Alpha Kappa Psi uses old shoes to create academic opportunity

By Alicia Dobson/ Staff Writer
news@fiusm.com

While Vanesa Chaparro, a senior majoring in finance and accounting, was busy mapping out her collegiate journey, she learned about Rotary Club through an advisor of an organization she was involved with in high school.

“Rotary club is a non-profit international civic organization with about 1.2 million members all over the world,” explained Rotary Club of Miami Dadeland-Pinecrest president, Howard Horowitz.

Horowitz, a Miami native, has been involved with Rotary Club for four years and, as president, plans to localize his club’s efforts by awarding high school students scholarship money and implementing programs that promote the importance of education.

“Members of this club are CEO’s of companies, professors, very knowledgeable individuals that do great things for the community,” confirmed Chaparro.

After Rotary Club awarded her a $4,000/year scholarship for college, Chaparro maintained communication with Horowitz, remaining updated on current projects and events.

At one of Rotary’s annual meetings, the topic of discussion was a multifaceted shoe drive designed to fund a mentoring program that President Horowitz has been working with Alberto Carvalho, the superintendent of Miami-Dade County public schools, to implement in two high-risk elementary schools.

This two-part mentoring program encourages success-oriented thinking by providing elementary students with success coaches trained to provide support and motivation and by providing tutors that offer academic assistance.

“We don’t like asking for money. Let us do the work,” said Horowitz.

By collecting old shoes and selling them to a warehouse by the pound, Rotary Club funds the mentoring program designed to support local students as well as contributes largely to an international cause. The warehouse donates old shoes, including the ones from Rotary, to children in developing countries who need shoes to go to school.

After hearing about the shoe drive, Chaparro saw this as an opportunity to introduce Rotary Club to Alpha Kappa Psi, a business fraternity that she joined when she came to the University in the fall of 2012.

Alpha Kappa Psi is a business professional fraternity that is open to all students of all majors and promotes professionalism and business-related networking, among many other ideals.

“I asked how they [Rotary Club] were collecting the shoes and suggested FIU. We have so many students so it wouldn’t be difficult at all,” said Chaparro.

Frances Melendez, a junior majoring in international business as well as the executive vice president of the University’s Alpha Kappa Psi chapter, took interest in Rotary’s shoe drive and signed the fraternity up.

“We are very lucky to have everything that we have: an education, clothes, shoes… and sometimes we undervalue that,” said Melendez.

Alpha Kappa Psi set up boxes located in the College of Business lobby on the MMC campus and at the Office of Campus Life located in Wolfe University Center, room 141, on the BBC campus for students to drop off their old shoes.

“We’ve collected boxes and boxes of shoes. I would say about 300 or more,” noted Chaparro.

The fraternity is eager to spread the word about the drive because it is beneficial on so many levels. In the next month or so, Alpha Kappa Psi encourages all students to do their part by donating an old pair of shoes to the drive.