Page 2 - Marching Along - Summer 2015

Chapter NEWS Chapter Spotlight: Keith Shopa ’15 From the Chapter President Editor’s Notes: Representing the contributed to helping the Children’s chapter as Spotlight is spring Miracle Network at Shands Hospital graduate Keith Shopa ’15. From receive over $2 million dollars. He the hometown of Punta Gorda, Keith also served the chapter Judicial he Gamma earned his Bachelor of Science in Board on the Kai Committee. This TXi chapter Biology with a Minor in Business summer, Keith continues his work as of Beta Theta Administration. He is now working a Counselor for Camp Kesem and as March for Babies and as a volunteer Pi is happy to towards his Masters Degree in Health a Pediatric Volunteer for US Health Small Group Leader at the Youth Education and Behavior before Shands Hospital. This past summer, Leadership Conference. He has also announce that applying for medical school. A leader Global Medical Training took him worked part-time seasonally as a we have had to the chapter, Keith was the overall to Nicaragua. Additionally, Keith server or usher at baseball games, yet another Director for Dance Marathon and has served as Director for the Gator and with Gatorade. successful and eventful spring What led you that comes together every year to raise funds and semester. Our most recent pledge to join Beta awareness for our local Children’s Miracle Network class consisted of nine outstanding Theta Pi? hospital so that these kids have a fghting chance. new members, and we are excited to see what they bring to Beta It is hard to What type of volunteer work did you do in during their time as brothers. narrow the Nicaragua? Last semester, Beta’s leadership reasons behind visibility on campus continued me joining Beta I attended a weeklong medical mission trip to to grow. Keith Shopa ’11, who Theta Pi into Nicaragua through the organization Global Medical is currently pursuing a masters just a simple Training. During this trip we were trained on site to at the University of Florida, was s t a t e m e n t . properly diagnose and prescribe patients who sought BΘΠ selected to be the Overall Director Coming into out our free clinics held in the poverty stricken areas of Dance Marathon at UF, the such a large of the country. We aided locals aged anywhere from largest student run philanthropy Keith holding a local Nicaraguan toddler university was so a couple months old to late 80’s. Each day we saw in the Southeast. With Keith’s after diagnosing his visit and giving him overwhelming; over 100 patients and the relief and satisfaction we leadership, Beta is more excited a lollipop for his cooperation. I wanted to fnd provided them was a reward unlike any other. This than ever to support this great my place with experience has been a primary drive and motivation to cause. guys who shared my interests. And I wanted to do pursue my dream of becoming a physician. The major highlight of this any and everything I could in my four years, Beta was semester was certainly our my ticket to do just that. I had no idea at the time that Where did your passion for helping others philanthropy, Beta Bring It Beta would give me such a strong bond to my lifelong come from? On. Headed by our internal friends but also to this campus as a whole. I believe the pinnacle of my passion and the philanthropy chair, Corey Andre, How did you become involved with Dance realization of it came in my time at UF through we were successful in executing Marathon? my volunteer work at UFHealth Shands Children’s our largest philanthropy ever, Hospital and at Camp Kesem. I served as a volunteer raising over $12,000 for the I started my involvement with Dance Marathon as a on the pediatric foor of the local children’s hospital Alzheimer’s Association. In freshmen thanks to the guidance of two older Betas. and absolutely loved the feeling of making a addition, Beta continued its The feeling I experienced at the 26.2 hour-long connection with the kids and attempting to make their tradition of service by hosting philanthropic event was unlike any other. To witness stay at the hospital more fun and enjoyable. I served our second annual Easter charity the “miracle” children as a volunteer counselor for the project. In late March, the men who are born or develop Keith giving a motivational organization Camp Kesem which of Beta partnered with the ladies such horrid diseases and speech to the 825 dancers is a week long camp for kids ages of Alpha Delta Pi to create Easter disabilities and watch them during the philanthropic event 6-16 who have either lost a parent baskets for the children at the Boys fght to overcome it inspired Dance Marathon 2015. or guardian to cancer or who and Girls club in Gainesville. me to do everything I can to have one currently going through With the conclusion of my help them and their families. the trials of cancer. The camp is frst semester as president, I am Last year I served as the meant for kids to be the time of confdent to say that we are still Morale Overall Director and the year where they don’t have to as strong and diverse of a chapter helped the philanthropy reach worry and they can just be a kid. as you will fnd at the University. new heights by raising over I look forward to all that we will $2 million, making UF’s DM Any plans for after graduation? accomplish in fall, and am sure the second most successful I will be continuing my education that our tradition of excellence will student run philanthropy in by pursuing a Master’s in Health continue. Thank God I’m a Beta. the nation. I am currently Education and Behavior in the Yours in _kai_, now the Overall Director of College of Health and Human the entire organization for DM 2016. To me, Dance Performance here at the University of Florida. After I have completed Marathon has never been a my masters I plan on attending task or club; it is a family here medical school to one day become a Scott C. Strauss in the Gainesville community physician specializing in pediatrics. 2