With the Fall semester coming to a quick start, many Gainesville clubs and organizations begin preparations for an active season.
UF hosts more than 900 student organizations bringing extensive opportunities across academics, community service, culture and recreation.
American Association of Venezuelan Engineers
A Latino organization starting off the school year strong is the up-and-coming American Association of Venezuelan Engineers, headed by its founding president, Anabella Feo, a 20-year-old UF civil engineering junior.
The club, which will have its own chapter at UF for the first time this year, is open not just to Venezuelans but to anyone interested in establishing their academic and professional skills, Feo said.
The organization’s biggest mission, Project Catatumbo, was announced in March 2025 by Colombia’s government to address the root causes of armed conflict and instability in the Catatumbo region of Norte de Santander. The project is funded by new taxes on gambling, oil and coal to support improvements to infrastructure, health and education.
AAVE also focuses on allocating resources like running water, first aid and food to Venezuela, Feo said, because many parts of the country don’t have sufficient energy or medicine. Project Catatumbo was adopted into the club following major earthquakes in Naguanagua and Caracas. Thousands of people lost their homes, she said. Hitting just 39 seconds apart, the earthquakes made several coastal hotels, apartments and homes collapse.
While Feo and the organization are preparing for the Fall, she remains passionate about the club's impact.
“When I was given the opportunity to open a new organization that was directly helping the country my family is from, there was no way I could say no,” she said.
Feo’s family had to leave Venezuela because there weren't enough resources for them to live, she said.
“When I was asked if I could open this chapter, it really hit close to home because when I learned about Project Catatumbo, I knew that was something that's deeply affecting my family,” Feo said.
While part of Project Catatumbo and AAVE’s mission revolves around access to education, Children Beyond Our Borders focuses heavily on using education as a means to excel.
Children Beyond Our Borders
Maria Eugenia Zelaya, a 49-year-old high school teacher, has been helping the Gainesville community through education since she became the executive director of Children Beyond Our Borders in 2020.
Founded by UF students in 2003, CBOB is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children and families displaced by conflict or natural disasters access education, health and community.
Zelaya said CBOB tutors an average of 30 children, teaches English classes to adults and helps about 30 patients receive affordable care. The adult English classes bring 10-12 adults weekly through online Zoom meets.
As the start of the school year approaches, the organization has yet to fill 30 volunteer tutor slots.
“A lot of us that are involved with CBOB have been through similar things,” said Zelaya. “So helping others get access to health, education services or building a community is very important and we truly believe that education empowers people.”
CBOB is also raising money for the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that shook Colombia in the beginning of August. Thousands lost their homes, and CBOB is partnering with the community’s first gameday to raise $5,000 for those who lost their homes.
Latin American Women in Business
With AAVA and CBOB narrowing in on community work, Latin American Women in Business aims to empower and connect like-minded Latin American women.
In Spring 2026, LAWIB held 42 members. Monique Capille, a 19-year-old UF business administration sophomore, said she experienced a welcoming environment in the organization without the sense of competition.
Capille said she enjoys the mentorship the program offers. Mentors are paired with mentees each semester to help them reach goals, whether that be to attend more meetings, sight-see, meet work-out goals or study.
President Leslie Dumas, a 19-year-old UF business management junior, said the club aims to support Latina students as they pursue their academic and professional goals.
“To make that process of navigating all the resources UF and Heavener has to offer is easily accessible and more known so that other Latinas can succeed in their careers,” Dumas said.
The club offers LinkedIn workshops, free headshots and networking events
to provide as much information, career readiness and professional development as possible, Dumas said.
LAWIB helps each girl set a steady foundation where over time, they can see themselves progress, Dumas said. “It’s not just building professional development, but also having fun while doing it.”
“It’s always great to empower women and Latino voices on campus, especially through times where being a minority or a woman is a little hard," Dumas said.
Contact Emily Medina-Finsen at medina-finsen@alligator.org. Follow her on X @EmilyMedFinZ27
