Abigail Krepela

Wonderful time welcoming the incoming freshman onto campus!

During my service experience at Richland Elementary School’s Spring Fling, I developed stronger communication and leadership skills by clearly explaining rules to children and parents while maintaining a safe and organized environment around the bounce houses. I also gained a deeper understanding of how important community events are in bringing families together, as the large turnout showed how much these spaces matter for connection and enjoyment. Working as part of a team made the experience more manageable, as we supported each other during busy moments and ensured everything ran smoothly. My role contributed to the organization’s goal of creating a fun and safe environment by helping prevent injuries and keeping activities under control. One challenge I faced was managing large groups of excited kids at once, but I overcame this by staying calm, being firm with rules, and relying on teamwork when needed, which helped me handle the situation effectively.

During my service experience hauling supplies for an event supporting the fight against hunger, I strengthened my time management, organization, and problem-solving skills by coordinating pickups and drop-offs across the city and ensuring materials were where they needed to be on time. This experience gave me a greater understanding of the scale of food insecurity and how much effort goes on behind the scenes to make events like this successful and impactful for the community. Although much of my work was independent, I was still part of a larger team effort, and it showed me how every role, contributes to the overall success of the mission. My contributions helped the organization run smoothly by ensuring supplies were transported efficiently, which directly supported the goal of providing resources and raising awareness about hunger. One challenge I faced was navigating time constraints and coordinating multiple stops, but I overcame it by staying organized, planning routes carefully, and adapting when needed, which made the experience both rewarding and eyeopening.

During my service at the Tiger Food Pantry, I helped organize donated cans for the university, which strengthened my attention to detail and organization skills. This experience also increased my awareness of food insecurity on campus and showed me how important accessible resources are for students. Although my role was simple, I worked alongside others to keep the pantry organized, which made the process more efficient and highlighted the importance of teamwork. My efforts contributed to the pantry’s goal of providing reliable support to students in need. One small challenge was keeping everything properly sorted during busy times, but I overcame it by staying focused and consistent, which would help me be even more efficient in future service opportunities.

During my service making sandwiches for Catholic Charities of West Tennessee, I developed efficiency and teamwork skills by working quickly while still ensuring quality and cleanliness. This experience helped me better understand food insecurity in my community and how organizations rely on volunteers to meet basic needs. I worked as part of a team, which made the process smoother and showed how collaboration can make a larger impact in a short amount of time. My role contributed to the organization’s mission by helping provide meals to individuals and families in need. One challenge was keeping up with the pace during busy moments, but I overcame it by staying focused and communicating with others, which helped everything run more efficiently.

I developed better organization and time-management skills by spending hours sorting and arranging canned goods for the food drive. Everything had to be placed in the right spots and organized by type, which made me pay close attention to detail. It was simple work, but it felt important knowing it would make distribution easier later on.
This experience opened my eyes to how real food insecurity is in my own community. Seeing how much food was needed, and how carefully it had to be handled, made me realize that there are many families who rely on events like this for basic needs.
I worked with a group of other volunteers, and it made a big difference. Everyone had a job, and we worked together to stay organized and get through the tasks faster. It also made the experience more enjoyable because we could talk and support each other while working.
One of the biggest challenges was how physically tiring the work was. I just pushed through by taking quick breaks and working with others to share the heavier jobs. Overall, it was a really meaningful experience and made me want to help out more in the future.

I worked on an assembly line with some of my friends, packaging food that was being sent to people in another country who really needed it. I was on the bag-sealing station, which meant I spent hours making sure every bag was fully sealed and wouldn’t spill or go bad during shipping. It sounds small, but if one bag wasn’t sealed right, it could ruin a whole box, so it made me feel like my job actually mattered.

Working alongside my friends made the time go by fast, and it was cool being part of something so organized and purposeful. Seeing all the boxes stacking up at the end really showed how much of an impact a big group of people can make in just a few hours. It made me feel more connected to the world outside my own community and grateful for what I have.

Helping freshmen move into the dorm was a really fun experience, even though it was super hot outside. Since I used to live in that same dorm, it felt kind of nostalgic walking around and remembering where everything was. I spent a few hours carrying boxes, pushing carts, and helping families find their rooms, which definitely boosted my communication and teamwork skills since everyone was coming in at once.

Being part of move-in made me realize how stressful that day can be for new students and their families. A lot of them looked overwhelmed, so even small things like answering questions or helping them find the elevator made a big difference. Working with the other volunteers also helped keep the energy up everyone was sweaty and tired, but we joked around and kept things moving.

The heat was definitely the biggest challenge, but taking quick water breaks and rotating tasks helped a lot. Even with that, it was rewarding to help people start this new chapter. It reminded me of how supported I felt when I first moved in, and it made me happy to be that support for someone else.