we have been able to impact and engage with our communities and each other. We have been able to have major conversations about how we recruit, and prepared materials for our new recruitment officer positions and set up a pre-CKIx recruitment training. We’ve rallied around the WASH project, with over 50 CKIers performing the 6k challenge (including members of your club), revitalized CKI week, started having more engagement opportunities on the international level (including our Facebook group, webinars, and new blog posts), and so much more. I encourage each and every one of you to attend CKIx in Orlando and to apply to an international committees over the summer; these experiences have defined my CKI experience and have allowed to connect with members from all over our organization and make memories that I know I will keep for the rest of my life. Finally, I just want to thank your club for always going above and beyond. You have achieved so much, from supporting both international initiatives and your own to engagement with the district level and beyond; you truly are a model club, and I cannot thank you enough for all of your hard work this year. Thank you all, and I can’t wait to see you at CKIx (or talk to you sooner—feel free to reach out)!
- Laura Belmont
This is the last issue of Volume 3 of The Paw Print! I am so grateful to have served as Editor of UH CKI for the 2019 Spring semester and I look forward to leading our organization as 2019-2020 Secretary! Keep reading to see a recap of March and some special pages dedicated to this past year in my last newsletter! 3
- Glenda Cheng
MEMBER
SPOTLIGHT When I found out that I got selected as member of the month, I was totally surprised. When I first joined CKI at the beginning of this semester, I didn’t know what to expect. But between DCON, different socials, and the general body meetings, I have found a second family among the organization and I’m glad to have joined this organization and meet so many people not only here on campus, but others from across the state.”
Erica Agbadiba I was honestly so astonished on finding out in our last meeting that I was nominated Member of the Month. I've been in the club for 3 years now and due to time consuming classes I've had, I haven't been able to attend to as many events as I'd like to. Therefore I try to dedicate as much time and effort to our service projects during the meetings. It's a great creative outlet and gives my mind a break after a long day of classes. At the same time, catching up with my CKI family. Initially I joined because I used to be in Key Club in high school and joined an organization because that's what's encouraged., but I wasn't active then. It wasn't until Cecilia decided to join did I decide to accompany her to a meeting. And I was honestly surprised on how friendly and welcoming Adrian, Elizabeth, and Lisa were! They took immediate action to connect with new and old members and that still hasn't change, along with the variety of volunteer and service events there are. So you get an awareness of different problems going on in the world. Or how small or big impacts can make someone's world if only you let yourself become a part of that change.”
Ruth Acosta
It’s an honor being member of the month because I got recognized for my efforts to CKI. In my first year, I got to meet new people and participate in great events. Having conversations with a stranger can change your entire life. Life is about relationships you make, and connections are key.”
Hoang Pham 4
DISTRICT events DCON UH CKI attended the 65th Texas-Oklahoma District Convention in Austin where the club was recognized in outstanding achievements, placing in 6 competitive categories with a total of 19 award acknowledgements and 3 scholarship recipients. With 30 members, we raised almost $2,000 for various charities and volunteered over 900 service hours this year. The chapter participated in networking opportunities, club development workshops, and a blood donation drive service project, culminating in an awards gala on Saturday. The UH Chapter was awarded the Stan Soderstrom Outstanding Chapter Achievement Award for the second year in a row, having been first awarded in 2018.
None of our club’s achievements would have been possible without the tireless dedication of our members. From the work put in by each officer to the many hours volunteered for every service project, the passion that I’ve seen from our club inspires me. Regardless of the awards, it makes me proud to see members being recognized for their impact on our local community, and I gladly wish the next generation all the best for the future.”
- Alexander Le
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MARCH RECAP
Hygiene Kits Aside from attending DCON, our chapter held many events in March. We started off by hosting a booth at MVP’s Volunteer Fair where we got to recruit members and expose our organization to the university. Not too long after that, CKI collaborated with RAHA Houston in making hygiene kits for refugee youth. We had a fun time writing encouraging notecards and meeting members of RAHA! Near the end of Spring Break, our 2018-2019 President, Alexander Le, spoke at CHAT’s Tour the Trail event where CHAT presented 12 inspiring murals created by some of Houston’s most talented street artists. Finally, we had our 4th general meeting where our 2019-2020 Southeast Texas Lieutenant Governor, Jose Leyva, and Hill Country Lieutenant Governor, An Tran, came as guests! Members were able to make WASH bracelets that we sold at the WASH bake sale in late March. The board was also able to present the Outstanding Advisor award from DCON to our amazing advisor, Harry Watson! Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this organization successful!
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PROJECT OF THE MONTH
WASH Tournament WASH for Thought Scavenger Hunt 6K Social
Bake Sale
WED THURS FRI
TUES
MON
WASH Week
WASH Week for UNICEF: Last year we started WASH Week to raise awareness and funds for UNICEF’s WASH Project, and seeing how much of an impact we made, we decided to make it an annual event and do it this year. Throughout the week of March 25-29, our CKI chapter hosted a series of event that focused on raising awareness. For all events, we invited different campus organizations we have collaborated before with like Global Medical Brigades (GMB). In addition, we asked members to bring a friend so we can reach a wider audience.
