How FGCU families made a difference across Southwest Florida
- Laurie Dionne Babcock
- Community
- Contributors: James Greco, Photos
5 – minute read
When Eagle Family Weekend and the national Make a Difference Day landed on the same weekend in October, Florida Gulf Coast University saw an opportunity to bring two traditions together and demonstrate the university’s longstanding commitment to service.
The annual Make a Difference Day event connected Eagles with nonprofit partners working to address local needs while allowing families an opportunity to experience campus culture uniquely. For many participants, serving side by side became the highlight of the weekend.
Three generations serving together
Tampa native Kobe Brown is a first-year art major and Honors College student. His mother and grandmother, Patrice Brown and Juanita Parker, joined him at Midwest Food Bank in Fort Myers.
“We decided to participate in the Day of Service to give back to the community with our time,” he said. “It was my mom’s idea to sign up, and it means a lot to be here with family and serve the community.”
Along with his siblings, Brown’s family has volunteered together in the past at Feeding Tampa Bay as well as with their church.
Events like Make a Difference Day reflect FGCU’s longstanding emphasis on community engagement. By inviting family members to volunteer alongside students, the university gave parents and grandparents an opportunity to directly experience a core part of the Eagle experience. FGCU is one of the only public institutions in the country to make service a graduation requirement, according to Justin Fitzgerald, director of Service-Learning & Civic Engagement.
“FGCU has always deeply believed in community engagement. We know it’s valuable to the students and valuable to the community. It’s a win-win for everyone involved,” Fitzgerald said.
For Patrice Brown, sharing the day of service with her son and mother made Eagle Family Weekend especially meaningful.
“I count it a privilege and honor to assist and give to others,” she said. “I love knowing that Kobe loves to serve others and finds it important enough to do it on his own during his college experience.”
A family affair
Lighthouse Point native Maci Oulton, along with her mother and stepfather, Shani and Brian Racine, also volunteered at Midwest Food Bank during Make a Difference Day.
“We saw this as a wonderful opportunity to spend meaningful time together while contributing to the community our daughter now calls home,” Shani Racine said. “As parents, our greatest hope is that our children grow into compassionate, confident and thoughtful adults who recognize the impact they can have on others.”
While academic success matters, Racine said, helping students develop empathy, character and a commitment to serving others is just as important.
“Participation in opportunities like this reminds us that college is about so much more than earning a degree. It’s about discovering who you are, what you value and how you can make a difference,” she said.
Service has long been part of the Racine family’s life together. They have participated in charity 5Ks and organized volunteer events that assembled toiletries and food donations for local organizations. Watching Oulton build a life and identity at FGCU has made opportunities to serve together especially meaningful, Racine said.
“We’re grateful that FGCU creates opportunities for families to come together not just to celebrate, but also in service,” she said. “It’s an opportunity that demonstrates that being part of the Eagle family extends beyond campus.”
