Student Service Learning and Community Impact at Orange County Animal Services

Authors

• Andres E. Enriquez, University of Central FloridaFollow
• Matthew Cuenca, University of Central FloridaFollow
• Franklin Chen, University of Central FloridaFollow
• Camila Montesano Rojas, University of Central FloridaFollow
• Rodney Farinas, University of Central FloridaFollow
• Youle Wang, University of Central FloridaFollow

Streaming Media

Files

Course Code

LDR

Course Number

2002

Faculty/Instructor

Dr. Haley Winston

Faculty/Instructor Email

Haley.Winston@ucf.edu

About the Author

This project was completed as part of a Service Learning initiative in partnership with Orange County Animal Services. I would like to sincerely thank and express my gratitude to the shelter for providing the opportunity to contribute to their mission. Specifically, I want to thank Crystal Kincaid, Volunteer Coordinator, for her  coordination with us and her dedication to the welfare of the animals. Her guidance was very important to me and my fellow peers in the creation of this project.

Abstract, Summary, or Creative Statement

Our project focused primarily on volunteering at Orange County Animal Shelter. The purpose of our project was to learn more about leadership skills through in-person service, teamwork, and community engagement. We worked directly with the shelter staff and animals and aimed at better understanding the responsibility needed and the impact we had on serving others.

Some of the key activities that we did were that we helped the shelter with daily operations, which included cleaning animal enclosures, organizing supplies, and interacting with animals to improve their socialization. We also helped maintain a warm, welcoming environment for the visitors and animals.

One thing that we learned was the importance of adaptability, as each day we were faced with new challenges, and we had to adjust while keeping a positive attitude as we worked with a variety of different people. Another major takeaway was that leadership is more than just directing others but also includes serving, supporting others, and setting examples through actions. This project helped all of us grow as leaders through contributing to our community.

Additional Resources

References

How to Bathe a Cat That Hates Water | Carrollton Vets. (2025). Carrollcountyah.com. https://www.carrollcountyah.com/site/blog/2022/06/30/bathe-a-cat

Komives, S. R., & Wagner, W. (2017). Leadership for a better world : understanding the social change model of leadership development (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Orange County Government, Florida. (n.d.). Orange County Animal Services. Retrieved April 13, 2026, from https://www.ocnetpets.com/

Wearespry. (2016, March).Orange County Animal Services Helped by Caring Volunteers as Adoption Numbers Soar. OCFL Newsroom. https://newsroom.ocfl.net/2016/03/orange-county-animal-services-helped-by-caring-volu nteers-as-adoption-numbers-soar/

Keywords

Animal Welfare; Orange County Animal Services; Volunteerism; Service-Learning; Shelter Management; Community Impact; UCF Experiential Learning; Animal Advocacy; Central Florida Community Engagement; Student Outreach

Recommended Citation

Enriquez, Andres E.; Cuenca, Matthew; Chen, Franklin; Rojas, Camila Montesano; Farinas, Rodney; and Wang, Youle, "Student Service Learning and Community Impact at Orange County Animal Services" (2026). High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026. 79.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hip-2026spring/79