On Monday, we hosted “WASH Tournament” in which members are given an introduction to the WASH Project and compete in a Family Feud trivia game. We also served ice cream and handed out prizes to the winning team! We invited other campus organizations to join our game. On Tuesday, we had a “WASH Bake Sale” where we sold homemade cookies, and all proceeds went towards WASH. We had several people who donated extra change which we are really grateful for. Wednesday was “WASH for Thought”. We passed out water bottles to students. We put WASH facts (thanks to CKI resource guide!) on the water bottle label to spread the awareness and to join our cause. “Finding Water” on Thursday was a scavenger hunt, in which members had to look for water droplets around campus. They had to follow our story on Facebook or Instagram for clues on the location. We even had some non-CKI members join! Prizes were also given out to those who found the water droplets. To conclude the week (and also March Water Madness), we held “Walk for WASH”, a 6K walk at our campus recreation center because that is the average daily distance women in developing countries have to walk for water.
The donations and funds we raised through our Bake Sale and GoFundMe page amounted to over $100, which is enough to supply enough purification tablets for 50,000 liters of clean water! Our first WASH Week in 2018 gained attention from our local community to the Circle K International level, so we hosted another WASH Week this year, changing up the activities a bit. We want to continue to make an impact that goes a long way! Thank you to everyone for supporting the WASH Project and participating with us!
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K-FAMILY events Harmony School of Innovation—Sugarland invited us to speak at their general meeting and promote Circle K to the high schoolers. We had the chance to show them what we’ve done this past year and the video we submitted to DCON, which won the Outstanding Video award. Afterwards, we got to see their member induction ceremony where new Key Clubbers received their certificates and pins! Thank you HSI-SL for allowing us to speak at your meeting!
In late March, The Kiwanis Club of Houston invited us to one of their luncheons! Our Southeast Texas Lieutenant Governor, Jose Leyva, as well as our 2018-2019 President, Alexander Le, and 2019-2020 President, Sammie Chen, attended this event despite being a Thursday and represented UH CKI. Once again, we presented Harry’s Outstanding Advisor award as we are always grateful for his help! Thank you Kiwanis Club of Houston for inviting us! We love strengthening our relationship and we look forward to future K-family events.
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SERVICE HOURS update
1000
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FA R E W E L L RETIRING OFFICERS
I think being a CKI officer was something very valuable that I don't regret doing. It taught me responsibility, made me step out of my comfort zone, allowed for me to explore my creative side while making graphics, and most importantly give back to the community! Being an officer, I loved seeing the friendships that were formed as a result of CKI! I remember the first meeting of the school year. So many members came in alone, but now it's great how they're all hanging out together outside of CKI. Plus, it was interesting to see the club grow into a mini hallyu. LOL.”
- Tram Tran 2018-2019 PR CHAIR
My time as a CKI officer will definitely be one of my fonder college memories. I was actually very excited when I found out I was going to be the Fellowship Chair. My freshman year was rough for a lot of reasons and I found it particularly hard to socialize and make friends. When I joined CKI though, I was always welcomed with bright smiles and friendly faces. CKI provided for me a space where I felt welcomed and very loved. As an officer, that was something that I wanted everyone to experience. I wanted all the members to look forward to coming to our meetings and our socials. I wanted them to socialize and make lasting friendships. I wanted to create a space where everyone felt like they belonged and where they could de-stress from their daily lives. Seeing the members smiling and laughing during our events was definitely my favorite part of being an officer. ❤”
- Karen Garcia
2018-2019 FELLOWSHIP CHAIR
Hey there CKIers! I’m Danielle, the 2018-2019 Treasurer of CKI and I just want to say it has been pleasure serving with each and every one of you all. It is because of our member involvement and passion to help others that we have become a more impactful club this semester and won Outstanding Chapter in the District two years in a row now. I won’t be officer of CKI next year, but I am excited to see how much more our organization will grow and how much more of a difference that we can make in both our UH community and for the city of Houston.”
- Danielle London 2018-2019 TREASURER
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FA R E W E L L GRADUATING SENIORS
I'm a senior graduating with a Bachelor's in Environmental Science and I honestly feel a mixture of overwhelm and relief. I currently only have 3 classes left but with the added pressure that I need them all to graduate. I'm not very concerned with finding a job in my career because everything always works out. On the other hand, it's essential to give yourself a break, that way that particular thing is your motivation to keep moving forward. For me those were things like going to different parks, DCON, indoor rock climbing with Cecilia and Betty, tea/coffee dates with friends, or even just shopping for art supplies. CKI has become a big part of this social aspect of my life and providing a different support system from my everyday life. I'm grateful to have been a member and hope others get the same or more from this family.”
- Ruth Acosta
MAR 2019 OUTSTANDING MEMBER
Graduation is something I’m looking forward too, but at the same time I’m slightly nervous. College life was something I’ve gotten used to, and after graduation, I’ll be entering something completely different, so I’m nervous. I’m also nervous about leaving CKI. I’ve spent three years in this club, and it’s been a long ride building the club up to where it is now. I spent literally hundreds of hours doing CKI things as a member and as an officer, and it’s nerve-wracking to leave that part behind. However, CKI has really helped me grow, and I have faith in the new board and members. And despite my nerves, I’m READY TO BUST OUTTA THIS COOP.”
- Cecilia Nguyen-Do 2018-2019 VICE PRESIDENT
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FA R E W E L L GRADUATING SENIORS Graduating feels like turning another page. I'm ready to move on to the next chapter of my life and explore new ways to work with my community. But throughout it all, I'll always remember the experiences I had in CKI and use the lessons I've learned to guide me moving forward. Honestly, I can't express how proud I am of you all and how far we've come. Every one of our big events started off as a crazy little idea that somehow came into life. All those hours driving across Texas, all those hours spent planning and volunteering at service projects, all the people we've impacted through the years... it's been a ride from start to finish. To the officers who started off this year and to my OG officers who've been leading since our previous term together, thank you for being so patient and wonderful throughout the year. Cecilia, especially, you really kept the gears of CKI rolling. As a team, we really grew, even with each mistake and lesson learned, and I'm honestly blown away by our progress. Y'all are going to go far beyond our college years, and I can't wait to see where life takes you. Also, I want to thank John Tran for introducing me to CKI in the first place! To the new board, I wish you the best of luck. To Sammie, I am excited to see what you have in store with your plans for CKI! To Jose, you're gonna do amazing things as LTG! And to the new board, y'all are continuing a legacy that undoubtedly will only continue to grow with your passion. Now onward to International! None of this would be possible without the work put in by all the officers and members, and those who came before us. All the laughter, drama, and sheer passion for service have built us to where we are now: this most beautiful moment in life filled with friendship and a vision for the future. Live to serve, love to serve, forever and always.�
- Alexander Le 12
2018-2019 PRESIDENT
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4/1 — 5th General Meeting 4/2— From Academics to Activism 4/6— Key to College 4/9 — Bake Sale & Carnival of Cultures 4/13 — TAMUG Fort Renovation 4/15 — 6th General Meeting 4/22 — End-of-Year Banquet 4/23 — Bake Sale 4/27 — SBP Home Renovation 4/28 — March of Dimes 13
UH CIRCLE K
Advisors & Officer Board Harry Watson
Dr. Paige Evans ADVISOR
ADVISOR
Email: pevans@uh.edu
Mr. Watson has been a Kiwanis member of the Houston Club for 2.5 years as well as served many CKI positions throughout his younger years.
College of NSM Clinical Professor and Science Master Teacher for teachHouston
Alexander Le
Cecilia Nguyen-Do
PRESIDENT
VICE PRESIDENT
Major: Honors Biomedical Sciences Email: ale8@uh.edu
Major: Psychology Email: cmnguyen-do@uh.edu
Sammie Chen
Danielle London
Glenda Cheng
SECRETARY
TREASURER
EDITOR
Major: Civil Engineering Email: schen46@uh.edu
Major: Chemical Engineering Email: dalondon@uh.edu
Major: Chemical Engineering Email: gwcheng@uh.edu
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UH CIRCLE K
Committee Chairs
Tram Tran
Karen Garcia
PR CHAIR
FELLOWSHIP CHAIR
Major: Supply Chain
Major: Human Resources & Development Email: kgarcia1357@gmail.com
Management & Management Information Systems
Email: tdtran15@uh.edu
Jose Leyva
Fatimah Abidogun
SERVICE CHAIR
SERVICE CHAIR
Major: Public Health
Major: BioTechnology Email: onlyzahrah13@gmail.com
Email: Joseleyva0898@gmail.com
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TEXAS-OKLAHOMA
District Leadership
Dylann Lowery
Sean Dempsey
GOVERNOR
DISTRICT SECRETARY
College: Oklahoma State University Email: governor@txokcki.org
College: Texas A&M University Email: secretary@txokcki.org
Kristen Iannello SE TEXAS LTG College: Texas A&M University at Galveston Email: southeasttexasltg@txokcki.org
Lane Marsh
Yahaira Arneros
DISTRICT TREASURER
DISTRICT EDITOR
College: The University of Texas at Tyler Email: treasurer@txokcki.org
College: The University of Texas at Arlington Email: editor@txokcki.org
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Thank You to our members for making this past month filled with love, laughter, and service.
Live to Serve, Love to Serve
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